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Fumonisin B1 (FB1 ) is a mycotoxin produced by several Fusarium species and is a very common contaminant of maize-based food and feed throughout the world. The selection and use of FB1 -degrading microorganisms appears as a promising alternative to cope with the problem of toxicity towards humans and livestock. High moisture maize grain silage, which is based on natural maize fermentation, could be an interesting reservoir of such microorganisms.; Results: Using an in vitro simulated silage model with FB1 naturally contaminated grains, we demonstrated a significant raw decrease in FB1 during ensiling process ascribed to biodegradation mechanisms. A panel of 98 bacteria and yeasts were isolated from this matrix and selected for their ability to use FB1 as the sole source of C and N. For nine of them, the ability to degrade FB1 in vitro was evidenced. Notably, two bacteria identified as Lactobacillus sp. were highlighted for their efficient FB1 -degrading capacity and production of hydrolysed FB1 as intermediate degradation metabolite.; Conclusion: Fermentation of high moisture maize grain contaminated with FB1 leads to a significant reduction of the toxin and allows the isolation of FB1 -degrading microorganisms that could further be used as FB1 decontaminating agents. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND The almond mushroom Agaricus subrufescens (formerly Agaricus blazei or Agaricus brasiliensis) is cultivated at commercial level in Brazil and some Asian countries on local substrates and casing mixtures. Despite its tropical origin, A. subrufescens might be a seasonal option for mushroom growers in western countries, where some wild strains have been isolated. For this purpose, cultivation conditions were developed starting from the substrate and casing mixture commonly used for commercial production of the button mushroom Agaricus bisporus in France. RESULTS The commercial compost, based on wheat straw and horse manure, used for A. bisporus and the casing mixture (peat and limestone) supplemented with fine sand proved efficient to grow A. subrufescens. Increasing the depth of the casing layer improved significantly the yield and time to fruiting. Daily variations in temperature did not markedly modify the yield. Significantly higher mushroom biomass was obtained with three wild European strains compared with three Brazilian cultivars. The very productive wild strain CA438-A gave mushrooms of size and dry matter content comparable to those of a cultivar. CONCLUSION Commercial production of A. subrufescens can be developed in western countries on the wheat straw-based substrate commonly used for A. bisporus in these regions, by a simple modification of the casing mixture and maintaining the incubation temperature throughout the crop, which is expected to save energy during summer. Good yields were obtained cultivating European strains under optimised parameters. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry