0000000000001101
AUTHOR
G. Mirabile
Interactions between Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AG1 and Aspergillus spp. contaminating food and feedstuffs
Aspergillus is a widespread fungal genus contaminating and degrading food and feeds mostly during storage. Some species can also produce carcinogenic mycotoxins harmful for human and animal health. In this study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AG1 (BaAG1), active against fungal pathogens was evaluated by in vitro tests against seven Aspergillus species belonging to six Aspergillus sections. After 7 days of incubation at 25°C, mycelial growth of all fungal species was reduced from 46.53% to 60.92%, compared to the controls. The inhibitory effect of BaAG1 cell-free culture filtrate was tested by turbidimetric measurements by using ScanReady P-800 that allow the automatic and continuous monitoring…
Seeds vitality and fungal contamination in Abies nebrodensis
Seeds of Abies nebrodensis were subjected to laboratory tests aimed to detect fungal contaminants and to obtain xenobiotic-free seedlings, by the use of different surface sterilising agents. Moreover, hot water at 60°C was used to suppress any fungal microorganisms colonizing the inner tissues. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus and Stemphylium vesicarium were the most frequent fungal contaminants. Non-contaminated seeds showed germination values ranging from 0 to 36.4% depending on the applied sterilization protocol. Further analyses will be carried out to establish the influence of these fungi on the seed germination process and their relationship with seedlings of A. nebrodensis.