Effect of oxidant stressors and phenolic antioxidants on the ochratoxigenic fungusAspergillus carbonarius

BACKGROUND There are few studies dealing with the relationship between oxidative stress and ochratoxin A (OTA) biosynthesis. In this work, we analyzed the effect of the oxidant stressor menadione and the antioxidants 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT), catechin, resveratrol and a polyphenolic extract on growth, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), OTA production and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes of Aspergillus carbonarius. RESULTS Exposure to menadione concentrations higher than 20 µmol L−1 led to increases in ROS and OTA levels and a decrease in growth rate. Exposure to 2.5–10 mmol L−1 BHT also led to higher ROS and OTA levels, although growth rate was only affected …