Penicillium

Natural Habitat

• Soil
• Seed
• Cereal crops

Suitable Substrates in the Indoor Environment

• Foods (blue mold on cereals, fruits, vegetables, dried foods)
• House dust
• Fabrics
• Leather
• Wallpaper
• Wallpaper glue

Water Activity

• Aw=0.78-0.86

Mode of Dissemination

• Wind
• Insects

Allergenic Potential

• Type I (hay fever, asthma)
• Type III (hypersensitivity)

Potential Opportunist or Pathogen

• Penicilliosis

Industrial Uses

• P. chrysogenum
for the antibiotic penicillin
• P

.

for the antibiotic griseofulvin a
• P. roquefortii

for Roquefort cheese
• P. camemberti

for Camembert cheese
• Brie, Gorgonzola, and Danish Blue cheese are also the products of Penicillium
• Used to cure ham and salami
• Production of organic acids such as fumaric, oxalic, gluconic, and gallic

Potential Toxins Produced

• Citrinin
• Citreoviridin
• Cyclopiazonic acid
• Fumitremorgen B
• Grisiofulvin
• Janthitrems
• Mycophenolic acid
• Paxilline
• Penitrem A
• Penicillic acid
• Ochratoxins
• Roquefortine C
• Secalonic acid D
• Verruculogen
• Verrucosidin
• Viomellein
• Viridicatumtoxin
• Xanthomegnin

Other Comments

• Penicillium
is one of the most common genera of fungi

References

• Alexopoulos, C.J., Mims, C.W., Blackwell, M. 1996. John Wiley and Sons