Detecção do perfil toxigênico e identificação do complexo de espécies Fusarium graminearum através da espectroscopia de infravermelho

Resumo

The Fusarium Graminearum Species Complex (FGSC) are one of the main fungal species responsible for wheat and barley infections. These fungi yield great losses in production due to plant and grains rot and also because of the presence of mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites with harmful effects to animal and human health. Today, mycotoxins became a public health issue and generate billionaire losses annually. All species from FGSC are able to produce mycotoxins in grains, specially toxins from the trichothecenes group. Trichothecenes are sesquiterpene that may cause vomits, malnutrition, weight loss and possible death. Due to their deleterious effect is essential to study the pathogenic behavior of the producers of this compounds. The type of toxin produced varies according to the pathogen specie, giving each fungal isolate a specific toxigenic profile. Identification analysis and toxigenic profiles are normally held with molecular and chromatographic methods, respectively. Although, efficient, these techniques are often costly and require a high technical level. Thus, our work proposes to develop a fast, low cost and alternative method trough infrared spectroscopy - technique characterized by the converging of an infrared beam on the substrate (fungal isolates) and by the difference between the transmitted and absorbed light on the substrate creates a unique identity, like a digital impression of each isolate - to identify the pathogenic wheat FGSC species and their toxigenic profiles. With a new, precise and efficient methodology, the toxigenic and taxonomic analysis could become faster and cheaper and in the future could replace the traditional techniques. (AU)