Tenuazonic acid is a mycotoxin. It is a toxic secondary metabolite, produced by Alternaria and Phoma species. It inhibits the protein synthesis machinery. Tenuazonic acid or 5S,6S-3-acetyl-5-sec-butyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidone-2,4-dione is a colorless oil, soluble in chloroform and methanol. The mycotoxin tenuazonic acid (TA) was analyzed in different infant foods and beverages including tea infusions (fruit, herbal and fennel tea), puree infant food in jars (complementary food and side dishes) and infant cereals (for preparation of meals after addition of water or milk) by means of a stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA). The major toxin produced was isolated and characterized as tenuazonic acid. Twenty of 23 toxigenic Alternaria isolates examined produced tenuazonic acid. No tenuazonic acid could be detected in either of the field samples of sorghum or blackeyed peas, which were heavily invaded by Alternaria.
-V711.gif)