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Table 2 Selected ascomycetous fungi and their species-specific polyketide pigment and/or toxic metabolite profiles.

From: Identification of potentially safe promising fungal cell factories for the production of polyketide natural food colorants using chemotaxonomic rationale

Fungal species

Pigment composition (colour).

Toxic colored compounds in bold

Major known mycotoxic uncolored metabolites

BioSafety Level (BSL) classification1[32]

Comment2

Ref.

Fusarium acuminatum

Antibiotic Y (yellow)

Aurofusarin (red)

Enniatins

Moniliformin

unknown

No

[24]

F. avenaceum

Antibiotic Y (yellow)

Aurofusarin (red)

Enniatins

Moniliformin

2-amino-14,16-di-methyloctadecan-3-ol

unknown

No

[24]

F. culmorum

Aurofusarin (red)

Fuscofusarin (yellow)

Rubrofusarin (red)

Butenolide

Fusarin C

Trichothecenes

Zearalenone

unknown

No

[24]

F. fujikuroi

Bikaverin (red)

Norbikaverin (red)

O-demethylanhydrofusarubin (red)

Fumonisins

Fusaric acid

Gibberellins

Moniliformin

1

No

[25]

F. graminearum

Aurofusarin (red)

Rubrofusarin (red)

Butenolide

Fusarin C

Trichothecenes

Zearalenone

unknown

No

[24]

F. oxysporum

2,7-dimehoxy-6-(acetoxyethyl)juglone (yellow)

Bikaverin (red)

Bostrycoidin (red)

Nectriafurone (yellow)

Norjavanicin (red)

O-methyl-6-hydroxynorjavanicin (yellow)

O-methylanhydrofusarubin (orange-red)

O-methylfusarubin (red)

O-methyljavanicin

Fumonisins

Fusaric acid

Moniliformin

2

No

[25]

F. poae

Aurofusarin (red)

Enniatins

Fusarin C

Trichothecenes

unknown

No

[24]

F. sambucinum

Aurofusarin (red)

Trichothecenes

unknown

No

[24]

F. solani

Fusarubin (red)

Isomarticins (red)

O-ethylfusarubin (red)

O-methyldihydrofusarubin (red)

 

2

No

[25]

F. sporotrichioides

Aurofusarin (red)

Lycopene

Enniatins

Trichothecenes

unknown

No

[24]

F. stilboides

Antibiotic Y (yellow)

Aurofusarin (red)

Nectriafurone (yellow)

Enniatins

unknown

No

[un-published]

F. tricinctum

Antibiotic Y (yellow)

Aurofusarin (red)

Fusarin C

Moniliformin

unknown

No

[24]

F. venenatum

Aurofusarin (red)

Rubrofusarin (red)

Trichothecenes

unknown

No

[24]

F. verticillioides

Fusarubin

O-demethylfusarubin

O-methyljavanicin

O-methylsolaniol (orange-red)

Fumonisins

Fusaric acid

Moniliformin

unknown

No

[25]

Alternaria dauci

Uncharacterized (red)

unknown

1

TBI

[26]

Alt. porri

Altersolanol A (yellow-orange)

unknown

1

TBI

[26]

Alt. solani

Altersolanol A (yellow-orange)

unknown

1

TBI

[26]

Alt. tomatophila

Altersolanol A (yellow-orange)

unknown

unknown

TBI

[26]

Cladosporium cladosporioides

Calphostins A, B, C, D, I (red)

unknown

1

TBI

[29]

Cordyceps unilateralis

3,5 8-TMON* (red)

4-O-methyl erythrostominone (red)

Deoxyerythrostominol (red)

Deoxyerythrostominone (red)

Epierythrostominol (red)

Erythrostominone (red)

unknown

unknown

TBI

[30]

Curvularia lunata

Chrysophanol (red)

Cynodontin (bronze)

Helminthosporin (maroon)

unknown

1

TBI

[4]

Drechslera spp.

Catenarin (red)

Cynodontin (bronze)

Helminthosporin (maroon)

Tritisporin (redish-brown)

unknown

unknown

TBI

[4]

Epicoccum nigrum

Carotenoids

Chromanone (yellow)

Epicoccarines A & B

Epicocconone (fluorescent yellow)

Epipyridone (red)

Flavipin (brown)

Isobenzofuran derivatives (yellow to brown)

Orevactaene (yellow)

unknown

unknown

Yes

[5, 27, 28]

Paecilomyces sinclairii

Uncharacterized (red)

unknown

unknown

TBI

[31]

Polyketide pigment producer of Asia

Monascus pilosus

Citrinin (yellow)

 

1

Banned in the EU & the US

[6]

M. purpureus

Ankaflavin (yellow)

Citrinin (yellow)

Monascin

Monascorubramine

Monascorubrin

Rubropunctamine (purple-red)

Rubropunctatin (orange)

Monascopyridine A & B

1

Banned in the EU & the US

[6]

M. ruber

Ankaflavin (yellow)

Citrinin (yellow)

Monascin

Monascorubramine

Monascorubrin

Rubropunctamine (purple-red)

Rubropunctatin (orange)

 

1

Banned in the EU & the US

[6]

  1. 1 BSL-1: saprobes or plant pathogens occupying non-vertebrate ecological niches, or commensals. Infections are coincidental, superficial, and non-invasive or mild. BSL-2: Species principally occupying non-vertebrate ecological niches, but with a relatively pronounced ability to survive in vertebrate tissue. In severely immuno-compromised patients they may cause deep opportunistic mycoses. Also pathogens causing superficial infections are in this category.
  2. 2 Keys to selection; Yes: preselected as a possible source of pigments, No: not selected as a possible source of pigments, TBI: to be investigated as a possible source of pigments.
  3. The a priori major metabolite profiles and the BioSafety Level (BSL) classification of the fungal species are highlighted and form the basis for selection/de-selection of the species as a potential source of pigment production.