The antagonistic effects of Candida parapsilosis on the growth of Fusarium species and fumonisin production

Background and Fusarium species are avid producers of secondary toxic and carcinogenic metabolites such as fumonisin. Contamination of food and feed products with fumonisin can be hazardous to the health of humans and animals and may lead to agricultural loss. Accordingly, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of Candida parapsilosis on the growth and fumonisin production of Fusarium species
Mycelial growth rate of 26 Fusarium isolates, including F. verticillioides (n=6), F. proliferatum (n=18), F. solani (n=1), and F. oxysporum (n=1), in the presence of 42 C. parapsilosis strains was investigated by pourplate method. The decline in fumonisin production was measured in co-cultured fungi in coarsely ground maize after four weeks of incubation in the dark at 22°C, using ELISA technique. For data analysis, paired t-test was performed, using SPSS version 20.
The mycelial growth and fumonisin production of Fusarium isolates significantly decreased in the presence of C parapsilosis in comparison with the control cultures (P C. parapsilosis showed notable inhibitory activities against Fusarium isolates. Therefore, this fungal species could be considered as a biocontrol agent against the growth and fumonisin production of toxigenic Fusarium species in the future.