Control of Toxigenic Molds in Cereal Seeds

Mycotoxicosis is poisoning by the ingestion of mycotoxins in food altered or damaged by the growth of toxigenic molds. Mycotoxins can be produced by fungi growing in the living plant, decaying plant material, and in stored plant material. Acquisition by the host is usually by ingestion, though inhalation or direct skin contact can represent health hazards. In almost all examples of mycotoxin production in cereal substrates, the substrate had been autoclaved and contained under aseptic experimental conditions in flasks or similar containment systems. In the authors’ laboratory an experimental protocol has been developed which ensures microorganism-free cereal seeds. For most experimental studies, cereal seeds would normally be autoclaved for variable periods of time and then retained under aseptic conditions. However, this treatment drastically changes the chemical and physical nature of the substrate such that it no longer fully resembles the previous living seeds.