## 4 Discussion
Among _Penicillium_ spp., _P. commue_ was the most abundant taxa isolated, which is commonly associated with cheese spoilage [77]. However, this species is also a known producer of mycotoxins, such as cyclopiazonic acid, peintrem A and roquefortine [78; 79]. Despite the fact that roquefortine and peintrem A are not volatile [80] and should not pose a threat to tourists, both display highly neurotoxic effects if accidently ingested [78]. They might be harmful to animals and critters feeding on cave sediments. Another fungus with high prevalence in extreme environments and also present in the soil of the Brestovska Cave is _Pseudogymnoascus pamorum_, closely related to _P. destructans_which causes white-nose syndrome in bats. Although _P. panorum_ (basionym: _Sporotrichum panorum_ Link 1824; obligate synonyms: _Chrysosporium panorum_ [PERSON] 1958 and _Geomyces panorum_ [PERSON] and [PERSON] 1976) [53] is not known for its pathogenicity toward bats, it can on rare occasions cause disease in humans and dogs [81,82]. This fungus was also detected in our previous study in the Brestovska Cave--it was isolated from external and internal air samples [1] and internal soil/sediment samples during a study on keratinophilic and keratinocyte fungi [7]. Most likely, its presence in underground locations is attributed to the utilization of various substrates like keratin or complex carbohydrates but also to its tolerance to high salinity [82,83]. Another keratinophilic fungus isolated in the present study is _Chrysosporium merdarium_ (basionym: _Sporotrichum merdarium_ Link 1818) [46] which was also isolated from internal air samples in our previous study in the Brestovska Cave [1]. However, it had also been isolated from caves in other countries, like Hungary, Russia, and the Czech Republic [14]. Like other keratinophilic fungi, _Chrysosporium_ spp. can cause the breakdown of keratinous substrates and potentially infect skin or nails. _Chrysosporium_ spp. have been occasionally associated with human disease; however, there is no evidence of _C. merdarium_ infections [84, 85, 86]. Other new records of species found in cave soil and sediment are _Cephalotrichum hinnuleum_, which is usually isolated from the rhizosphere, decaying plants and dung [87], and _Cosmpospora berkeleyama_ (basionym: _Verticillium berkeleyanum_ [PERSON]. 1891; obligate synonyms: _Acemonium berkeleyanum_ ([PERSON].) [PERSON] 1982) [52], which is usually found on fruiting bodies of fungi, but also from soil and rabbit dung [88]. _Lecytophora_ (now transferred to _Cionichatea_) _hoffmaniii_ (basionym: _Margarinomyces hoffmanii_ [PERSON] [PERSON] 1938; obligate synonyms: _Philaophora hoffmanii_ ([PERSON]) [PERSON]. 1970) [50], also never before isolated from caves, is an intriguing discovery in our study, since it is a potential pathogen of humans and animals. Although a saprophyte in the environment, _L. hoffmanii_ has been associated with human infections resulting in keratitis or subcutaneous abscesses, particularly in immunocompromised patients [89,90]. Among isolated Ascomycota, _Doratomyes stemonitis_ (basionym: _Isaria stemonitis_ Pers. 1797; obligate synonyms: _Styasunus stemonitis_ (Pers.) [PERSON] 1837 and _Periconia stemonitis_ (Pers.) Pers. 1801) [47,49] was previously found in caves in the USA, Russia, Slovakia, Japan, and Korea [14]. It is not surprising since this species belongs to coprophilous fungi, inhabiting feces mainly of herbivores. A set of secreted enzymes, like those engaged in the degradation of cellulose, facilitates the degradation of indigestible parts of plants and enables _D. stemonitis_ to inhabit this specific environment [91]. _Lecanicillium muscarium_ (basionym: _Cephalosporium muscarium_ [PERSON] 1931; taxon synonyms: _Cephalosporium aphidicola_ [PERSON] 1931 and _Verticillium hemileiae_ [PERSON] [51]) is an entomopathogenic fungus, frequently isolated from whitefly (_Trialeurodes vaporarium_). Although it has been found previously in Slovakian caves, there are no reports on its occurrence in other regions of the world [14,92].