**Author details**

**5.1. Storage**

O2

CO2

to minor of 0.14% and increasing CO2

in reactions and changes molecular structures.

competition by the substrate of the medium [73].

**5.2. Chemical and biological control**

The mycotoxins generated by *Fusarium* sp. usually present with greater incidence during the storage. The conditions for the mycotoxins biosynthesis are the grain with temperature 25–32**°**C, moisture between 16 and 30% and air RH of 80 and 100% [63]. This is why the strategies to mitigate and inhibit mycotoxins are postharvest management and storage strategies. Postharvest management has a significant role in mitigation of mycotoxins through good management in grain food chains during harvesting, cleaning, drying, storage and processing. The control of moisture, temperature and humidity to safe storage levels laid a key to mitigate mycotoxins in grains. Ouzounidou et al. [64] indicate that reduction in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide concentrations generate effects on the growth of fungi. Decreasing

32 Fusarium - Plant Diseases, Pathogen Diversity, Genetic Diversity, Resistance and Molecular Markers

lial growth and will prevent mycotoxin [65]. The degree of inhibition achieved by elevated

Another strategy is the application of chemical control as fungicides; however, this application can sometimes be ineffective and even increase the production of mycotoxins [68, 69]. That is why another alternative is the use of natural products in specific essential oils and antioxidant compounds. In stored cereals, the application of natural preservatives and essential oils generate inhibition on *Fusarium* mycotoxins production is found [46]. On the other hand, the agreement of chemical compounds and natural products can generate a reduction of 90% in deoxynivalenol (DON) (*Fusarium* toxin) as reported by Magan [70] in agreeing BHA (butyl hydroxyl anisole), PP (propyl paraben), resveratrol and cinnamon oil. In relation to the use of natural compounds, a study of phenolic extract of *Spirulina* sp. reported by Pagnussatt et al. [71] indicates that the *Spirulina* LEB-18 extract led to mycelial growth inhibitions that ranged between 50% and 90% in addition, the extract inhibits production of nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in 73%. This may be attributed to the extract composition (main constituents were gallic and caffeic acid). Apparently, these compounds act as fungal stressors when they hamper the energy abstention due to the lower glucose availability [72]. This may trigger the production of secondary metabolites to compensate and limit the apparent

Biological control is another strategy in the reduction and incidence of *Fusarium* toxin using living microorganism's whit *Bacillus* spp. [74], *Pseudomonas* spp. [75] and *Streptomyces* spp. [74]. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains have been examined for their potential to detoxify zearalenone (ZEA) that is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by *Fusarium* [76]. Sangsila et al. [77] showed that these strains of LAB are capable of ZEA detoxification in a range of 29.74–83%, where the strain with the best binding capacity was JM0812 with 83% at an initial concentration of ZEA of 74.7 μg/ml, followed by UM054 and UM055 with 82.78 and 81.69%, respectively.

 concentrations is dependent on other environmental factors, such as relative humidity (RH) and temperature [66]. Irradiation is usually used as a mitigation of mycotoxins; 4–6 kGy gamma-irradiation reduces *Fusarium* toxins and was eliminated at 8 kGy [67]. Both inhibition and elimination of *Fusarium* mycotoxins can be attributed to providing energy, which results

to more of 50% are required for inhibition of myce-

Sandra N. Jimenez-Garcia<sup>1</sup> , Lina Garcia-Mier<sup>3</sup> , Juan F. Garcia-Trejo<sup>4</sup> , Xóchitl S. Ramirez-Gomez2 , Ramon G. Guevara-Gonzalez<sup>4</sup> and Ana A. Feregrino-Perez<sup>4</sup> \*

\*Address all correspondence to: feregrino.angge@hotmail.com

1 Department of Nursing and Obstetrics, Division of Health Sciences and Engineering, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, México

2 Department of Clinical Nursing, Division of Health Sciences and Engineering, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, México

3 Health Sciences Division, University of the Valley of Mexico, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico

4 Biosystems Engineering Group, Division of Graduate Studies, School of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
