Efficiency of Hydroxycinnamic Phenolic Acids to Inhibit the Production of Ochratoxin A by <i>Aspergillus westerdijkiae</i> and <i>Penicillium verrucosum</i>

• Main Authors: Saranyaphat Boonmee, Vessela Atanasova, Sylvain Chéreau, Gisèle Marchegay, Kevin D. Hyde, Florence Richard-Forget
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: Aspergillus westerdijkiae; Penicillium verrucosum; ochratoxin A; phenolic acids
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/22/8548
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the worldwide most important mycotoxins in terms of health and agroeconomic consequences. With the aim to promote the use of phytochemicals as alternatives to synthetic fungicides, the effect of hydroxycinnamic acids on the fungal growth and OTA yield by two major OTA-producing species was investigated. After a first step dedicated to the definition of most suitable culture conditions, the impact of 0.5 mM ferulic (FER), <i>p</i>-coumaric (COUM), caffeic and chlorogenic acids was evaluated on <i>Aspergillus westerdijkiae</i> and <i>Penicillium verrucosum</i>. Whereas no fungal growth reduction was observed regardless of the phenolic acid and fungal isolate, our results demonstrated the capacity of FER and COUM to inhibit OTA production. The most efficient compound was FER that led to a 70% reduction of OTA yielded by <i>P. verrucosum</i> and, although not statistically significant, a 35% inhibition of OTA produced by <i>A. westerdijkiae</i>. To further investigate the bioactivity of FER and COUM, their metabolic fate was characterized in fungal broths. The capacity of <i>P. verrucosum</i> to metabolize FER and COUM through a C₂-clivage type degradation was demonstrated. Overall, our data support the potential use of FER to prevent OTA contamination and reduce the use of synthetic pesticides.