Cinnamic-derived acids significantly affect Fusarium graminearum growth and in vitro synthesis of type B trichothecenes

The impact of five phenolic acids (ferulic, coumaric, caffeic, syringic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids) on fungal growth and type B trichothecene production by four strains of Fusarium graminearum was investigated. All five phenolic acids inhibited growth, but the degree of inhibition varied between strains. Our results suggested that the more lipophilic phenolic acids are, the higher is the effect they have on growth. Toxin accumulation in phenolic acid-supplemented liquid GYEP cultures was enhanced in the presence of ferulic and coumaric acids but was reduced in the presence of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. This modulation was shown to correlate with a regulation of TRI5 transcription. In this study, addition of phenolic acids with greater antioxidant properties resulted in a higher toxin accumulation indicating the modulation of toxin accumulation may be linked to the antioxidant properties of the phenolic acids. These data suggest that, in planta, different compositions in phenolic acids of kernels from various cultivars may reflect different degrees of sensitiveness to “mycotoxinogenesis”