Mycotoxin production by three different toxigenic fungi genera on formulated abalone feed and the effect of an aquatic environment on fumonisins

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by various filamentous fungi, of which Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium are the three main genera. Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most dominant toxigenic fungal species, associated with fumonisin contamination in grain-based feeds, such as compound abalone feed. Mycotoxin production is influenced by temperature and available nutrients. In this study the aims were: to determine if abalone feed as growth substrate favours mycotoxin production for toxigenic fungi; to determine the most effective temperature for fumonisin production by F. verticillioides on abalone feed; and to assess the effect of the aquatic environment on fumonisin-contaminated abalone feed. A total of 93 fungal isolates were inoculated onto abalone feed, including species belonging to the genera Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Feed inoculated with F. verticillioides were incubated at two different temperatures and fumonisin-contaminated feed was submerged into seawater for 24 h. Results showed that mycotoxins were produced when abalone feed was inoculated with toxigenic fungi, and that F. verticillioides produced higher concentrations of fumonisins at a lower temperature. Submerging fumonisin-contaminated feed in seawater showed that this toxin leached into the seawater, lowering the risk of fumonisins to be consumed by abalone

Die karst-ekologie van die Bakwenagrot (Gauteng)

Die Bakwenagrot huisves ’n verskeidenheid organismes wat ’n ingewikkelde en verweefde voedselweb vorm. ’n Kolonie Natalse langvingervlermuise gebruik hierdie grot regdeur die jaar as blyplek. Die vlermuisguano en dooie plantmateriaal wat van buite in die grot inval, vorm die basis van die ekologie in die grot wat ook as ’n tipiese detritus-gedrewe ekostelsel beskryf kan word. Afbrekers soos bakterieë en swamme wat vir die afbraak van die guano en plantreste verantwoordelik is, word deur ’n verskeidenheid organismes, insluitend nematode en myte, as voedselbron benut. Hierdie organismes wat die volgende trofiese vlak vorm, word deur predatoriese artropode as voedselbron benut. Die Bakwenagrot is een van die weinige dolomietiese grotte in Suid-Afrika wat dit vir ‘n mens moontlik maak om tot by die grondwatervlak te kom. Die grondwater huisves verskeie tipes organismes waaronder bakterieë, swamme en diere – hoofsaaklik nematode en krustaseë. Die Bakwenagrot is ook die hoofvindplek waar varswater-amfipode in Suider-Afrika gevind is. Hierdie besondere en sensitiewe ekostelsel is hoofsaaklik van guano van die vlermuiskolonie afhanklik. Die grasveld in die gebied rondom die grot, wat as voedingsarea vir die vlermuiskolonie dien, word tans deur voorstedelike ontwikkeling en die gevolglike habitatfragmentasie en -vernietiging bedreig. Indien die vlermuise die grot sou verlaat, sal dit ’n hele domino-effek van uitsterwing van die grotbewonende organismes tot gevolg hê

The Lower Saxony research network design of environments for ageing : towards interdisciplinary research on information and communication technologies in ageing societies

Worldwide, ageing societies are bringing challenges for independent living and healthcare. Health-enabling technologies for pervasive healthcare and sensor-enhanced health information systems offer new opportunities for care. In order to identify, implement and assess such new information and communication technologies (ICT) the 'Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing' (GAL) has been launched in 2008 as interdisciplinary research project. In this publication, we inform about the goals and structure of GAL, including first outcomes, as well as to discuss the potentials and possible barriers of such highly interdisciplinary research projects in the field of health-enabling technologies for pervasive healthcare. Although GAL's high interdisciplinarity at the beginning slowed down the speed of research progress, we can now work on problems, which can hardly be solved by one or few disciplines alone. Interdisciplinary research projects on ICT in ageing societies are needed and recommended