Recent studies have correlated the presence of Stachybotrys chartarum in structures with SBS. S. chartarum produces
mycotoxins that are thought to produce some of the symptoms reported in
sick-building syndrome (SBS). The conidia (spores) produced by Stachybotrys species are not commonly found in the air of buildings that have been found to contain significant interior growth of this organism. This could be due in part to the large size of the Stachybotrys spores, or the organism growing in hidden areas such as wall cavities. However, individuals in buildings with significant Stachybotrys growth frequently display symptoms that may be attributed to exposure to the organism's
mycotoxins. In addition, Stachybotrys colonies produce a "slime" or
polysaccharide (
carbohydrate) matrix that coats the hyphae and the spores. The intent of this project was to determine whether the
carbohydrate matrix and the
mycotoxins embedded in it could be removed from the spores by repeated washings with either aqueous or organic
solvents. The results demonstrated that the process of spore washing removed compounds that were toxic in a protein translation assay as compared to spores that were washed with an organic
solution, however a correlation between
carbohydrate removal during the washing process and the removal of
mycotoxins from the spore surface was not observed. These data demonstrated that
mycotoxins are not likely to be found exclusively in the
carbohydrate matrix of the spores. Therefore,
mycotoxin removal from the spore surface can occur without significant loss of
polysaccharide. We also showed that toxic substances may be removed from the spore surface with an aqueous
solution. These results suggest that satratoxins are soluble in aqueous solutions without being bound to water-soluble moieties, such as the
carbohydrate slime matrix.