RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The genus Fusarium comprises a diverse group of fungi including several species that produce mycotoxins in food commodities. In the present study, a multiplex PCR was standardised for the group-specific detection of fumonisin-producing and trichothecene-producing strains of Fusarium species. Primers for genus-level recognition of Fusarium spp. were designed from the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 of rDNA. Primers for group-specific detection were designed from the tri5 and tri6 genes involved in trichothecene biosynthesis and the fum1 and fum13 genes involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. RESULTS: Among the various genera and their strains tested, all the 85 confirmed Fusarium strains were positive for rDNA gene and the rest stayed negative. From among the Fusarium strains, 15 had amplification for trichothecene- and 20 for fumonisin-encoding genes. All PCR positive trichothecene chemotypes of Fusarium species tested were positive for chemical analysis but in the case of fumonisins, of the 20 PCR positive cultures, only 13 showed positive for chemical analysis by HPTLC. CONCLUSION: The assay described here provided a rapid and reliable detection of trichothecene- and fumonisin-producing Fusarium directly from natural food grains and the results were always comparable with a conventional HPTLC detection method. It can, therefore, be used by the food industry to monitor quality and safety.