PRODUCTION OF TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXIN BY Fusaruim equiseti NFCCI-2157 ISOLATED FROM VASCULAR WILT OF CUMIN (Cuminum cyminum L.)

The fungi of the genus Fusarium occur worldwide mainly on cereal grains, vegetables crop and spices. They are considered to be not only plant pathogenic, but also the producers of secondary metabolites – mycotoxins. Fusarium equiseti has been isolated from wilted plants of Cumin from North Gujarat, India. F. equiseti were investigated using TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) and MS (Mass Spectrometry). The production of secondary metabolites of Fusarium equiseti on liquid Czapek Dox medium was observed after 10 days incubation. The secondary metabolite detected by TLC showed the Rf value of 1.05 might be trichothecenes derivatives. The functional groups of secondary metabolite were determined by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis and they are similar to the functional groups of trichothecenes family. The structure of secondary metabolite and molecular mass were determined using MS analysis. The skeletal compounds of secondary metabolite and molecular mass 449.4 were comparable to trichothecenes family 424.5 to 466.5 molecular mass. So the secondary metabolite may be trichothecenes family with the empirical formula of C24H34O9 (T-2) and C22H32O8 (HT-2).