Ensiling process and pomegranate peel extract as a natural additive in potential prevention of fungal and mycotoxin contamination in silage

Sudharsan Sadhasivam; Rula Marshi; Omer Barda; Varda Zakin; Malka Britzi; Abraham Gamliel; Edward Sionov

doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.07.011

Ensiling process and pomegranate peel extract as a natural additive in potential prevention of fungal and mycotoxin contamination in silage

Toxicol Rep. 2022 Jul 25:9:1557-1565. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.07.011. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Sudharsan Sadhasivam^{1

2}, Rula Marshi^{1

3}, Omer Barda¹, Varda Zakin¹, Malka Britzi⁴, Abraham Gamliel⁵, Edward Sionov¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Sciences, Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel.
² The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
³ The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
⁴ National Residue Control Laboratory, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Rishon LeZion 7534503, Israel.
⁵ Department of Growing, Production and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7528809, Israel.

Abstract

A study was conducted on six animal feed centers in Israel where fungal and mycotoxin presence was examined in maize and wheat silages. Fumonisin mycotoxins FB₁ and FB₂ were present in every maize silage sample analyzed. Interestingly, no correlation was found between the occurrence of specific mycotoxins and the presence of the fungal species that might produce them in maize and wheat silages. We further investigated the effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on Fusarium infection and fumonisin biosynthesis in laboratory-prepared maize silage. PPE had an inhibitory effect on FB₁ and FB₂ biosynthesis by Fusarium proliferatum, which resulted in up to 90 % reduction of fumonisin production in silage samples compared to untreated controls. This finding was supported by qRT-PCR analysis, showing downregulation of key genes involved in the fumonisin-biosynthesis pathway under PPE treatment. Our results present promising new options for the use of natural compounds that may help reduce fungal and mycotoxin contamination in agricultural foodstuff, and potentially replace traditionally used synthetic chemicals.

Keywords: Fumonisins; Fungi; Mycotoxin analysis; Pomegranate peel extract; Silage.