ABSTRACT
The fertility-inhibiting effects of long-term (8 weeks) consumption of maize infected with a fungus producing F2 toxin (zearalenone) was studied in adult male and female albino rats. The fertility rate was further decreased by 25-30% if the animals were kept on contaminated diet up to 14 weeks. The gonadal weight was decreased, follicular maturation and spermatogenesis were disturbed. The toxic diet consumed by mothers during pregnancy and lactation induced permanent changes in reproductive organs, disorders in vaginal cyclicity and disturbed fertility in the offspring. Neonatal administration of purified F2 toxin provoked similar changes. It is suggested that this fungal toxin may cause sterility syndrome in the offspring, similar to that produced by androgen or estrogen administration.
Subject(s)
Fertility/drug effects , Ovary/drug effects , Resorcinols/pharmacology , Testis/drug effects , Zearalenone/pharmacology , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Female , Male , Organ Size/drug effects , Ovary/anatomy & histology , Pregnancy , Rats , Sexual Maturation/drug effects , Spermatogenesis/drug effectsSubject(s)
Food Microbiology , Fusarium , Mycotoxins/analysis , Zea mays/analysis , Hungary , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
The alcohol-soluble wheat gluten fraction (gliadine) and the petroleum-ether-soluble wheat protein fraction (purothionine) were isolated and analysed. The gliadine fraction was itself fractionated by gel chromatography (Sephadex G-100). The partial hydrolysis of sub-fractions (molecular weight 20000-30000) yielded (after separation by gel and ion-exchange chromatography) several peptide fractions. The amino-acid composition and the N- and C-terminal groups of the gliadine fractions were determined. Characteristic differences were stated between various fractions. By means of gel chromatography, purothionine was separated into 4-6 fractions. The study of the amino-acid composition and of the N-terminal groups of the fractions revealed differences in both properties.
Subject(s)
Glutens/analysis , Plant Proteins/analysis , Triticum , Amino Acids/analysis , Gliadin/analysis , Lipoproteins/analysis , Molecular Weight , Nitrogen/analysis , Phosphorus/analysisABSTRACT
In rainy autumnal weather and unfavourable storage conditions, certain agricultural products may be severely infested with Fusarium species also in Hungary. Since 1970 the authors have detected more than 200 Fusarium infestations in maize, wheat and mixed fodder. The Fusarium toxins were detected thin-layer chromatographically after extraction with chloroform and purification by means of solumn chromatography. Apart from F-2 (zearalenone) which is the most frequent toxin, other ultraviolet active toxic compounds were disclosed. Of the latter, the compounds F-3 and F-4 were isolated; their infra-red spectra were determined. From the results obtained, it may be concluded that these compounds have structures which resemble that of zearalenone and that they produce toxic effects.
