Roman Labuda

• Associate Professor, Dipl.-Ing., PhD.
• Founder-Inventor-Mycologist at MycoLAB RL GmbH

We have tested plant-derived substances for their inhibitory properties on yeasts and moulds which are commonly found as spoilage organisms in silage. Potential candidates for further in-situ-testing were found.

Abstract: Two new species, Penicillium krskae (isolated from the air as a lab contaminant in Tulln (Austria, EU)) and Penicillium silybi (isolated as an endophyte from asymptomatic milk thistle (Silybum marianum) stems from Josephine County (Oregon, USA)) are described. The new taxa are well supported by phenotypic (especially conidial ornamentatio...

Screening for new bioactive microbial metabolites, we found a novel okaramine derivative, for which we propose the trivial name lemmokaramine, as well as two already known okaramine congeners – okaramine H and okaramine J - responsible for antimicrobial activity of the recently described microscopic filamentous fungus, Keratinophyton lemmensii BiMM...

Two new Keratinophyton species, K. kautmanovae sp. nov. and K. keniense sp. nov., isolated from soil samples originating from two different geographical and environmental locations (Africa and Europe) are described and illustrated. Phylogenetically informative sequences obtained from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the nuclear larg...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Baobabopsis sabindy in leaves of Eragrostis spartinoides, Cortinarius magentiguttatus among deep leaf litter, Laurobasidium azarandamiae from uredinium of Puccinia alyxiae on Alyxia buxifolia, Marasmius pseudoelegans on well-rotted twigs and l...

The genus Sporendonema (Gymnoascaceae, Onygenales) was introduced in 1827 with the type species S. casei for a red mould on cheese. Cheese is a consistent niche for this species. Sphaerosporium equinum is another species classified in Gymnoascaceae and has also been reported from cheese. Recently, other habitats have been reported for both Sporendo...

More than 20 years after remedial measures were carried out, six plots (Š1 – Š6) at the Šobov locality were examined in more detail. From a pedological viewpoint, the physico-chemical differences of the soils in these areas are not the result of pedogenesis. This is the effect of extremely acidic mineralised solutions that have leaked from or are s...

Fusarium is a genus that mostly consists of plant pathogenic fungi which are able to produce a broad range of toxic secondary metabolites. In this study, we focus on a type A trichothecene-producing isolate (15-39) of Fusarium sporotrichioides from Lower Austria. We assessed the secondary metabolite profile and optimized the toxin production condit...

More than 20 years after remedial measures were carried out, six plots (Š1 – Š6) at the Šobov locality were examined in more detail. From a pedological viewpoint, the physico-chemical differences of the soils in these areas are not the result of pedogenesis. This is the effect of extremely acidic mineralised solutions that have leaked from or are s...

The genus Sporendonema was introduced in 1827 with the type species S . casei . for a red mold on cheese. Cheese is a consistent niche for this species. Sphaerosporium equinum is another species classified in Gymnoascaceae ( Onygenales ) and has also been reported from cheese. Recently, other habitats have been reported for both Sporendonema casei...

Background Fungi are important sources for bioactive compounds that find their applications in many important sectors like in the pharma-, food- or agricultural industries. In an environmental monitoring project for fungi involved in soil nitrogen cycling we also isolated Cephalotrichum gorgonifer (strain NG_p51). In the course of strain characteri...

Candida glabrata is a human-associated opportunistic fungal pathogen. It shares its niche with Lactobacillus spp. in the gastrointestinal and vaginal tract. In fact, Lactobacillus species are thought to competitively prevent Candida overgrowth. We investigated the molecular aspects of this antifungal effect by analyzing the interaction of C. glabra...

Background Fungi are important sources for bioactive compounds that find their applications in many important sectors like in the pharma-, food- or agricultural industries. In an environmental monitoring project for fungi involved in soil nitrogen cycling we also isolated Cephalotrichum gorgonifer (strain NG_p51). In the course of strain characteri...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia , Agaricus albofoetidus , Agaricus aureoelephanti and Agaricus parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii from stem cankers of Araucaria cunninghamii , Keissleriella sporoboli from stem of Sporobolus natalensis , Leptosphaerulina queenslandica and...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Agaricus albofoetidus, Agaricus aureoelephanti and Agaricus parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii from stem cankers of Araucaria cunninghamii, Keissleriella sporoboli from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Leptosphaerulina queenslandica and Pes...

Co‐culturing the bacterium Streptomyces rapamycinicus and the ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans has previously been shown to trigger the production of orsellinic acid (ORS) and its derivates in the fungal cells. Based on these studies it was assumed that direct physical contact is a prerequisite for the metabolic reaction that involves a fungal amino...

Direct physical interaction between the bacterium Streptomyces rapamycinicus and the ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans has previously been shown to trigger the production of orsellinic acid and its derivates in the fungus. Here we identified the substance produced by the bacterium that is responsible for this reaction, a guanidine containing macrolid...

Fungi and mycotoxins in silage can have detrimental consequences for both cattle and human health. This pilot study identified, via the routinary direct plating method, the dominant cultivable fungi in mouldy grass silages (GS) ( n = 19) and maize silages (MS) ( n = 28) from Austria. The profiles of regulated, modified, and emerging mycotoxins toge...

In the process of screening for new bioactive microbial metabolites we found a novel ƴ-pyrone derivative for which we propose the trivial name luteapyrone, in a recently described microscopic filamentous fungus, Metapochonia lutea BiMM-F96/DF4. The compound was isolated from the culture extract of the fungus grown on modified yeast extract sucrose...

Recent publications have argued that there are potentially serious consequences for researchers in recognising distinct genera in the terminal fusarioid clade of the family Nectriaceae. Thus, an alternate hypothesis, namely a very broad concept of the genus Fusarium was proposed. In doing so, however, a significant body of data that supports distin...

Four new Keratinophyton species (Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina, Onygenales), K. gollerae, K. lemmensii, K. straussii, and K. wagneri, isolated from soil samples originating from Europe (Austria, Italy, and Slovakia) are described and illustrated. The new taxa are well supported by phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) r...

Four new Keratinophyton species (Ascomycota: Pezizomycotina, Onygenales), K. gollerae, K. lemmensii, K. straussii and K. wagneri, isolated from soil samples originating from Europe (Austria, Italy and Slovakia) are described and illustrated. The new taxa are well supported by phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) reg...

A new species, Saksenaea dorisiae (Mucoromycotina, Mucorales), isolated from a water sample originating from a private well in Manastirica, Petrovac, in the Republic of Serbia (Europe), is described and illustrated. .e new taxon is well supported by multilocus phylogenetic analysis that included the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, domains...

A new species Saksenaea dorisiae (Mucoromycotina, Mucorales), recently isolated from a water sample originating from a private well in a rural area of Serbia (Europe), is described and illustrated. The new taxon is well supported by phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), domains D1 and D2 of the 28S rRNA gene (LSU),...

The goal of the research facility, Bioactive Microbial Metabolites (BiMM) is to isolate new active substances from fungi and bacteria, mainly based on their co-cultivation approach (e.g. Fungus+Bacterium, Fungus+Fungus). Up to date, about 30.000 F+B and 2.000 F+F cocultivations have been processed and tested against several pathogenic microbes at B...

A new species Metapochonia lutea (Ascomycota, Hypocreales) is described and illustrated. This fungus differs from the other taxa in the genus Metapochonia by its production of intensive yellow pigment in culture, conidiophores with relatively complex verticillate branching, bean-shaped conidia, and by delayed development of one-celled and prominent...

Argentina is one of the top 10 world producers and exporters of wheat. In routine surveys of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, a new disease was observed in 2012 on seeds of wheat cv. Buck Meteoro. Symptomatic grains (black points) and leaves (chlorosis and spots) were collected during the spring of that year. The ob...

The objective of this study was to obtain the information about the lincomycin production by type strain Streptomyces lincolnensis var. lincolnensis DSM 40 355 on the synthetic medium. In order to improve the productivity, the ways of inoculation, effects of the medium components and fermentation time were investigated. The production of lincomycin...

The secondary metabolite profiles of microfungi of the genus Penicillium isolated from samples of grape berries collected in two different phases during two vegetative seasons in Slovakia is described to assess the taxonomy. Three Slovak vine regions have been selected for this study, based on their climatic differences and national economic import...

HC-toxin, a cyclic tetrapeptide, is a virulence determinant for the plant pathogenic fungus Cochliobolus carbonum. It was recently discovered that another fungus, Alternaria jesenskae, also produces HC-toxin. The major genes (collectively known as AjTOX2) involved in the biosynthesis of HC-toxin were identified from A. jesenskae by genomic sequenci...

During the mycological investigation of the wheat grain originating in Poltár (Central Slovakia), an endogenous aspergillus producing aflatoxins was encountered. Morphology, physiology and extrolites indicated the species Aspergillus parasiticus Speare. The amounts of aflatoxins detected by Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry on a synthe...

A total of 939 isolates of 11 genera representing 15 species of keratinophilic fungi were isolated and identified from the soils of three long-term fold-grazed pastures in national parks of Slovakia (Pod Ploskou, Strungový príslop, and Pod Kečkou) and one non-fold-grazed pasture in sierra Stolicke vrchy (Diel) using the hair-baiting technique. Kera...

The aim of this study was to obtain the information on the fumagillin production by a strain Penicillium scabrosum on a selected synthetic medium, and to study the effect of different glucose concentrations and the cultivation conditions on the production of fumagillin, fungal biomass, and changes of pH in media. These parameters were observed on 7...

The aim of this in vitro study was to examine the secretion activity, markers of proliferation and apoptosis in porcine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) after deoxynivalenol (DON) addition. Ovarian granulosa cells were incubated with DON for 24h: 10, 100 and 1000 ng/mL, while the control group received no DON. The secretion of insulin-like growth fact...

Tolypocladium inflatum is known primarily for its production of the cyclosporines that are used as an immunosuppressive drug. However, we report here the production of the carcinogenic fumonisins B(2) and B(4) by this biotechnologically relevant fungal genus. These mycotoxins were detected in 11 strains tested from three species: Tolypocladium infl...

To survey the overall fungal contamination and toxicological potential of isolated fungi, a mycological investigation of 56 samples of wheat bran was carried out during March-June 2004 in Slovakia. Despite of low values of water activity found in the samples reaching an average of 0.54, the individual samples were contaminated with fungi in a range...

During a mycological investigation of the presence of cycloheximide resistant fungi on a dog fur sample, carried out in Slovakia in December 2007, the rare species Chrysosporium synchronum was encountered. This is the second time that this fungus has been recovered and the first in Europe. The species identification was also confirmed by sequencin...

This paper describes the application of a previously published multi-mycotoxin method for food and feed matrices based on liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) to the analysis of microbial metabolites in indoor matrices. The range of investigated analytes has been extended by 99 fungal and bacterial...

The production and purification of fully 13C isotope labeled U-[13C17]-aflatoxins B1, and G1 is described, and their significance as internal standards (IS) for the accurate determination of these carcinogenic substances in food and/or feeds by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is discussed here.

A total of 15 fermented cheeses of Roquefort type (all representing different cheese brands) randomly purchased from different local markets in Slovakia in 2008 were analyzed for presence of mycotoxins by means of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This preliminary study confirmed presence of roquefortin C (100 % samples) and other...

The production and purification of fully 13C isotope labeled U-[13C17]-aflatoxins B1, and G1 is described, and their significance as internal standards (IS) for the accurate determination of these carcinogenic substances in food and/or feeds by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is discussed here.

Selective influence of different deciduous and coniferous tree species (original or introduced) on chemical characteristics (pH, humus quality, tolal organic carbon (Corg), hot water extractable C (Chwe), microbial biomass C (Cmie) and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) was studied in the Nature Reserve Arboretum Mlyňany, Slovakia. The soil profiles of n...

A possibility of using cycloheximide tolerance and/or sensitivity as an additional diagnostic tool for distinguishing morphologically related species within common small-spored Alternaria has been tested during this study. A total of 33 strains from four Alternaria species-groups, namely Alternaria alternata, Alternaria arborescens, Alternaria infe...

During a survey of keratinophilic fungi from soil and children’s sandpit samples in city park of Nitra and Nová Baňa (Slovakia) three noteworthy Chrysosporium species, namely Ch. europae, Ch. fluviale and Ch. minutisporosum were encountered. The species are briefly characterized here with respect to their identification, ecology and distribution. T...

Alternaria jesenskae sp. nov. recovered from seeds of a shrubby perennial plant Fumana procumbens (Cistaceae) in Slovakia is described and illustrated. The new taxon can be clearly separated from the other related large-spored and filament-beaked Alternaria species based on sequences of the ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 region as well as by its distinctive m...

The influence of oak trees, and introduced Himalayan pine and Japanese cedar on soil chemical and microbial characteristics was observed in the Arboretum Mlyňany. The original growth on the studied area was an oak-hornbeam forest, therefore the soil under the rest of oak forest was taken as a control. The obtained results showed that changed growth...

To contribute towards the knowledge of microbiology of feeds, more than 100 samples of poultry feed mixtures from Slovakia were mycologically investigated in terms of the overall fungal diversity and toxicological potential of isolated fungi. The study revealed that out of 22 genera recovered, Penicillium was the most frequent and diverse genus, fo...

Differences in some chemical properties of soil under oak Quercus cerris (L.), cherry laurel Prunus lauroerasus (L.), and yew Taxus baccata (L.) woody plants in Arboretum Mlynany were studied. Originally, oak-hornbeam forest was naturally present on studied area therefore soil under oak woods was taken as control variant. Obtained results showed, t...

A total of 50 samples of poultry feed mixtures of Slovakian origin were analyzed for eight toxicologically significant Fusarium mycotoxins, namely zearalenone (ZON), A-trichothecenes: diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) and B-trichothecenes: deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol...

This report presents sixteen Penicillium species identified during the years 2001 and 2002 in the Department of Microbiology of the Slovak University of Agriculture, which have not been included in the lists by LIZOŇ & BACIGÁLOVÁ (1998) and ŠIMONOVIČOVÁ (2001, 2002), and therefore they could be regarded as new fungi for Slovakia. Most of them were...

To investigate a possible incidence of microscopic fungi in ripped service tree (Sorbus domestica L.) fruits, a mycological survey was carried out during October-November 2003 in Slovakia. This rare kind of fruit is renowned for its significant curative actions in various human and animal diseases. The study revealed that all 24 surface sterilized...

Four species of the genus Acremonium (Ascomycota, Hypocreales ), namely A. atrogriseum , A. roseogriseum, A. spinosum , and Acremonium sp. (teleomoiph Neocosmospora vasinfecta var. africana ) hitherto not reported from Slovakia, are described and illustrated here.The former one was isolated from turkey litter, while the latter three were recovered...

A total of 50 samples of poultry feed mixtures of Slovak origin were analysed for fumonisin B(1) and B(2) (FB(1), FB(2)) and moniliformin (MON) using SAX-clean up procedure being detected by high pressure liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), respectively. The samples were also simultaneously i...

In this study Penicillium implicatum Biourge was found to be the cause of a destructive rot of stored pomegranate (Punica granata) fruits. This species has not previously been reported to cause disease of the fruit. The ability of the strain to decay pomegranates as well as some varieties of apples (Jonagold, Selena and Vanda) under laboratory cond...

During examination of the mycoflora present in feed mixtures carried out in Slovakia in July 2002 a rare species Eupenicillium ochrosalmoneum D.B. SCOTT & STOLK was encountered. This is the first finding of the fungus in Slovakia published at all. Distinguishing characteristics of the taxon along with mycotoxin profile and origin are given.

Twenty-eight samples of mixed poultry feeds from the region of Nitra (Slovakia) were collected from September 2001 to April 2002. They were examined for the occurrence of potentially toxinogenic Penicillium LINK species. Total frequency of isolated penicillia in the samples was 79% and 96% on Dichloran Rose Bengal Yeast Sucrose (DRYES) agar and mal...

Thirty-three samples of poultry mixed feeds collected in the region of Nitra (Slovakia) from August 2001-April 2002 were assayed for the incidence of Fusarium Link: Fr. species. In tested samples, the total frequency of isolated fusaria was determined to be 48 % (16 samples) and their counts ranged from 0.2 x 10(2) to 2.4 x 10( 4 ) CFU per g of the...

The both basic and potential biological soil activity along with a biological degradation capacity of soil microorganisms through their respiratory activity were investigated after the application of polymers with the different degree of degradation in the soil. The CO2 production was measured by the absorption method at standard moisture and tempe...

The occurrence of Penicillium species as an important part of the endogenous mycobiota presented on wheat (Triticum aestivum) of the Slovak origin was surveyed in this study. The wheat was grown under the conditions of so-called conventional (CA) and ecological agriculture (EA) during the seasons 2006 and 2007 (in CA 2007 without fungicide protecti...

The both basic and potential biological soil activity along with a biological degradation capacity of soil microorganisms through their respiratory activity were investigated after the application of polymers with the different degree of degradation in the soil. The CO2 production was measured by the absorption method at standard moisture and tempe...

A total of 50 samples of chicken feed mixtures of Slovakian origin were analysed for eleven toxicologically significant Fusarium mycotoxins, namely fumonisin B 1 and B 2 (FB 1 , FB 2), moniliformin (MON), zearalenone (ZON), A-trichothecenes: diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) and B-trichothecenes: deoxynivalenol (DON),...