EFFECT OF POLYMYXIN-B NONAPEPTIDE AND POLYMYXIN-B SULFATE ON TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXIN SENSITIVITY OF YEASTS USING A CONDUCTIMETRIC INSTRUMENT

The addition of polymyxin B sulphate (PBS), or an inactive by-product, polymyxin B nonapeptide (PBN) to a yeast bioassay system, increased its sensitivity to various toxic agents. The nil effect level (NEL) of T-2 toxin was reduced from 0.1 to 0.01 μg/ml for Kluyveromyces fragilis GK 1005 in the presence of these agents when using a Malthus AT 192 conductimetric instrument. Other synergistic agents (DMSO, ethanol, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and Triton X-100) gave poor results in the conductimetric system. PBN also increased sensitivity of K. fragilis GK 1005 towards cycloheximide in the Malthus system, and PBS reduced the NEL of T-2 toxin for K. fragilis GK 1005 in a disc diffusion assay from 0.2 to 0.04 μg per disc. No yeasts were found sensitive to the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON) even at a DON concentration of 10 μg/ml, except in the presence of PBN and PBS. The minimal inhibitory concentration (mic) of DON in the presence of PBS was 2 μg/ml for K. fragilis GK 1005. © 1990.