Abstract
3-Nitropropionic acid (NPA) is a known toxic metabolite produced by many species ofAstragalus of the Leguminosae family. In 1992, Liu et al. reported that some species ofArthrinium were the etiological fungi of moldy sugarcane poisoning (MSP) occurring in China. The toxic metabolite NPA produced byArthrinium was the main causative agent. Ten percent (88/884) of the MSP patients died, and many were left with lifelong disabilities. In this study, an accurate, sensitive, and rapid method for quantifying NPA produced byArthrinium species in sugarcane juice was developed. The method includes extraction, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fourteen strains ofArthrinium obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) were examined for NPA-producing ability. Eight strains (57.1%), including three ofA. sacchari, two ofA. phaeospermum, and one each ofA. terminalis, A. aureum, andA. sereaensis, were positive for NPA production. The highest level of NPA produced byA. sacchari ATCC 76981 was 1.7 mg/ml when cultured at 24°C for 2 weeks. The optimum temperature for the production of NPA toxin was 24°C. The optimum pH was around pH 5.0. NPA production was higher in stationary cultures than in those shaken at 120 rpm.
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Wei, DL., Chang, SC., Lin, SC. et al. Production of 3-nitropropionic acid byArthrinium species. Current Microbiology 28, 1–5 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01575978
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01575978