Moniliformin, a metabolite of Fusarium moniliforme NRRL 6322: purification and toxicity.

Fusarium moniliforme NRRL 6322 produced about 600 mg of recoverable moniliformin, a mycotoxic metabolite, per kg of corn grit medium. The moniliformin was extracted from the grits with methanol, purified by preparative thin-layer chromatography, and crystallized from ether. The 50% lethal dose for chicken embryos was 2.8 microgram per egg. For 1-day-old chicks dosed with moniliformin by crop intubation and for female and male mice injected intraperitoneally, the 50% lethal doses were 5.4, 20.9, and 29.1 mg per kg of body weight, respectively. The toxin did not cause a reaction on mouse skin.