Article
Food Science & Technology
Iva Zahija, Barbka Jersek, Lea Demsar, Mateja Lusnic Polak, Tomaz Polak
Summary: The aim of this study was to develop meat-based media similar to dry-fermented meat products and evaluate their use in studying Aspergillus parasiticus growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production kinetics. The results showed that CMA2 was the most suitable meat-based medium for studying AFB1 production, with the highest AFB1 concentration observed in CMA2GYE.
Article
Plant Sciences
Juan Moral, M. Teresa Garcia-Lopez, Ana Gordon, Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, Ryan Puckett, Kenji Tomari, Thomas M. Gradziel, Themis J. Michailides
Summary: Research shows that in almond production, managing aflatoxin contamination can be achieved by using the biocontrol strain AF36 and selecting resistant cultivars. The shell and seedcoat of almonds play a significant role in preventing aflatoxin contamination. Peach kernels exhibit higher resistance to the pathogen compared to almonds, while almonds show higher resistance than pistachios.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Justin B. Renaud, Jacob P. Walsh, Mark W. Sumarah
Summary: This study reports a simplified synthetic route for the production of unlabelled and labelled aflatoxin B-1-lysine, as well as aflatoxin G(1)-lysine for the first time. The stability of these compounds during storage is also reported.
Article
Entomology
Muhammad Asif Asghar, Farman Ahmed, Suraiya Jabeen, Muqaddus Usman Bhurgri, Hiba Asif, Kanwal Hussian
Summary: Climate change has influenced the growth and production of aflatoxins by Aspergillus species. This study found that A. parasiticus can grow and produce aflatoxin B-1 in basmati rice under optimal temperature, moisture content, and water activity conditions. However, lower temperature, moisture content, and water activity do not support the growth of A. parasiticus and aflatoxin production. Storage of rice samples in a hermetic bag significantly reduces aflatoxin production. Overall, hermetic storage is proven to be the best way to store cereals and grains for a long time.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Bwalya Katati, Stan Kovacs, Henry Njapau, Paul W. Kachapulula, Bas J. Zwaan, Anne D. van Diepeningen, Sijmen E. Schoustra
Summary: Aflatoxins have important functions in Aspergillus section Flavi, including antioxidative, antifungal, and antibiosis roles. Atoxigenic Flavi degrade AF-B1 while toxigenic Flavi modulate its levels through an antioxidative mechanism. Atoxigenic strains have higher fitness than toxigenic strains at a plant non-lethal dose.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lucia Hoppanova, Juliana Dylikova, Dusan Kovacik, Veronika Medvecka, Pavol Durina, Svetlana Krystofova, Daniela Hudecova, Barbora Kalinakova
Summary: This study investigated the effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on Aspergillus parasiticus. The results showed that NTP treatment significantly increased the production of aflatoxins by the fungus shortly after exposure. NTP also had a rapid devitalizing effect on the fungus. At the molecular level, NTP caused disruptions in the cell surface and oxidation of biological components in Aspergillus parasiticus.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Abass A. Oduola, Pieter Callewaert, Frank Devlieghere, Burton H. Bluhm, Griffiths G. Atungulu
Summary: This study investigated the growth and AFB1 production of Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3357 and the impact of infrared heat intensities on its growth and aflatoxin-producing potential. The results showed that low-intensity infrared heat treatment increased the aflatoxin-producing potential of A. flavus, while high-intensity treatment decreased it.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Meera Mohamed Alameri, Amanda Shen-Yee Kong, Mariam Nasser Aljaafari, Hajer Al Ali, Khadija Eid, Maryam Al Sallagi, Wan-Hee Cheng, Aisha Abushelaibi, Swee-Hua Erin Lim, Jiun-Yan Loh, Kok-Song Lai
Summary: Aflatoxins (AFs) are mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, with significant public health and economic impact globally. Chronic exposure to AFs is associated with liver cancer, oxidative stress, and fetal growth abnormalities. Various detection methods, including cultures, molecular techniques, and chromatographic means, are used to determine AF contamination. Incorporating crops with higher resistance, such as sorghum, into animal feed can reduce the risk of AF contamination in milk and cheese. This review provides an overview of the health risks, detection techniques, and management strategies for AF.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lourena A. Maxwell, Kenneth A. Callicott, Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, Hillary L. Mehl, Marc J. Orbach, Peter J. Cotty
Summary: Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates have the ability to degrade aflatoxin B1 under optimal temperature conditions, providing a potential biological control method to reduce aflatoxin contamination in crops.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Stephen Abiola Akinola, Collins Njie Ateba, Mulunda Mwanza
Summary: The research investigated the behavior of Aspergillus parasiticus on aflatoxin production in wheat flour under various storage conditions. The study found that aflatoxin concentration increased with time and temperature, but decreased with prolonged incubation time. Adequate models were predicted and optimal conditions for minimum aflatoxin concentration were determined.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Subramani Natarajan, Dananjeyan Balachandar, Natesan Senthil, Vaikuntavasan Paranidharan
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of water activity and temperature on the growth, gene expression, and aflatoxin production of Aspergillus flavus in Senna. The findings showed that the peak expression of regulatory genes and the maximum toxin production occurred at 28 degrees C and 0.96 water activity. Low water activity and low temperature were identified as ideal conditions to prevent toxin production.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Elsayed Hafez, Nourhan M. Abd El-Aziz, Amira M. G. Darwish, Mohamed G. Shehata, Amira A. Ibrahim, Asmaa M. Elframawy, Ahmed N. Badr
Summary: The study developed a quantitative recombinant AflR gene antiserum ELISA technique for aflatoxin B1 detection in contaminated food products. The method involved analyzing aflatoxin B1 residuals in food samples, amplifying the AflR gene, sequencing recombinant plasmids, inducing IgG antibody production in rabbits, and using indirect-ELISA to test the effectiveness of polyclonal antibodies for aflatoxin B1 detection.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Luling Zhao, Jin Wang, Xiaowei Sheng, Shanrui Li, Wenjing Yan, Jing Qian, Jianhao Zhang, Vijaya Raghavan
Summary: This study investigated the decontamination effects and mechanism of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and its toxic metabolites, aflatoxins. The results showed that NTP effectively inactivated A. flavus spores through the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). NTP induced intracellular destruction, disrupted anti-oxidative and energy metabolic systems, and induced fungal apoptosis. Additionally, NTP suppressed aflatoxin biosynthesis and degraded aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), reducing its toxicity.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yong-Mei Hu, Yi-Rong Wang, Wen -Bin Zhao, Yan Yan Ding, Zheng-Rong Wu, Guang-Han Wang, Peng Deng, Shao-Yong Zhang, Jun-Xia An, Zhi-Jun Zhang, Xiong-Fei Luo, Ying-Qian Liu
Summary: Aspergillus flavus, a filamentous fungus, can contaminate agricultural crops with aflatoxins, posing threats to food security and the agricultural economy. Pterostilbene, a natural compound, exhibits strong antimicrobial activity and safety. In this study, pterostilbene was found to effectively inhibit A. flavus growth, aflatoxin B1 biosynthesis, and infection on peanuts by inducing oxidative stress and damaging biomolecules.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Ivan Romero-sanchez, Lorena Ramirez-Garcia, Emma Gracia-Lor, Yolanda Madrid-Albarran
Summary: This study evaluated different methods for the extraction and clean-up of aflatoxins from rice, and successfully applied the method to analyze rice samples from Spanish supermarkets. The results showed that the method of methanol-water extraction combined with immunoaffinity column clean-up had favorable performance, with high recoveries and low detection and quantification limits.
