A simple rapid procedure for obtaining axenic cultures from monoxenic cultures of myxomycete plasmodia.

Axenic culture of myxomycete plasmodia has been attempted from time to time by various authors, but with very little success. From over 500 known species of myxomycetes, fewer than 20 species have been reported in axenic culture to date, including axenic myxamoebal cultures. In these cultures, the plasmodia required either complex media, or a killed bacterial supplement for growth. Furthermore, the time required for attaining the axenic state varied from several months to years. In the present study, a simple, rapid procedure has been developed to render monoxenic plasmodial cultures axenic. This procedure is based on our discovery that plasmodia have certain unusual substrate preferences that are inhibitory to the associated bacteria using Physarella oblonga as a model. The presence or absence of the bacteria could be ascertained through incubation in four different bacteriological media and by the use of a differential staining technique.

Changes in moisture content, mycoflora and aflatoxin content of rice bran during storage.

The changes in moisture content, storage mycoflora and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in bran from untreated or raw rice (Rr) and parboiled rice (Pbr) stored in small lots in polyethylene bags were studied at 15-day intervals up to 60 days, using five lots of each type of bran. Deterioration was more rapid with reference to all the three parameters, in Rr bran compared to Pbr bran, the former becoming completely overgrown and caked with fungi by the end of 60 days. Aspergillus flavus was the dominant fungus in Pbr bran, whereas A. candidus and Trichoderma viride were abundant in Rr bran. The frequency of incidence as well as concentration of AFB1 increased with storage time in both types of bran, but the rate of increase as well as overall concentration were much higher in Rr bran. Thus raw rice bran is unsuitable for prolonged storage.

Natural occurrence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in rice bran.

Thirty four samples of rice bran, of which 9 were from raw (untreated) rice (RR) and 25 from parboiled rice (PbR) were collected from commercial rice mills in and around Madras and analysed for storage mycoflora and mycotoxins. Fungi of the Aspergillus flavus group were present in 29 of the 34 samples (8 from RR and 21 from PbR) in quantities ranging from less than 1-432 thousand propagules/g, though not always as the dominant mycoflora. Fungal numbers were usually higher in RR than in PbR samples. Five of the 9 RR samples and 6 of the 25 PbR samples were positive for aflatoxins. Among 29 isolates of A. flavus obtained from the bran samples, 16 isolates -6 from RR bran and 10 from PbR bran - were found to be toxigenic in vitro. Some isolates of A. candidus also seemed to produce aflatoxin and other fluorescent substances.

Osmophilism in foodgrain storage fungi.

A comparative study of different species of storage fungi isolated from rice showed them to be truly osmophilic rather than osmotolerant. Their osmophilism was of a high order, their optimum sucrose requirement being in the range of 50% to 75% w/v in the medium. However, only Aspergillus glaucus was obligately osmophilic. A sucrose concentration of 50% w/v in Czapek-Dox agar was concluded to be the most suitable for the isolation of these different fungi from foodgrains.