Toxicity of trichothecenes, moniliformin, zearalenone/ol, griseofulvin, patulin, PR toxin and rubratoxin B on protozoan tetrahymena pyriformis
Nishie, K.; Cutler, H.G.; Cole, R.J.
Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology 65(2): 197-210
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-5164 PMID: 2531459 Document Number: 334128
The inhibitory effects of some fungal products from Fusarium, Trichothecium, Myrothecium and Penicillium were investigated on the protozoan T. pyriformis. The dose of mycotoxin which decreased protozoan growth by 50% in 24 h was defined as inhibitory dose 50 (ID50). The order of toxicity according to the ID50 values were: T-2 toxin > trichothecin > 4,15-diacetylverrucarol > patulin > trichothecolone > verrucarol > zearalenone > PR-toxin > 3 alpha -acetyldiacetoxyscirpenol > zearalenol > griseofulvin > acetyl T-2 > iso T-2 > T-2 triol > scirpentriol > rubratoxin B > T-2 tetraol > moniliformin. In analogous pairs of trichothecenes their toxicities depended upon the substituents at certain positions of the molecules. Among trichothecenes (without ester groups) with H and OH substituents, the toxicity was inversely related to the number of OH groups in the molecule: verrucarol (2 OHs) > scirpentriol (3 OHs) > T-2 tetraol (4 OHs). Zearalenone was approx. 3-fold more toxic than its analogue zearalenol. The Tetrahymena cultures exposed 1 d to mycotoxins had protozoa counts/ micro l inversely related to doses and the % transmittance and pH values were directly related to doses.