[Toxin-producing ability of molds of the genus Alternaria].

The ability to produce the Alternaria mycotoxins alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) and altenuene (ALT) were studied on 87 Alternaria strains. 50 isolates were studied to produce tenuazonic acid (TeA). The strains were isolated from CCM-maize and stored hay. They were cultured under optimum conditions and analysed by various chromatographic methods for the 4 mycotoxins. All Alternaria strains studied produced AME and TeA, 77 per cent also AOH. A production of ALT was detected only in 18 per cent of the isolates. The concentrations of toxins produced were 0.08-482 (162) ppm for AME, 0.05-1862 (121) ppm for AOH, 0.1-34 (9.1) ppm for ALT and 0.02-42 (11.3) mg/100 ml liquid medium for TeA. The species Alternaria alternata (Fries) Keissler and Alternaria tenuissima (Kunze:Fr.) Wiltshire produced the greatest amounts of all mycotoxins studied.