[Fumonisins--new metabolites of Fusarium moniliforme--as contaminants of corn].

Strains of the Fusarium moniliforme fungi, widely distributed contaminants of maize are shown to be highly toxic and carcinogenic and cause various animal and human diseases. The effect of temperature and incubation period on the production of fumonisins by F. moniliforme have been studied. The overall maximum yield of fumonisins was 17.5 g/kg maize. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of fumonisins is proposed. The structural analysis of their tetramethylethers was performed by the mass-spectrometry method. It has been established that fumonisins are causative factors in the toxicity of horse leukoencephalomalacia. The possible role of fumonisins in the etiology of oesophageal cancer is discussed.