abstract / Biological Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Biological Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Technology: Biological Sciences at M.L. Technikon, 2001. / Mycotic keratitis has been found to account for 6% to 50% of all cases of ulcerated keratitis. Fusarium species, and in particular Fusarium so/ani, is the most frequent cause of mycotic infections of the cornea. These infections lead to a marked loss of vision and eventually a complete perforation of the cornea if not correctly diagnosed and treated. Fusarium species produce toxic mycotoxins that are known to exert adverse health effects in humans and animals. However, very few attempts have been made to establish the mycotoxin-producing capabilities of clinical isolates of Fusarium species from keratitis infections or any other human infections for that matter. / M

Submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Biotechnology, Durban Institute of Technology, 2004. / Various methods have been developed for the analysis of Fusarium and its toxins. Advances in molecular biology can lead to efficient characterization of this group of fungi. This study was undertaken to examine random amplified polymorphic DNA, volatile compound production and hydrolytic enzyme production by 19 Fusarial isolates. These techniques were employed to assess their abilities in differentiating Fusarium species and F. verticillioides strains and extending the analysis to discriminate toxin producing capabilities amongst these fungi

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Technology: Biotechnology, M. L. Sultan Technikon, 2002. / Fusarium species produce toxic mycotoxins that are known to exert adverse health effects in humans and animals. No attempts have been made to establish mycotoxin-producing capabilities of isolates of Fusarium species from bananas exhibiting symptoms of crown rot. Crown rot is one of the most serious post harvest problems in banana and the disease is caused by different fungal species, principally Fusarium species. Banana, which is of great economic significance in growing countries (i.e. Costa Rica, Cameroon, Ecuador) is seriously affected by crown rot and is a major cause of fruit loss / M