Deoxynivalenol and oxidative stress indicators in winter wheat inoculated with Fusarium graminearum

Toxins (Basel). 2014 Feb 7;6(2):575-91. doi: 10.3390/toxins6020575.

Abstract

This study comprises analyses of contents of mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, as well as the level of oxidative stress in ears of a susceptible wheat cultivar Hanseat and cv. Arina, resistant to a pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Starting from 48 h after inoculation, a marked increase was observed in the contents of these mycotoxins in ears of wheat; however, the greatest accumulation was recorded in the late period after inoculation, i.e., during development of disease. Up to 120 h after inoculation, in ears of both wheat cultivars, the level of deoxynivalenol was higher than that of zearalenone. The susceptible cultivar was characterized by a much greater accumulation of deoxynivalenol than the resistant cultivar. At the same time, in this cultivar, in the time from 0 to 72 h after inoculation, a marked post-infection increase was observed in the generation of the superoxide radical (O2•-). Additionally, its level, at all the time points after inoculation, was higher than in the control. In wheat cv. Arina, a markedly higher level of O2•- generation in relation to the control was found up to two hours after inoculation and, next, at a later time after inoculation. In turn, the level of semiquinone radicals detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) increased at later culture times, both in cv. Hanseat and Arina; however, in infested ears of wheat, it was generally lower than in the control. Analysis of disease symptoms revealed the presence of more extensive lesions in ears of a susceptible wheat cv. Hanseat than resistant cv. Arina. Additionally, ergosterol level as a fungal growth indicator was higher in ears of susceptible wheat than in the resistant cultivar.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ergosterol / analysis
  • Fusarium*
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • Quinones / metabolism
  • Superoxides / metabolism
  • Trichothecenes / analysis
  • Trichothecenes / toxicity*
  • Triticum / chemistry
  • Triticum / drug effects*
  • Triticum / metabolism
  • Triticum / microbiology
  • Zearalenone / analysis
  • Zearalenone / toxicity*

Substances

  • Quinones
  • Trichothecenes
  • Superoxides
  • Zearalenone
  • deoxynivalenol
  • Ergosterol