Mycotoxigenic potential of Alternaria alternata isolated from dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus Haw.) using UHPLC-Qtof-MS

The occurrence of mycotoxins synthesized by spoilage fungi has been reported in various crops. Despite being a crop susceptible to attack by microorganisms, such as Alternaria alternata, there are no reports on the production of mycotoxins in Hylocereus undatus (Haw.). The objective of the present study was to identify mycotoxins produced by A. alternata previously isolated from Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) fruit in the postharvest phase, and A. alternata ATCC 46,582, in vitro and in vivo. The compounds were identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tentoxin (TEN), altertoxins (ATX) I, II and III were detected in vitro for A. alternata, and ATX I and II were identified for the reference strain, A. alternata ATCC 46,582, which was used as a positive control. Mycotoxins characteristic of A. alternata were not detected in vivo in the fruit stored for 8 d, which is its estimated shelf life. The use of LC-MS/MS facilitated rapid and efficient mycotoxin identification, contributing significantly to the evaluation of food safety.