The false smut balls that grow on the panicles of rice plants (Ina-kouji, in Japanese) are caused by infection by the pathogenic fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. We established a method for determining the presence of ustiloxin A, a mycotoxin produced by U. virens, in forage rice silage. The water extracts from silage samples were purified by solid-phase extraction and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography using an octadecylsilane-bonded column. Separated ustiloxin A was detected with absorption at 254 nm. The limit of quantitation for ustiloxin A in silage was 2.5 mg/kg. The present method can be used for routine monitoring of ustiloxin A contamination in forage rice silage.
(Safety Research Team, TEL +81-29-838-7708)
Reference:
Miyazaki, S., et al. (2009) J. Vet. Med. Sci. 71: 239-241.
