Edgar Manuel Cambaza

1. IntroductionFusarium graminearum (teleomorph: Gibberella zeae) is a pathogen of maize, wheat, rice, and barley responsible for the disease known as Fusarium head blight (FHB) and mycotoxin contamination [1,2]. FHB destroys the grain starch and protein and was responsible for losses of over $2.7 billion in the United States between 1998 and 2000 [2]. The mold’s most common mycotoxins are n ...

1. Introduction The last two decades have witnessed a rapid global re-emergence of Fusarium, an important genus of cereal pathogens [1–3], due to climate change [4], edaphic and agro-technical factors [5–7]. These molds have garnered attention from researchers, scholars and legislators because of their deleterious impact in agriculture, trade, health and animal sciences. The most commo ...

1. Introduction Aflatoxins are undoubtedly the most studied mycotoxins in Mozambique, especially aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). This is due to records of local epidemiological associations between this toxin and hepatic cancer [1], and export restrictions of contaminated groundnuts and maize [2]. There are reports on fumonisins and other toxins [3,4], but these are few compared to the information on AFB1. Y ...

1. IntroductionMycelial size is widely regarded as the “golden standard” for mold growth studies [1], regardless of if they are based on radius, diameter, perimeter, or area. However, this approach has some drawbacks: (1) molds do not stop growing if conditions allow; (2) the size does not tell much about the metabolism, especially in the field; (3) in closed systems, the growth in siz ...

1. IntroductionMycotoxin studies have been gaining prominence since the second half of the 20th century, and deoxynivalenol (DON) or vomitoxin (H15O20O6, Figure 1) is among the most well-known among these toxins [1]. In its physical form DON form colorless fine needles, it is soluble in polar organic solvents and water and its melting point is 151–153 °C [2]. DON belongs to the class of ...