Citation:
Lee H et al. Mycobiology, 2015 Jun, Vol.43, Iss 2, pp 93-106
Abstract:
Alternaria species are common saprophytes or pathogens of a wide range of plants pre- and post-harvest. This review considers the relative importance of Alternaria
species, their ecology, competitiveness, production of mycotoxins and the
prevalence of the predominant mycotoxins in different food products. The available toxicity data on these toxins and the
potential future impacts of
Alternaria
species and their toxicity in food products pre- and post-harvest are discussed. The growth
of
Alternaria
species is influenced by interacting abiotic factors, especially water activity (a w
), temperature and pH. The boundary
conditions which allow growth and toxin production have been identified in relation to different matrices including cereal grain,
sorghum, cottonseed, tomato, and soya beans. The competitiveness of
Alternaria
species is related to their water stress tolerance,
hydrolytic enzyme production and ability to produce mycotoxins. The relationship between
A. tenuissima
and other phyllosphere
fungi has been examined and the relative competitiveness determined using both an Index of Dominance (I D
) and the Niche
Overlap Index (NOI) based on carbon-utilisation patterns. The toxicology of some of the
Alternaria
mycotoxins have been
studied; however, some data are still lacking. The isolation of
Alternaria
toxins in different food products including processed
products is reviewed. The future implications of
Alternaria
colonization/infection and the role of their mycotoxins in food
production chains pre- and post-harvest are discussed.
