Effects of ozone gas on Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum strains producers of fumonisin

Fumonisins are produced by Fusarium species, essentially Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum that occur as natural contaminant of corn and corn products. Consumption is associated with certain diseases in animals and humans. The food industry aims its research to develop new technologies and the application of ozone gas, given its high germicidal power and spontaneous decomposition to oxygen, has become a potential agent to ensure microbiological safety and food quality. Because of the importance of maize consumption in Argentina and contamination of the grain by fumonisin-producing strains, the possibility to detoxify corn contaminated with this toxin with ozone gas was studied. Strains of Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum were isolated from maize grain and silage. The toxin production capacity of these strains was studied. The quantification of the toxin was performed by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) kit for fumonisin RIDASCREEN (R) FAST Fumonisin following manufacturer's instructions. Ozone gas concentrations: 4500, 7500 and 25000 ppm(v), for exposure times of 10 and 20 minutes was used. All strains of Fusarium studied were good producers of fumonisin. At the concentrations and times studied, eliminating or decreasing the concentration of toxin was not observed. Prevent contamination with these molds is the best solution to the problem of mycotoxins, because once produced the toxin is difficult to eradicate.