ASPERGILLI CONTAMINANTI DERRATE AD USO UMANO E ZOOTECNICO: attività enzimatica, tecniche diagnostiche innovative e possibili strategie di difesa biologica.

Cultivable Fungal Endophytes in Roots, Rhizomes and Leaves of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile along the Coast of Sicily, Italy

The presence of endophytic fungi in the roots, rhizomes, and leaves of Posidonia oceanica was evaluated in different localities of the Sicilian coast. Samples of roots, rhizomes, and leaves were submitted to isolation techniques, and the obtained fungal colonies were identified by morphological and molecular (rRNA sequencing) analysis. Fungal endophytes occurred mainly in roots and occasionally in rhizomes and leaves. Lulwoana sp. was the most frequent of the isolated taxa, suggesting a strong interaction with the host. In addition, eight other fungal taxa were isolated. In particular, fungi of the genus Ochroconis and family Xylariaceae were identified as endophytes in healthy plants at al…

Fungal Contaminants and Mycotoxins in Nuts

Contamination by fungi and mycotoxins in nuts has achieved much attention in recent years. In fact, the fungal metabolites produced by the species of Aspergillus, Penicillium (aflatoxins and ochratoxins), Fusarium (trichothecenes, zearalenones and fumonisins) and Alternaria (alternariotoxins) with toxic and/or carcinogenic effects are considered a threat to human and animal health. In this chapter we will discuss the main fungal taxa and related mycotoxins most frequently associated with these materials. In this regard, the first results on the level of contamination by fungi and mycotoxins in samples of almonds and pistachios of different origins will be reported. The main strategies to re…

The Checklist of Sicilian Macrofungi: Second Edition

Approximately 30 years after the publication of the first Sicilian checklist of macrofungi, a new updated version is presented here. The census of macromycetes was carried out through periodic observations in different agricultural and forest ecosystems, in urban areas, in public and private gardens, and in botanical gardens. The 1919 infraspecific taxa included in 508 genera belonging to 152 families were collected in the Sicilian territory. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are the most represented ecological category, followed by saprotrophs on wood, saprotrophs on litter, and terricolous saprotrophs. The interest in this rich group of organisms is evidenced by the nutritional and therapeutic value …

An analysis of botanical studies of vascular plants from Italian wetlands

Wetlands are essential for life on Earth, but at the same time the most threatened environments due to the gradual alterations associated with climate change and human action. The botanical studies on wetland higher plants carried out in Italy from 1950 until today are analysed in this survey. The 1,265 contributions resulting from this study are analysed from a historical, geographical, and content point of view. Most of the scientific contributions were published in the 1980s and 1990s, often by the same research groups and on a local scale. The predominant research theme is the inventory. Most papers are mainly focused on lakes and rivers. The results of this literature survey point to t…

Functional bread supplemented with Pleurotus eryngii powder: A potential new food for human health

The purpose of this study was to develop functional breads with powdered Pleurotus eryngii. The breads were produced applying the traditional Italian style sourdough technology. P. eryngii powder was added to flour of tender wheat varieties (Grano Dei Miracoli, Inalettabile, Mentana, Gentilrosso, Ardito and a mix of Rieti, Verna, and Mentana) or semolina of durum wheat landrace (Saragolla) and subjected to sourdough fermentation. Sourdough inoculum was produced with selected strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) belonging to the species Levilactobacillus brevis, Weissella cibaria and Leuconostoc citreum. The addition of Pleurotus powdered (PP) (10% w/w) did not influence the fermentation pr…

Muffe e micotossine nelle derrate alimentari: danni, metodi di controllo e norme in vigore

Secondo la FAO il 25% delle colture e il 70% dei mangimi nel mondo risulta contaminato da tossine prodotte da patogeni con enormi danni economici

Cellulolytic activity in Aspergillus spp. contaminating livestock feeds and raw materials

The contamination by Aspergillus spp. have become a global concern in food and feedstuffs and can lead to a reduction in yield and quality of agricultural products with significant economic losses. Most species of Aspergillus produce cellulose-degrading enzymes and some of them also have mycotoxigenic activity. This study aimed i) to evaluate the Aspergillus contamination in feeds (16) and row materials (32) collected in Sicily; ii) to isolate and identify fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus and iii) to analyze their ability to produce cellulolytic enzymes. Aspergillus spp. contamination was evaluated on PDA using serial ten-fold dilution and spread plate technique (Mirabile et al., 20…

Ligninolytic potential of Curvularia kusanoi L7 laccases for animal production

The present research was conducted with the objective of evaluating the ligninolytic potential of Curvularia kusanoi L7 laccases in improving the nutritional quality of fibrous substrates for animal feed. Laccase production was obtained from C. kusanoi L7 under native conditions by solid submerged fermentation of wheat bran and by biological interactions with Trichoderma viride M5-2 and Trichoderma pleuroticola. The enzymes were purified from the culture broths by triphasic partition. The degradative potential of native and induced laccases where evaluated by determining foliar lignololytic capacity, raw wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw delignification and the effect of enzyme pretreatment o…

Pistachio fruits rust caused by Tuberculina persicina (Ditmar) Sacc., anamorph of Helicobasidium purpureum (Tul.) Pat.

In the study, we found rust in pistachio fruits and verified that it was caused by Tuberculina persicina, anamorph of Helicobasidium purpureum, through isolation and culture, microscopic observation, molecular identification and pathogenicity tests of Koch’s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of rust fruit in pistachio caused by Tuberculina persicina.

Potencialidades del consorcio microbiano Curvularia kusanoi -Trichoderma pleuroticola como pretratamiento biológico para la degradación de fuentes fibrosas

Objective. To evaluate the potentiality of the microbial consortium Curvularia kusanoi L7- Trichoderma pleuroticola as biological pretreatment of high fiber sources destined for animal production. Materials and methods. The Strains used where Curvularia kusanoi L7 and Trichoderma pleuroticola. The degradative potential was evaluated through the production kinetics of cellulolytic (endo-1,4-β-glucanase and exo-1,4-β-glucanase) and ligninolytics enzymes (laccase and peroxidase) in solid submerged fermentation of bran wheat and sugarcane bagasse. The growth of the co culture in plates was analyzed. The effect of the consortium on the carbon mineralization of raw wheat straw was determined and …

First report of Pleurotus fuscosquamulosus (Pleurotaceae, Basidiomycota) in Italy naturally occurring on new tropical hosts

Basidiomata of a mushroom macroscopically recognised as Pleurotus cystidosus sensu latu were collected on the trunks of three tropical ornamental trees such as Broussonetia papyrifera, Yucca elephantipes, and Paulownia tomentosa in the Parco d’Orleans, an urban park in the town of Palermo (Sicily, Italy). All the plants showed cavities and white rot symptoms at the base of the trunks. Macro- and microscopic observations on both collected basidiomata and isolated colonies, as well as molecular analysis, allowed identifying the collected basidiomata as Pleurotus fuscosquamulosus and its anamorph as Antromycopsis fuscosquamulosus. These species belong to the subgenus Coremiopleurotus that incl…

Hydrolate and EO Application to Reduce Decay of Carica papaya during Storage

Postharvest fruit loss is caused by the absence of advanced handling and storage technologies and the quiescent presence of fungal pathogens. Therefore, there is a growing demand for sustainable decisions for the planet. This study focused on the use of two types of edible coatings: one was based on the essential oil of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. viridulum with Aloe arborescens Mill. gel (EC1), and the other was based on the hydrolate only (EC2). These treatments were applied to provide defense against fungal infections in papaya (Carica papaya L. cv Solo), and the storage time was 25 days (T5 ± 1 °C). Fruits coated with EC1 were more contaminated with fungal pathogens than both control (CT…

Supplementary material 1 from: Barone G, Cirlincione F, Di Gristina E, Domina G, Gianguzzi L, Mirabile G, Naselli-Flores L, Raimondo FM, Venturella G (2022) An analysis of botanical studies of vascular plants from Italian wetlands. Italian Botanist 14: 45-60. https://doi.org/10.3897/italianbotanist.14.95072

List of data references on botanical studies of higher plants in Italian wetlands

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