Natural occurrence of tenuazonic acid and Phoma sorghina in Brazilian sorghum grains at different maturity stages

- This is the first study of tenuazonic acid occurrence in Brazilian sorghum grains.
- A positive relationship was found between Phoma sorghina and tenuazonic acid contamination.
- A high frequency of Phoma sorghina was recovered during sorghum grain development.
- Tenuazonic acid was found in all sorghum maturity stages.

A survey of 100 samples of sorghum grains was carried out to determine Phoma spp. and tenuazonic acid (TA) contamination using molecular tools and LC-MS/MS. Sorghum samples were obtained at the following four grain maturity stages: milk (S1), soft dough (S2), hard dough (S3), and physiological maturity (S4). The results revealed a good correlation between Phoma and TA occurrence during grain development. The samples showed Phoma contamination with frequencies ranging from 2.4% (S1) to 87.4% (S4), and the molecular identification revealed P. sorghina as the only Phoma specie isolated. Tenuazonic acid was found in sorghum grains at all maturity stages. In S2, S3 and S4, 100% of the samples showed TA contamination with levels ranging from 20 to 1234 µg/kg. Low levels of TA were detected in 36% of the samples collected at S1 stage. This is the first report of tenuazonic acid in Brazilian sorghum grains.