SIMULTANEOUS PRODUCTION OF PENICILLIC ACID AND PATULIN BY A Penicillium SPECIES ISOLATED FROM CHEDDAR CHEESE

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Abstract
A Penicillium sp. isolated from Cheddar cheese and tentatively identified as an atypical strain of Penicillium roqueforti was found to produce penicillic acid and patulin simultaneously. This study was done to determine the effects of substrate, incubation temperature and time on the ratio and quantities of toxins produced. Three substrates known to support mycotoxin production (yeast‐extract sucrose, potato‐dextrose and Raulin‐Thom broths), a medium containing lactose and casein, several foods (Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, sausage, cooked cornmeal, yellow dent corn and corn tortillas), and a shredded wheatnutrient broth medium known to support toxin production were used as substrates. Incubation temperatures of 5, 12 and 25°C were studied over several periods of time for each group of substrates. Of all the substrates studied, the broth substrates previously known to support mycotoxin production supported the most abundant toxin production under all conditions. The greatest concentrations of toxins were produced at 12°C followed by 5°C. The lowest quantities of both mycotoxins were produced at 25°C regardless of substrate. Patulin was produced predominately on potato‐dextrose broth, both penicillic acid and patulin were produced on yeast extract‐sucrose broth, and penicillic acid was predominately produced on Raulin‐Thom broth. Neither toxin was produced on Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, summer sausauge or corn tortillas, but penicillic acid was produced on cooked cornmeal and both penicillic acid and patulin were produced on yellow dent corn, with best production occurring at 12°C. Substrates low in carbohydrate did not support appreciable levels of mycotoxin production.