Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
Centro para Investigaciones en Granos y Semillas (CIGRAS), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
Mycotoxin Res. 2024 Nov;40(4):641-649. doi: 10.1007/s12550-024-00551-4. Epub 2024 Aug 17.
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop worldwide. Contaminated maize kernels pose a significant mycotoxin exposure risk for humans in Latin America. Fumonisins, the most prevalent mycotoxin in maize, typically occur during pre-harvest conditions leading to significant economic losses. Various factors, including weather conditions, may influence this contamination. This study aimed to determine the association between fumonisin B (FB) contamination, prevalence of Fusarium verticillioides, weather conditions and kernel quality in the two primary maize production areas in Costa Rica (Brunca and Chorotega). All maize samples (100%) showed FB contamination, with higher concentrations in samples from Brunca region, consistent with the presence of F. verticilliodes. Weather conditions appeared to play an important role in this contamination, since Brunca region had the highest mean temperature and relative humidity after maize silking (R1) and the total monthly rainfall in this region was significantly higher during the last two months of maize cultivation (grain-filling and physiological maturity stages R3 to R6). Interestingly, this study found a negative correlation between grain damage and kernel contamination with FB and F. verticillioides. The concentration of mineral nutrients in kernels from both regions was largely similar. Most nutrients in kernels exhibited a negative correlation with FB, particularly nitrogen. Zinc and phosphorus were the only nutrients in kernels showing a positive correlation with FB in samples from the Brunca region. The results highlight elevated levels of FB contamination in maize and contribute to a better understanding of pre-harvest factors influencing FB contamination in tropical conditions.
玉米（Zea mays L.）是世界范围内重要的谷类作物。受污染的玉米粒会对拉丁美洲的人类造成严重的真菌毒素暴露风险。伏马菌素是玉米中最常见的真菌毒素，通常在收获前的条件下出现，导致重大的经济损失。各种因素，包括天气条件，可能会影响这种污染。本研究旨在确定伏马菌素 B（FB）污染、层出镰刀菌（Fusarium verticillioides）的流行率、天气条件和玉米籽粒质量之间的关联，这些关联在哥斯达黎加的两个主要玉米生产地区（Brunca 和 Chorotega）中存在。所有玉米样本（100%）均显示 FB 污染，Brunca 地区样本的浓度更高，与层出镰刀菌的存在一致。天气条件似乎在这种污染中起着重要作用，因为 Brunca 地区在玉米抽丝后（R1）的平均温度和相对湿度最高，而且该地区在玉米种植的最后两个月（灌浆和生理成熟阶段 R3 到 R6）的总月降雨量明显更高。有趣的是，本研究发现，玉米粒的谷物损伤与 FB 和层出镰刀菌的污染呈负相关。来自两个地区的玉米籽粒中矿物质营养元素的浓度大致相似。来自两个地区的玉米籽粒中的大多数营养元素与 FB 呈负相关，特别是氮。锌和磷是 Brunca 地区样本中唯一与 FB 呈正相关的营养元素。研究结果突显了玉米中 FB 污染水平的升高，并有助于更好地理解在热带条件下影响 FB 污染的收获前因素。
