employee from 01.01.2002 to 01.01.2025
Kazan, Kazan, Russian Federation
Russian Federation
employee from 01.01.2007 to 01.01.2026
Kazan, Russian Federation
Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety (Department of Toxicology, Head of the laboratory)
employee from 01.01.2002 to 01.01.2026
kazan, Russian Federation
VAK Russia 4.1.2
VAK Russia 4.1.3
VAK Russia 4.1.4
VAK Russia 4.1.5
VAK Russia 4.2.1
VAK Russia 4.2.2
VAK Russia 4.2.3
VAK Russia 4.2.4
VAK Russia 4.2.5
VAK Russia 4.3.3
VAK Russia 4.3.5
UDC 615.91
UDC 619
UDC 632.4
The aim of the study is to review modern publications by Russian and foreign scientists on microscopic fungi of the genus Alternaria. Tasks: selection and analysis of literature data using databases Google academy, Elabrary, Sciencedirect, PubMed, etc., devoted to microscopic fungi Alternaria sp. In total, more than 60 works of Russian and foreign scientists were analyzed. Alternaria is a ubiquitous fungus that includes endophytic, phytopathogenic and saprophytic genera. The genus Alternaria contains more than 360 species that cause diseases in important food crops and produce a wide range of secondary toxic metabolites, including alternariotoxins (alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, altenuen, tentoxin, and tenuazonic acid). The presented material discusses the taxonomy and distribution of fungi of the genus Alternaria, and presents their morphological and cultural properties. The article highlights the potential threat of Alternaria fungi to agricultural crops. These fungi primarily infect leaves, but they can also infect seeds and fruits. Some species of Alternaria spp. that parasitize weeds are considered as bioherbicides. The article also explores the toxicity and prevalence of metabolites produced by fungi of the genus Alternaria. Most metabolites of the Alternaria genus are chemically xanthols, anthraquinone pigments, cyclic pentapeptides, and unsaturated acids. The metabolites of fungi of the genus Alternaria, alternariatoxins, are unregulated in the Russian Federation and exhibit cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Alternaria mycotoxins (especially tenuazonic acid and alternariol) are often found in food and agricultural products, which poses a great danger to human and animal health. Modern physical and chemical methods for identifying alternariatoxins are presented.
micromycetes, Alternaria, alternariotoxin, alternariol, tenuazonic acid, contamination
1. Potekhina R, Tarasova E, Matrosova L, et al. A case of laying hens mycosis caused by Fusarium proliferatum. Veterinary Medicine International. 2023:5281260. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5281260.
2. Tarasova EYu, Kashevarov GS, Saitov VR, et al. Study of the protective effect of preventive complexes on the ultrastructure of rabbit hepatocytes in combined mycotoxicosis. Tne Veterinarian. 2023;1:57-63. (In Russ.). DOI:https://doi.org/10.33632/1998-698X_2023_1_57. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WBOSJJ.
3. Tremasova AM, Idiyatov II, Semenov EI, et al. Diagnosis and Veterinary Care for Animal Poisonings: (General Principles). Kazan: Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation, and Biological Safety; 2022. 236 p. (In Russ.).
4. Semenov EI, Mishina NN, Valiev AR, et al. The effect of the combined action of mycotoxins and ionizing radiation on allergic sensitization. Tne Veterinarian. 2023;2:60-69. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.33632/ 1998-698X_2023_2_6.
5. Louro H, Vettorazzi A, López de Cerain A, et al. Hazard characterization of Alternaria toxins to identify data gaps and improve risk assessment for human health. Arch Toxicol. 2024;98(2):425-469. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-023-03636-8.
6. da Cruz Cabral L, Rodríguez A, Delgado J, et al. Understanding the effect of postharvest tomato temperatures on two toxigenic Alternaria spp. strains: growth, mycotoxins and cell-wall integrity-related gene expression. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2019;99(15):6689-6695. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9950.
7. Wang H, Guo Y, Luo Z, et al. Recent Advances in Alternaria Phytotoxins: A Review of Their Occurrence, Structure, Bioactivity, and Biosynthesis. J Fungi (Basel). 2022;8(2):168. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8020168.
8. Dalinova AA, Salimova DR, Berestetsky AO. Alternaria Fungi as Producers of Biologically Active Compounds and Bioherbicides. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology. 2020;56(3):223-241. (In Russ.).
9. Chen SG, Qiang S. Recent advances in tenuazonic acid as a potential herbicide. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology. 2017;143:252-257. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2017.0.
10. Li J, Phookamsak R, Jiang H, et al. Additions to the Inventory of the Genus Alternaria Section Alternaria (Pleosporaceae, Pleosporales) in Italy. J Fungi (Basel). 2022;8(9):898. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8090898.
11. Aung SL, Liu FY, Gou YN, et al. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new Alternaria species (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) in Alternaria section from Cucurbitaceae plants in China. MycoKeys. 2024;107:125-139. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.107.124814.
12. Schmey T, Small C, Einspanier S, et al. Small-spored Alternaria spp. (section Alternaria) are common pathogens on wild tomato species. Environ Microbiol. 2023;25(10):1830-1846. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.
13. Antonenko VV, Zubkov AV, Kruchina S.N. Alternaria of ornamental, fruit and berry crops. Bulletin of KSAU. 2021;1:77–84. (In Russ.). DOI:https://doi.org/10.36718/1819-4036-2021-1-77-84. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/DRWXZU.
14. Liu L, Fan K, Huang Q, et al. Inhibition Effects of Infrared Radiation Prior to Cold Storage Against Alternaria alternata on Yellow Peach (Amygdalus persica). Toxins (Basel). 2025;17(3):106. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17030106.
15. Schmey T, Tominello-Ramirez CS, Brune C, et al. Alternaria diseases on potato and tomato. Mol Plant Pathol. 2024;25(3);e13435. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.13435.
16. Tralamazza SM, Piacentini KC, Iwase CHT, et al. Toxigenic Alternaria species: Impact in cereals worldwide. Current Opinion in Food Science. 2018;23:57-63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2018.05.002.
17. Saleh I, Zeidan R, Abu-Dieyeh M. The characteristics, occurrence, and toxicological effects of alternariol: a mycotoxin. Arch Toxicol. 2024;98:1659-1683. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-024-03743-0.
18. Amatulli MT, Fanelli F, Moretti A, et al. Alternaria species and mycotoxins associated to black point of cereals. Mycotoxins. 2005;63:39-46. DOI:https://doi.org/10.2520/myco.63.39.
19. Liu HF, Liu FY, Ke HY, et al. Three novel species of Alternaria (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) from cereal crops (Poaceae) in China. MycoKeys. 2025;116:167-183. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.116.145681.
20. Chacón FI, Sineli PE, Mansilla FI, et al. Native Cultivable Bacteria from the Blueberry Microbiome as Novel Potential Biocontrol Agents. Microorganisms. 2022;10(5):969. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050969.
21. Nwe ZM, Htut KN, Aung SLL, et al. Two novel species and a new host record of Alternaria (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) from sunflower (Compositae) in Myanmar. MycoKeys. 2024;105:337-354. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.105.123790.
22. Strader MB, Saha AL, Fernandes C, et al. Distinct proteomes and allergen profiles appear across the life-cycle stages of Alternaria alternate. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024;154(2):424-434. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2024.03.026.
23. Gabriel MF, Postigo I, Tomaz CT, et al. Alternaria alternata allergens: Markers of exposure, phylogeny and risk of fungi-induced respiratory allergy. Environ Int. 2016;89-90:71-80. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.01.003.
24. Hernandez-Ramirez G, Barber D, Tome-Amat J, et al. Alternaria as an Inducer of Allergic Sensitization. J Fungi (Basel). 2021; 7(10):838. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7100838.
25. Schultz J, Umberath KM, Raters M, et al. About Alternaria toxins in cocoa and chocolate products-method development and monitoring of alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether and tenuazonic acid. Mycotoxin Res. 2022;38(3):167-173. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-022-00457-z.
26. Scheibenzuber S, Dick F, Asam S, et al. Analysis of 13 Alternaria mycotoxins including modified forms in beer. Mycotoxin Res. 2021;37(2):149-159. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-021-00424-0.
27. Meena M, Samal S. Alternaria host-specific (HSTs) toxins: An overview of chemical characterization, target sites, regulation and their toxic effects. Toxicol Rep. 2019;17(6):745-758. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2019.06.021.
28. Duke SO, Pan ZQ. Bajsa-Hirschel J. Proving the mode of action of phytotoxic phytochemicals. Plants-Basel. 2020;9(12):1756. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/plants91.
29. Riolo M, Luz C, Bua C, et al. Qualitative and relative abundance analysis of Alternaria alternata metabolites in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars affected by Heart Rot using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Food Control. 2025;172:111204. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111204.
30. Liu M, Zhang Y, Cheng R, et al. Determination of five alternaria toxins in peppermint by dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based on MOF-808-TFA. Food Chem. 2025;15(471):142822. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.
31. Ji X, Deng T, Xiao Y, et al. Evaluation of Alternaria toxins in fruits, vegetables and their derivatives marketed in China using a QuEChERS method coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: analytical methods and occurrence. Food Control. 2022;147(25):109563. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109563.
32. Fang L, Qiu F, Yu X, et al. Sensitive determination of Alternaria toxins in cereals and cereal-based foods using online MAX SPE column cleanup coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Food Chem. 2025;493(3):145806. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145806.
33. Dick F, Dietz A, Asam S, et al. Development of a high-throughput UHPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of Fusarium and Alternaria toxins in cereals and cereal-based food. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2024;16(26):5619-5637. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05486-4.
34. Kononenko GP, Piryazeva EA, Burkin AA. Alternariol production in populations of small-spored Alternaria species associated with grain feeds. Agricultural Biology. 2020;55(3):628-637. (In Russ.).
35. Kononenko GP, Piryazeva EA, Burkin AA. Toxin-producing small-spore alternaria species from oat grain contaminated with alternariol. Agricultural Biology. 2023;58(3):567-575. (In Russ.). DOI:https://doi.org/10.15389/agrobiology.2023.3.567rus.
36. Kononenko GP, Volovin VT, Burkin AA, et al. A typical mycotoxin profile for original (reproductive) oilseed rape seeds. Agricultural Biology. 2022;57(5):1001-1009. (In Russ.).
37. Burkin AA, Kononenko GP, Mosina LV. The first mycotoxicological investigation of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.). Agricultural Biology. 2019;54(1):186. (In Russ.). DOI:https://doi.org/10.15389/agrobiology.2019.1. 186rus.
38. Burkin AA, Ustyuzhanina MI, Zotova EV, et al. Reasons of contamination of production lots of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Agricultural Biology. 2018;53(5):969-976. (In Russ.). DOI:https://doi.org/10.15389/agrobiology.2018.5.969rus.
39. Burkin A.A, Kononenko GP. Obnaruzhenie metabolitov mikromicetov v rastenii Kiprej uzkolistny`j (Chamaenerion angustifolium). Advances in medical mycology. 2024;26:212-215. (In Russ.). DOI:https://doi.org/10.15389/agrobiology.2021.5.968rus.
40. Pfeiffer E, Eschbach S, Metzler M. Alternaria toxins: DNA strand-breaking activity in mammalian cells in vitro. Mycotoxin Res. 2007;23(3):152-157. DOI.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02951512.
41. Escriva L, Oueslati S, Font G, et al. Alternaria mycotoxins in food and feed: an overview. J. Food Qual. 2017;1:1-20. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1569748.
42. Caesar LK, Butun FA, Robey MT, et al. Correlative metabologenomics of 110 fungi reveals metabolite-gene cluster pairs. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2023;19:846-854. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-023-01276-8.
43. Bensassi F, Gallerne C, Sharaf el dein O, et al. Combined effects of alternariols mixture on human colon carcinoma cells. Toxicol. Mech. Methods. 2015;25:56-62.
44. Fernández-Blanco C, Font G, Ruiz M-J. Role of quercetin on Caco-2 cells against cytotoxic effects of alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether. Food Chem. Toxicol. 2016;89:60-66.
45. Ismaitheir combined cytotoxic effects on human cell lines and male albino rats. Journal of Fungi (Basel). 2023;9(3):282. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9030282.
46. Tran VN, Viktorová J, Ruml T. Mycotoxins: Biotransformation and bioavailability assessment using caco-2 cell monolayer. Toxins. 2020;12:628. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12100628. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/ICEVFL.
47. Li F-Q, Yoshizawa T. Alternaria mycotoxins in weathered wheat from China. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2000;48(7):2920-2924.
48. Fraeyman S, Croubels S, Devreese M, et al. Emerging fusarium and Alternaria mycotoxins: Occurrence, toxicity and toxicokinetics. Toxins. 2017;9(7):228. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins9070228. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/YHNDFW.
49. Giambrone JJ, Davis ND, Diener UL. Effect of tenuazonic acid on young chickens. Poult Sci. 1978;57(6):1554-1558.
50. Bertuzzi T, Rastelli S, Pietri A, et al. Alternaria toxins in tomato products in northern Italy in the period 2017-2019. Food Additives & Contaminants Part B-surveillance. 2021;14(3):170-176. DOI: 10.1080/ 19393210.2021.1895325. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/LWOPBE.
51. Sun F, Fan Y, Dai Y, et al. Elucidating the occurrence patterns of Alternaria toxin tenuazonic acid in individual tomatoes through MALDI- MSI and LC-MS/MS. Food Chem. 2025:1(488). Art. 144912. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144912. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/HVGZDX.
52. He W, Yang P, Huang T, et al. Detoxifying bacterial genes ffrom apples in China. Int J Food Microbiol. 2026;16(445):111491.
53. Pavicich MA, Cárdenas P, Pose GN, et al. From field to process: How storage selects toxigenic Alternaria spp. causing mouldy core in Red Delicious apples. Int J Food Microbiol. 2020;2(322):108575. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108575. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/VINKHL.
54. Pavicich MA, Nielsen KF, Patriarca A. Morphological and chemical characterization of Alternaria populations from apple fruit. Int J Food Microbiol. 2022;379:109842. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109842. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/PPAXKR.
55. Kieselová K, Gomes T, Santiago F, et al. Emerging Cutaneous Phaeohyphomycosis Caused by Alternaria infectoria. Acta Med Port. 2021;34(11):774-778. DOI:https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.13496. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/RXBJBB.
56. Chen Z, Jiang Y, Wang D, et al. Enhancement in serum (1-3)-β-D-glucan level by cutaneous alternariosis: A case report and literature review. Microb Pathog. 2021;150:104703. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104703. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/TXNOPQ.
57. Xia X, Liu Z, Shen H. Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Alternaria section Alternaria. Int J Infect Dis. 2023;134:99-101. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2023.05.066. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WAMKPE.
58. Pavicich MA, Cárdenas P, Pose GN, et al. From field to process: How storage selects toxigenic Alternaria spp. causing mouldy core in Red Delicious apples. Int J Food Microbiol. 2020;2(322):108575. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108575.
