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Ghaemmaghami SS, Rouhanipour H, Sharifi SD. Aflatoxin levels in poultry feed: a comparison of mash and pellet forms. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103254. [PMID: 38016406 PMCID: PMC10696386 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The current research was conducted to determine the aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates and the frequency of aflatoxin levels (B1, B2, G1, G2), in main feed ingredients (corn and soybean meal) and poultry finished feed (in mash and pellet forms). Eighty-five samples of corn, soybean meal, and poultry finished feed was randomly collected from feed mills in Iran. Regarding macro and microscopic morphological criteria, Aspergillus isolates were identified, and aflatoxins were determined by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All of poultry feed samples were contaminated with different levels of aflatoxins, ranging from ND (they were not detected in those samples) to 5.58 µg/kg. At all stages of processing, the poultry feed had lower levels of aflatoxins in comparison with the accepted/residue levels of poultry feed mills. Higher amounts of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2, and total) were detected in pelleted feed, compared to other poultry samples (P < 0.05). The total toxin level in mash feed samples reached a maximum of 3.31 ppb. The results indicate that finished feed samples in pellet form may pose a greater risk than their individual ingredients in poultry feed, particularly when suboptimal conditions exist for eliminating fungal populations. So, the prevention and reduction of (Aspergillus section Flavi) are highly important in maintaining quality control of poultry feed, as the production of aflatoxins can occur during the process of converting raw ingredients into finished feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Soheil Ghaemmaghami
- Institute of Agricultural Education and Extension, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, 3391-653775, Iran
| | - Hasan Rouhanipour
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Pakdasht, Tehran, 3391-653775, Iran
| | - Seyed Davood Sharifi
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Pakdasht, Tehran, 3391-653775, Iran.
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Mahmoud ALE, Kilany AHAM, Hassan EA. Antifungal activity of Lysinibacillus macroides against toxigenic Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium proliferatum and analysis of its mycotoxin minimization potential. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:269. [PMID: 37752474 PMCID: PMC10521556 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxigenic fungi (Aspergillus and Fusarium) and their metabolites represent the major cause of corn and corn-based products contamination and consequently lead to severe economic and health issues. AIM Our current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of using L. macroides Bac6 as a biological control agent against the toxigenic fungi; A. flavus f10 and F. proliferatum f30 and their mycotoxins. RESULTS The results illustrated that A. flavus f10 produced the aflatoxins AFB1 and AFG2 with concentrations of 21.239 and 13.593 ppb, respectively. While F. proliferatum f30 produced fumonisin B1 (9600 ppb). Furthermore, L. macroides showed a high potential for inhibition of toxigenic fungal growth using a dual culture method. F. proliferatum f30 and A. flavus f10 were found to be inhibited by a percentage of 80 and 62.5%, respectively. The results were confirmed using the scanning electron microscope. The antagonistic bacteria, L. macroides, showed chitinase productivity and activity of 26.45 U/L and 0.12 U/mL/min, respectively, which illustrates its potential application as a biocontrol agent. The GC-MS analysis revealed an abundance of Pyrrolo[1,2-a] pyrazine-1,4-dione, Hexahydro in the bacterial supernatant that exhibited antifungal characteristics. L. macroides had a significant reduction of AFB1 and AFG2 produced by A. flavus f10, recording 99.25% and 99% inhibition, respectively. It also showed strong inhibition of fumonisin B1 (90% inhibition) produced by F. proliferatum f30. CONCLUSION Thus, the current study is a prospective study evaluating for the first time the potential impact of L. macroides Bac6 against the toxigenic fungi and their toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Lotfy E Mahmoud
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt
| | - Ayat H A Mohamed Kilany
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt.
| | - Elhagag A Hassan
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt
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Moura-Mendes J, Cazal-Martínez CC, Rojas C, Ferreira F, Pérez-Estigarribia P, Dias N, Godoy P, Costa J, Santos C, Arrua A. Species Identification and Mycotoxigenic Potential of Aspergillus Section Flavi Isolated from Maize Marketed in the Metropolitan Region of Asunción, Paraguay. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1879. [PMID: 37630439 PMCID: PMC10458825 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11081879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Zea mays var. amylacea and Zea mays var. indurata are maize ecotypes from Paraguay. Aspergillus section Flavi is the main spoilage fungus of maize under storage conditions. Due to its large intraspecific genetic variability, the accurate identification of this fungal taxonomic group is difficult. In the present study, potential mycotoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from Z. mays var. indurata and Z. mays var. amylacea that are marketed in the metropolitan region of Asunción were identified by a polyphasic approach. Based on morphological characters, 211 isolates were confirmed to belong to Aspergillus section Flavi. A subset of 92 strains was identified as Aspergillus flavus by mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF and the strains were classified by MALDI-TOF MS into chemotypes based on their aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid production. According to the partial sequencing of ITS and CaM genes, a representative subset of 38 A. flavus strains was confirmed. Overall, 75 A. flavus strains (86%) were characterized as producers of aflatoxins. The co-occurrence of at least two mycotoxins (AF/ZEA, FUM/ZEA, and AF/ZEA/FUM) was detected for five of the Z. mays samples (63%). Considering the high mycological bioburden and mycotoxin contamination, maize marketed in the metropolitan region of Asunción constitutes a potential risk to food safety and public health and requires control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Moura-Mendes
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay; (J.M.-M.)
| | - Cinthia C. Cazal-Martínez
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay; (J.M.-M.)
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay
| | - Cinthia Rojas
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay; (J.M.-M.)
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay
| | - Francisco Ferreira
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay
| | - Pastor Pérez-Estigarribia
- Facultad Politécnica, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Sudamericana, Pedro Juan Caballero 130112, Paraguay
| | - Nathalia Dias
- BIOREN-UFRO Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Patrício Godoy
- Instituto de Microbiología Clínica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile
| | - Jéssica Costa
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas-ICB, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Av. Rodrigo Otávio Jordão Ramos 3000, Bloco 01, Manaus 69077-000, Brazil;
| | - Cledir Santos
- Department of Chemical Science and Natural Resources, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Andrea Arrua
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay; (J.M.-M.)
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay
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Nemadodzi LE, Prinsloo G. A New Proposed Symbiotic Plant-Herbivore Relationship between Burkea africana Trees, Cirina forda Caterpillars and Their Associated Fungi Pleurostomophora richardsiae and Aspergillus nomius. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1864. [PMID: 37513036 PMCID: PMC10383216 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkea africana is a tree found in savannah and woodland in southern Africa, as well as northwards into tropical African regions as far as Nigeria and Ethiopia. It is used as fuel wood, medicinally to treat various conditions, such as toothache, headache, migraine, pain, inflammation, and sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea, but also an ornamental tree. The current study investigated the possible symbiotic relationship between B. africana trees and the C. forda caterpillars and the mutual role played in ensuring the survival of B. africana trees/seedlings in harsh natural conditions and low-nutrient soils. Deoxyribonucleic acid isolation and sequencing results revealed that the fungal species Pleurostomophora richardsiae was highly predominant in the leaves of B. africana trees and present in the caterpillars. The second most prominent fungal species in the caterpillars was Aspergillus nomius. The latter is known to be related to a Penicillium sp. which was found to be highly prevalent in the soil where B. africana trees grow and is suggested to play a role in enhancing the effective growth of B. africana trees in their natural habitat. To support this, a phylogenetic analysis was conducted, and a tree was constructed, which shows a high percentage similarity between Aspergillus and Penicillium sp. The findings of the study revealed that B. africana trees not only serve as a source of feed for the C. forda caterpillar but benefit from C. forda caterpillars which, after dropping onto the soil, is proposed to inoculate the soil surrounding the trees with the fungus A. nomius which suggests a symbiotic and/or synergistic relationship between B. africana trees and C. forda caterpillars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lufuno Ethel Nemadodzi
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
- ABBERU, Science Campus, University of South Africa, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Prinsloo
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
- ABBERU, Science Campus, University of South Africa, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
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Salman M, Javed MR, Ali H, Mustafa G, Tariq A, Sahar T, Naheed S, Gill I, Abid M, Tawab A. Bioprotection of Zea mays L. from aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus by Loigolactobacillus coryniformis BCH-4. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271269. [PMID: 35917314 PMCID: PMC9345345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infection causes deterioration, discoloration, and loss of nutritional values of food products. The use of lactic acid bacteria has diverse applications in agriculture to combat pathogens and to improve the nutritional values of cereal grains. The current research evaluated the potential of Loigolactobacillus coryniformis BCH-4 against aflatoxins producing toxigenic Aspergillus flavus strain. The cell free supernatant (CFS) of Loig. coryniformis was used for the protection of Zea mays L. treated with A. flavus. No fungal growth was observed even after seven days. The FT-IR spectrum of untreated (T1: without any treatment) and treated maize grains (T2: MRS broth + A. flavus; T3: CFS + A. flavus) showed variations in peak intensities of functional group regions of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Total phenolics, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of T3 were significantly improved in comparison with T1 and T2. Aflatoxins were not found in T3 while observed in T2 (AFB1 and AFB2 = 487 and 16 ng/g each). HPLC analysis of CFS showed the presence of chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, sinapic acid, salicylic acid, and benzoic acid. The presence of these acids in the CFS of Loig. coryniformis cumulatively increased the antioxidant contents and activity of T3 treated maize grains. Besides, CFS of Loig. coryniformis was passed through various treatments (heat, neutral pH, proteolytic enzymes and catalase), to observe its stability. It suggested that the inhibitory potential of CFS against A. flavus was due to the presence of organic acids, proteinaceous compounds and hydrogen peroxide. Conclusively, Loig. coryniformis BCH-4 could be used as a good bioprotecting agent for Zea mays L. by improving its nutritional and antioxidant contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahwish Salman
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
- * E-mail: (MS); (AT)
| | - Muhammad Rizwan Javed
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Hazrat Ali
- National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Mustafa
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Anam Tariq
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Tanzila Sahar
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College Women University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shazia Naheed
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Iqra Gill
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Abid
- Department of Statistics, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Tawab
- National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
- * E-mail: (MS); (AT)
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Vlajkov V, Grahovac M, Budakov D, Loc M, Pajčin I, Milić D, Novaković T, Grahovac J. Distribution, Genetic Diversity and Biocontrol of Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus in Serbian Maize Fields. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13100687. [PMID: 34678980 PMCID: PMC8540170 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13100687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize is one of the leading export products in the Republic of Serbia. As a country where economic development depends on agriculture, maize production plays a critical role as a crop of strategic importance. Potential aflatoxin contamination of maize poses a risk to food and feed safety and tremendous economic losses. No aflatoxin contamination of maize samples harvested in 2019 and 2020 in different localities in the Republic of Serbia was detected by the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method. On the other hand, the Cluster Amplification Patterns (CAP) analyses of the isolated Aspergillus flavus strains from 2019 maize samples confirmed the presence of key biosynthesis genes responsible for aflatoxin production. Artificial inoculation and subsequent HPLC analysis of the inoculated maize samples confirmed the high capacity of the A. flavus strains for aflatoxin production, pointing to a high risk of contamination under favorable conditions. Prevention of aflatoxin contamination is primarily based on A. flavus control, where biocontrol agents play a significant role as sustainable disease management tools. In this study, antagonistic activity screening of the novel strains belonging to the Bacillus genus indicated superior suppression of A. flavus strains by two Bacillus strains isolated from the rhizosphere of Phaseolus vulgaris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Vlajkov
- Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (I.P.); (J.G.)
- Correspondence: (V.V.); (M.G.)
| | - Mila Grahovac
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.B.); (M.L.); (D.M.); (T.N.)
- Correspondence: (V.V.); (M.G.)
| | - Dragana Budakov
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.B.); (M.L.); (D.M.); (T.N.)
| | - Marta Loc
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.B.); (M.L.); (D.M.); (T.N.)
| | - Ivana Pajčin
- Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (I.P.); (J.G.)
| | - Dragan Milić
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.B.); (M.L.); (D.M.); (T.N.)
| | - Tihomir Novaković
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.B.); (M.L.); (D.M.); (T.N.)
| | - Jovana Grahovac
- Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (I.P.); (J.G.)
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Mamo FT, Abate BA, Zheng Y, Nie C, He M, Liu Y. Distribution of Aspergillus Fungi and Recent Aflatoxin Reports, Health Risks, and Advances in Developments of Biological Mitigation Strategies in China. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:678. [PMID: 34678973 PMCID: PMC8541519 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13100678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites that represent serious threats to human and animal health. They are mainly produced by strains of the saprophytic fungus Aspergillus flavus, which are abundantly distributed across agricultural commodities. AF contamination is receiving increasing attention by researchers, food producers, and policy makers in China, and several interesting review papers have been published, that mainly focused on occurrences of AFs in agricultural commodities in China. The goal of this review is to provide a wider scale and up-to-date overview of AF occurrences in different agricultural products and of the distribution of A. flavus across different food and feed categories and in Chinese traditional herbal medicines in China, for the period 2000-2020. We also highlight the health impacts of chronic dietary AF exposure, the recent advances in biological AF mitigation strategies in China, and recent Chinese AF standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firew Tafesse Mamo
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Food Safety Research Centre, Foshan University, Foshan 528231, China; (C.N.); (M.H.)
- Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute, Addis Ababa 5954, Ethiopia;
| | | | - Yougquan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
| | - Chengrong Nie
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Food Safety Research Centre, Foshan University, Foshan 528231, China; (C.N.); (M.H.)
| | - Mingjun He
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Food Safety Research Centre, Foshan University, Foshan 528231, China; (C.N.); (M.H.)
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Food Safety Research Centre, Foshan University, Foshan 528231, China; (C.N.); (M.H.)
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Xu J, Wang P, Zhou Z, Cotty PJ, Kong Q. Selection of Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus for Potential Use in Aflatoxin Prevention in Shandong Province, China. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7090773. [PMID: 34575811 PMCID: PMC8472152 DOI: 10.3390/jof7090773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus is a common filamentous fungus widely present in the soil, air, and in crops. This facultative pathogen of both animals and plants produces aflatoxins, a group of mycotoxins with strong teratogenic and carcinogenic properties. Peanuts are highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination and consumption of contaminated peanuts poses serious threats to the health of humans and domestic animals. Currently, the competitive displacement of aflatoxin-producers from agricultural environments by atoxigenic A. flavus is the most effective method of preventing crop aflatoxin contamination. In the current study, 47 isolates of A. flavus collected from peanut samples originating in Shandong Province were characterized with molecular methods and for aflatoxin-producing ability in laboratory studies. Isolates PA04 and PA10 were found to be atoxigenic members of the L strains morphotype. When co-inoculated with A. flavus NRRL3357 at ratios of 1:10, 1:1, and 10:1 (PA04/PA10: NRRL3357), both atoxigenic strains were able to reduce aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) levels, on both culture media and peanut kernels, by up to 90%. The extent to which atoxigenic strains reduced contamination was correlated with the inoculation ratio. Abilities to compete of PA04 and PA10 were also independently verified against local aflatoxin-producer PA37. The results suggest that the two identified atoxigenic strains are good candidates for active ingredients of biocontrol products for the prevention of aflatoxin contamination of peanuts in Shandong Province.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Xu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.X.); (P.W.); (P.J.C.)
| | - Peng Wang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.X.); (P.W.); (P.J.C.)
| | - Zehua Zhou
- Food Technology Department, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Peter John Cotty
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.X.); (P.W.); (P.J.C.)
| | - Qing Kong
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.X.); (P.W.); (P.J.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-532-8203-2290; Fax: +86-532-8203-238
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9
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Habibi A, Afzali D. Aspergillus Section Flavi from Four Agricultural Products and Association of Mycotoxin and Sclerotia Production with Isolation Source. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:3674-3685. [PMID: 34398304 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02620-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many agricultural products are susceptible to contamination by aflatoxin-producing species from Aspergillus section Flavi. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of Aspergillus section Flavi in four agricultural products, such as pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, and dried fruits, collected from market and retail shops in various areas of Kerman County and obtain information on the relationships between isolation source and ability to produce sclerotia and potential for aflatoxin production. Aspergillus species were identified based on morphological characteristics as well as subsequent sequencing of the parts of the β-tubulin and calmodulin genes. From 207 isolated strains, the following species were identified: A. flavus, A. tamarii A. nomius, A. parasiticus, A. arachidicola, A. caelatus, A. pseudotamarii, and A. leporis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of A. pseudotamarii and A. arachidicola with the potential to produce aflatoxins from dried apricots and hazelnuts, respectively. Sclerotial type was significantly different between isolates from different isolation sources. From 192 tested isolates, 38% were aflatoxin producer from which 5% were scored as strong aflatoxin producers and 33% as average aflatoxin producers. A significant difference in the population of aflatoxin-producing strains across the isolation sources was observed which may reflect host adaptation and thereby different vulnerabilities to aflatoxin-producing species among the examined products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Habibi
- Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Daryoush Afzali
- Department of Environment, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
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10
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Wang C, Xu F, Baker R, Pinjari A, Bruckers L, Zhao Y, Stevenson A, Zhang G. Fungi carried over in jute bags – a smoking gun for aflatoxin contamination in the food supply chain. WORLD MYCOTOXIN J 2021. [DOI: 10.3920/wmj2020.2619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
India is the largest jute and fifth largest maize producing country in the world. In India maize is commonly stored and transported in jute bags which are used multiple times. Aflatoxin contamination of maize is a major issue in India. This study evaluated the potential impact of re-using jute bags on the risk of aflatoxin contamination of maize in the food supply chain. A total of 121 jute bags were collected in India; 95 had been used for maize and 26 bags were new. Significantly higher numbers of viable aflatoxigenic fungi were counted from re-used bags (27.8 times) (P<0.05), than the number from new bags. There was no significant difference between aflatoxin concentration found in the re-used jute bags and the new jute bags (P>0.05). Further analysis revealed that the aflatoxigenic fungal population (3.0 times) and aflatoxin concentration (1.2 times) were significantly higher in jute bags that had been used for maize with higher aflatoxin contamination (14-188.4 μg/kg total aflatoxins) than in those that had been used for maize with lower contamination (0.8-5.4 μg/kg total aflatoxins) (P<0.05). The significant positive correlation (P<0.05) between the aflatoxigenic fungal population of used jute bags and aflatoxin contamination of their packed maize indicated there is a risk of cross-contamination in the supply chain introduced by re-using jute bags. This is the first study to systematically reveal the potential impact of re-using jute bags on the fungal population and aflatoxin contamination risk. The application of readily applied treatments to re-used jute bags would help to minimise the aflatoxin contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Wang
- Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars Inc., Yanqi Economic Development Zone, Huairou, Beijing 101407, China P.R
| | - F. Xu
- Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars Inc., Yanqi Economic Development Zone, Huairou, Beijing 101407, China P.R
| | - R.C. Baker
- Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars Inc., Yanqi Economic Development Zone, Huairou, Beijing 101407, China P.R
| | - A. Pinjari
- Mars International India Pvt, Ltd, Avusulonipally village, Wargal Mandal, Siddipet Distt. Telangana State, 502279, India
| | - L. Bruckers
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, University Hasselt, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Y. Zhao
- Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars Inc., Yanqi Economic Development Zone, Huairou, Beijing 101407, China P.R
| | - A. Stevenson
- Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars Inc., Yanqi Economic Development Zone, Huairou, Beijing 101407, China P.R
| | - G. Zhang
- Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars Inc., Yanqi Economic Development Zone, Huairou, Beijing 101407, China P.R
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11
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Abd El-Aziz AR, Shehata SM, Hisham SM, Alobathani AA. Molecular profile of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus isolated from stored maize. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:1383-1391. [PMID: 33613068 PMCID: PMC7878702 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.11.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize is a significant staple crop and utilized in Saudi Arabia as food and feed, but maize is often infected with Aspergillus flavus in tropical and subtropical climates, especially during storage. This study intended at a polyphasic approach, consisting of microscopic morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterizations that were applied to 29 of A. flavus isolates of stored maize, with the goal of characterization and identification of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates. The technique of real-time PCR (RTi-PCR) was used to detection of A. flavus in stored maize samples, the findings have been very accurate. Centered on macroscopic morphological (primarily colony color and morphology of conidia) and microscopic (morphology of conidia and size) characteristics. Results have shown 23 A. flavus isolates (80%) were categorized as the dark green of colonies also all isolates were rough conidia. The isolates have been two different groups, 16 isolates (62%) had sclerotium-forming and the remaining 13 isolates (38%) had no sclerotium-forming isolates. To the identification of aflatoxigenic isolates of A. flavus in stored maize, we utilized the qualitative methods (easy and inexpensive) like UV test, yellow pigmentation, and ammonia vapor and quantitative method as HPLC (accurate and expensive). the accuracy methods to the identification aflatoxigenicity isolates, vary, and classified in the following descending order: HPLC (100%) > UV method (81%) > yellow pigmentation (YP) and ammonia vapor (AV) (63%). The profile of Aflatoxigenicity of A. flavus isolates by HPLC has been involved in two types first of 11 isolates (38%) have been aflatoxigenic isolates while 18 isolates (62%) were non-aflatoxigenic isolates. The expression of six aflatoxins (AFs) genes (aflD, aflM, aflO, aflP, aflR, and aflQ) was estimated using PCR and RT-PCR. PCR of all genes did not correspond to the aflatoxigenic isolates. The transcriptional analysis of aflO and aflQ was a beneficial marker for discriminating aflatoxigenic from non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates. Also, qRT-PCR indicated that non-aflatoxigenic isolates had a high incidence of defect or downregulation in late AF-genes contrast with early AF-genes. therefore, these non-aflatoxigenic isolates could be critical factors for an efficient and competent strategy for the control of aflatoxin contamination pre-harvest can be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer R.M. Abd El-Aziz
- Botany and Microbiology, Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Shereen M. Shehata
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Depart., College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sameh M. Hisham
- Botany and Microbiology, Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afnan A. Alobathani
- Botany and Microbiology, Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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12
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Ghaemmaghami SS, Pashootan N, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Toxigenicity and phylogeny of Aspergillus section Flavi in poultry feed in Iran. Curr Med Mycol 2020; 6:22-29. [PMID: 32420504 PMCID: PMC7217249 DOI: 10.18502/cmm.6.1.2504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the presence of aflatoxigenic strains and level of aflatoxin in poultry feed. Aflatoxigenic strains were investigated in corn and soybean meal as the ingredients of poultry feed, as well as in two types of commercial feed, namely pellet and mash. The gene sequencing was performed to identify the species of Aspergillus section Flavi. Materials and Methods All samples were randomly collected from feed storage silos located in Iran in 2018. The samples were cultured on specialized media for 2 weeks at 28ºC. Identification of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates was based on macro- and microscopic morphological criteria and molecular analysis. The thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was applied to confirm the aflatoxigenic isolates. In addition, the level of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) produced by these isolates was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The strains were subjected to sequence analysis, and Bt2 PCR products were purified by the QIAquick PCR purification kit. At the final stage, the phylogenetic tree was built. Results Among 54 isolates identified as Aspergillus section Flavi, 20 (37%) isolates were found to produce aflatoxin at a range of 11.28±1.18 to 2239.92±92.26 µg/g fungal dry weight. The aflatoxigenic isolates had the frequencies of 45%, 40%, 10%, and 5% in the corn, pellet, soybean meal, and mash samples, respectively. Furthermore, the mean concentrations of AFB1 were significantly higher in the corn samples (707.04±39.05) than that of other poultry feed samples (P<0.05). A total of 34 (63%) isolates were detected as non-aflatoxigenic on the yeast extract-sucrose broth in TLC analysis. The toxigenic isolates produced the highest (2232.62±55.49) and lowest (11.28±1.18) levels of AFB1 in the corn samples, compared to other feedstuffs. Furthermore, the mean level of AFB1 in mash product was 554.09±10.36 µg/g, compared to a mean level of 229.22±11.09 µg/g in pellets. The isolates were randomly selected, sequenced, and then analyzed. Subsequently, the phylogenetic tree of Aspergillus section Flavi was plotted. Conclusion The process of converting raw ingredients to compound poultry feed is more hazardous when there is not enough time and temperature provided to eliminate aflatoxigenic isolates. Therefore, Aspergillus section Flavi in poultry feed can pose a threat to the poultry industry and poultry products, thereby affecting the health status of humans. Unprocessed/processed materials, such as corns and pelleted feed, need further monitoring, especially when conditions are not optimal for destroying the fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Soheil Ghaemmaghami
- Feed Hygienist, Institute of Agricultural Education and Extension, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
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13
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Drott MT, Bastos RW, Rokas A, Ries LNA, Gabaldón T, Goldman GH, Keller NP, Greco C. Diversity of Secondary Metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans Clinical Isolates. mSphere 2020; 5:e00156-20. [PMID: 32269157 PMCID: PMC7142299 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00156-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans has been a primary workhorse used to understand fungal genetics. Much of this work has focused on elucidating the genetics of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and the secondary metabolites (SMs) they produce. SMs are both niche defining in fungi and of great economic importance to humans. Despite the focus on A. nidulans, very little is known about the natural diversity in secondary metabolism within this species. We determined the BGC content and looked for evolutionary patterns in BGCs from whole-genome sequences of two clinical isolates and the A4 reference genome of A. nidulans Differences in BGC content were used to explain SM profiles determined using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. We found that in addition to genetic variation of BGCs contained by all isolates, nine BGCs varied by presence/absence. We discovered the viridicatumtoxin BGC in A. nidulans and suggest that this BGC has undergone a horizontal gene transfer from the Aspergillus section Nigri lineage into Penicillium sometime after the sections Nigri and Nidulantes diverged. We identified the production of viridicatumtoxin and several other compounds previously not known to be produced by A. nidulans One isolate showed a lack of sterigmatocystin production even though it contained an apparently intact sterigmatocystin BGC, raising questions about other genes and processes known to regulate this BGC. Altogether, our work uncovers a large degree of intraspecies diversity in BGC and SM production in this genetic model species and offers new avenues to understand the evolution and regulation of secondary metabolism.IMPORTANCE Much of what we know about the genetics underlying secondary metabolite (SM) production and the function of SMs in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans comes from a single reference genome. A growing body of research indicates the importance of biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) and SM diversity within a species. However, there is no information about the natural diversity of secondary metabolism in A. nidulans We discovered six novel clusters that contribute to the considerable variation in both BGC content and SM production within A. nidulans We characterize a diverse set of mutations and emphasize how findings of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), deletions, and differences in evolutionary history encompass much of the variation observed in nonmodel systems. Our results emphasize that A. nidulans may also be a strong model to use within-species diversity to elucidate regulatory cross talk, fungal ecology, and drug discovery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Drott
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - R W Bastos
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - L N A Ries
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - T Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Program, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - G H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - N P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - C Greco
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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14
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Bouti K, Verheecke‐Vaessen C, Mokrane S, Meklat A, Djemouai N, Sabaou N, Mathieu F, Riba A. Polyphasic characterization of
Aspergillus
section
Flavi
isolated from animal feeds in Algeria. J Food Saf 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jfs.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Karima Bouti
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes MicrobiensEcole Normale Supérieure de Kouba Alger Algeria
| | - Carol Verheecke‐Vaessen
- Applied Mycology Group, Environment and AgriFood ThemeCranfield University Cranfield UK
- Laboratoire de Génie ChimiqueUniversité de Toulouse, CNRS Toulouse France
| | - Salim Mokrane
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes MicrobiensEcole Normale Supérieure de Kouba Alger Algeria
| | - Atika Meklat
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes MicrobiensEcole Normale Supérieure de Kouba Alger Algeria
- Département de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaire, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la VieUniversité Saad Dahlab Blida Algeria
| | - Nadjette Djemouai
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes MicrobiensEcole Normale Supérieure de Kouba Alger Algeria
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie des OrganismesUniversité des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene Bab Ezzouar (USTHB) Algiers Algeria
| | - Nasserdine Sabaou
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes MicrobiensEcole Normale Supérieure de Kouba Alger Algeria
| | - Florence Mathieu
- Applied Mycology Group, Environment and AgriFood ThemeCranfield University Cranfield UK
| | - Amar Riba
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes MicrobiensEcole Normale Supérieure de Kouba Alger Algeria
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des SciencesUniversité M'Hamed Bougara Boumerdès Algeria
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15
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Shar ZH, Pirkash O, Shar HH, Sherazi STH, Mahesar SA. Aflatoxins in cotton seeds and cotton seed cake from Pakistan. FOOD ADDITIVES & CONTAMINANTS PART B-SURVEILLANCE 2019; 13:72-76. [PMID: 31793394 DOI: 10.1080/19393210.2019.1698661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the natural occurrence of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2) in cotton seeds (n = 110) and cotton seed cake (CSC; n = 110) from Pakistan. All samples were screened by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Positive samples were further quantified by IAC-HPLC-FLD. Total contamination frequency and aflatoxins mean levels were 80% and 69 μg/kg in cotton seeds and the corresponding values for cotton seed cake 88% and 89 μg/kg, respectively. Aflatoxin B1was found in all positive samples and co-occurred with AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2. Sixty-four cotton seeds and 71 CSC samples contained aflatoxins levels higher than the ML set for animal feed (20 µg/kg). The results of the present study will help the regulatory authorities to formulate strategies for monitoring aflatoxins in animal feeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z H Shar
- Dr. M.A Kazi Institute of Chemistry University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - Om Pirkash
- Dr. M.A Kazi Institute of Chemistry University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - H H Shar
- National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - S T H Sherazi
- National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - S A Mahesar
- National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
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16
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Sserumaga JP, Ortega-Beltran A, Wagacha JM, Mutegi CK, Bandyopadhyay R. Aflatoxin-producing fungi associated with pre-harvest maize contamination in Uganda. Int J Food Microbiol 2019; 313:108376. [PMID: 31731141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Maize is an important staple crop for the majority of the population in Uganda. However, in tropical and subtropical climates, maize is frequently contaminated with aflatoxins, a group of cancer-causing and immuno-suppressive mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus section Flavi fungi. In Uganda, there is limited knowledge about the causal agents of aflatoxin contamination. The current study determined both the aflatoxin levels in pre-harvest maize across Uganda and the structures of communities of aflatoxin-producing fungi associated with the maize. A total of 256 pre-harvest maize samples were collected from 23 major maize-growing districts in eight agro-ecological zones (AEZ). Maize aflatoxin content ranged from 0 to 3760 ng/g although only around 5% for Ugandan thresholds. For EU it is about 16% of the samples contained aflatoxin concentrations above tolerance thresholds. A total of 3105 Aspergillus section Flavi isolates were recovered and these were dominated by the A. flavus L morphotype (89.4%). Densities of aflatoxin-producing fungi were negatively correlated with elevation. Farming systems and climatic conditions of the AEZ are thought to have influenced communities' structure composition. Fungi from different AEZ varied significantly in aflatoxin-producing abilities and several atoxigenic genotypes were identified. The extremely high aflatoxin concentrations detected in some of the studied regions indicate that management strategies should be urgently designed for use at the pre-harvest stage. Atoxigenic genotypes detected across Uganda could serve as aflatoxin biocontrol agents to reduce crop contamination from fields conditions and throughout the maize value chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius P Sserumaga
- National Agricultural Research Organisation, National Crops Resources Research Institute, Namulonge, P. O. Box 7084, Kampala, Uganda.
| | | | - John M Wagacha
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, P. O. Box 30197, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Charity K Mutegi
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Rasheed U, Wu H, Wei J, Ou X, Qin P, Yao X, Chen H, Chen AJ, Liu B. A polyphasic study of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from corn in Guangxi, China- a hot spot of aflatoxin contamination. Int J Food Microbiol 2019; 310:108307. [PMID: 31476582 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus section Flavi is widely known as a potential threat to contaminate agricultural products and food commodities. In this study, a polyphasic approach consisting of micro- and macro-morphological, chemical and molecular features, was applied to survey the Aspergillus section Flavi population in corn collected from Guangxi, China. Based on multigene phylogenies as well as morphological observations, Aspergillus flavus (192/195), A. arachidicola (1/195), A. pseudonomius (1/195) and A. novoparasiticus (1/195) were found to be the predominant section Flavi population. Among them, 31 representative isolates were selected for mycotoxin determination. The results showed that Aspergillus flavus chemotype I was most common, chemotype IV was also detected with low incidence and low CPA amounts, while chemotypes II and III were absent. Other tested species including A. arachidicola, A. pseudonomius, and A. novoparasiticus produced all types of aflatoxins, but none of them produced CPA. The polyphasic approach applied in this study permitted reliable understanding of the prevailing Aspergillus section Flavi population and their mycotoxin profiles. Knowledge of the prevailing section Flavi population will aid in developing a sustainable strategy to mitigate the effects of aflatoxin contamination. This study suggests that CPA contamination of food should be considered while conducting mycotoxigenic surveys of food commodities, and the same should be considered while planning a bio-control strategy to control aflatoxin contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Rasheed
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Jinfan Wei
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Xiaoyun Ou
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Peisheng Qin
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Xiaohua Yao
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
| | - Han Chen
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Amanda Juan Chen
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Bin Liu
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China.
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18
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Dooso Oloo R, Okoth S, Wachira P, Mutiga S, Ochieng P, Kago L, Nganga F, Domelevo Entfellner JB, Ghimire S. Genetic Profiling of Aspergillus Isolates with Varying Aflatoxin Production Potential from Different Maize-Growing Regions of Kenya. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11080467. [PMID: 31404960 PMCID: PMC6723045 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11080467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Highly toxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus have been reported to frequently contaminate maize, causing fatal aflatoxin poisoning in Kenya. To gain insights into the environmental and genetic factors that influence toxigenicity, fungi (n = 218) that were culturally identified as A. flavus were isolated from maize grains samples (n = 120) from three regions of Kenya. The fungi were further characterized to confirm their identities using a PCR-sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA which also revealed all of them to be A. flavus. A subset of 72 isolates representing ITS sequence-based phylogeny cluster and the agroecological origin of maize samples was constituted for subsequent analysis. The analysis of partial calmodulin gene sequences showed that the subset consisted of A. flavus (87%) and Aspergillus minisclerotigenes (13%). No obvious association was detected between the presence of seven aflatoxin biosynthesis genes and fungal species or region. However, the presence of the aflD and aflS genes showed some association with aflatoxin production. The assessment of toxigenicity showed higher aflatoxin production potential in A. minisclerotigenes isolates. Given that A. minisclerotigenes were mainly observed in maize samples from Eastern Kenya, a known aflatoxin hotspot, we speculate that production of copious aflatoxin is an adaptative trait of this recently discovered species in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Dooso Oloo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sheila Okoth
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter Wachira
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samuel Mutiga
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Phillis Ochieng
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Leah Kago
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Fredrick Nganga
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jean-Baka Domelevo Entfellner
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sita Ghimire
- Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.
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19
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Akbari Dana M, Hashemi SJ, Daei Ghazvini R, Khodavesi S, Modiri M, Nazemi L, Darabian S, Rezaie S. Effect of benomyl and diazinon on acquired azole resistance in Aspergillus flavus and expression of mdr1 and cyp51c genes. Curr Med Mycol 2019; 5:27-32. [PMID: 31321335 PMCID: PMC6626713 DOI: 10.18502/cmm.5.2.1158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Aspergillus flavus is an important pathogen in immunodeficient patients. Due to the abundance of this fungus in nature, fungicides are commonly used to preserve and maintain agricultural products. Long-term exposure to these pesticides can lead to the induction of drug resistance in this fungus. Materials and Methods: For the purpose of the study, 10 strains of A. flavus ATCC 204304 were cultured in benomyl and diazinon pesticides at the concentrations of 62.5, 125, 250.500, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 mg/L in nine steps. Morphological changes and resistance to voriconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B were evaluated at the end of each step. Subsequently, changes in the expression of mdr1 and cyp51C genes were studied in the strains showing drug resistance. Results: The results showed that during the nine stages of the adjacency of strains with benomyl and diazinon at different concentrations, resistance to voriconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B in these toxins increased by 30% and 10%, respectively. In addition, the microscopic examination of resistant strains revealed the absence of sporulation, and only mycelium was found. Macroscopically, the color of the colonies changed from green to white. Furthermore, the investigation of the expression of mdr1 and cyp51c genes in these strains showed a decrease and increase in adjacency with diazinon and benomyl, respectively. Conclusion: As the findings indicated, exposure to agricultural pesticides can lead to the incidence of morphological changes and resistance to amphotericin B, itraconazole, and voriconazole in the sensitive species of A. flavus by altering the expression of genes involved in drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Akbari Dana
- Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Jamal Hashemi
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roshanak Daei Ghazvini
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sadegh Khodavesi
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mona Modiri
- Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ladan Nazemi
- Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sima Darabian
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sasan Rezaie
- Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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20
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Polyphasic approach to the identification and characterization of aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from peanuts and peanut-based products marketed in Malaysia. Int J Food Microbiol 2018; 282:9-15. [PMID: 29885975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Peanuts are widely consumed as the main ingredient in many local dishes in Malaysia. However, the tropical climate in Malaysia (high temperature and humidity) favours the growth of fungi from Aspergillus section Flavi, especially during storage. Most of the species from this section, such as A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius, are natural producers of aflatoxins. Precise identification of local isolates and information regarding their ability to produce aflatoxins are very important to evaluate the safety of food marketed in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and characterize the aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi in peanuts and peanut-based products. A polyphasic approach, consisting of morphological and chemical characterizations was applied to 128 isolates originating from raw peanuts and peanut-based products. On the basis of morphological characters, 127 positively identified as Aspergillus flavus, and the other as A. nomius. Chemical characterization revealed six chemotype profiles which indicates diversity of toxigenic potential. About 58.6%, 68.5%, and 100% of the isolates are positive for aflatoxins, cyclopiazonic acid and aspergillic acid productions respectively. The majority of the isolates originating from raw peanut samples (64.8%) were aflatoxigenic, while those from peanut-based products were less toxigenic (39.1%). The precise identification of these species may help in developing control strategies for aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin contamination in peanuts, especially during storage. These findings also highlight the possibility of the co-occurrence of other toxins, which could increase the potential toxic effects of peanuts.
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Characterization and competitive ability of non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolated from the maize agro-ecosystem in Argentina as potential aflatoxin biocontrol agents. Int J Food Microbiol 2018; 277:58-63. [PMID: 29684766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic pathogen and may produce aflatoxins in maize, one of the most important crops in Argentina. A promising strategy to reduce aflatoxin accumulation is the biological control based on competitive exclusion. In order to select potential biocontrol agents among isolates from the maize growing region in Argentina, a total of 512 A. flavus strains were isolated from maize kernels and soil samples. Thirty-six per cent of the isolates from maize kernels did not produce detectable levels of aflatoxins, while 73% of the isolates from soil were characterized as non-aflatoxin producers. Forty percent and 49% of the isolates from maize kernels and soil samples, respectively, were not producers of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). Sclerotia morphology was evaluated using Czapek Dox media. Eighty-six per cent of the isolates from maize kernels and 85% of the isolates from soil samples were L sclerotia morphotype (average diameter > 400 μm). The remaining isolates did not produce sclerotia. All isolates had MAT 1-1 idiomorph. The competitive ability of 9 non aflatoxigenic strains, 4 CPA(+) and 5 CPA(-), was evaluated in co-inoculations of maize kernels with an aflatoxigenic strain. All evaluated strains significantly (p < 0.05) reduced aflatoxin contamination in maize kernels. The aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) reduction ranged from 6 to 60%. The strain A. flavus ARG5/30 isolated from maize kernels would be a good candidate as a potential biocontrol agent to be used in maize, since it was characterized as neither aflatoxin nor CPA producer, morphotype L, MAT 1-1 idiomorph, and reduced AFB1 content in maize kernels by 59%. This study showed the competitive ability of potential aflatoxin biocontrol agents to be evaluated under field trials in a maize agro-ecosystem in Argentina.
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Abstract
There are possibly millions of mold species on earth. The vast majority of these mold spores live in harmony with humans, rarely causing disease. The rare species that does cause disease does so by triggering allergies or asthma, or may be involved in hypersensitivity diseases such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or allergic fungal sinusitis. Other hypersensitivity diseases include those related to occupational or domiciliary exposures to certain mold species, as in the case of Pigeon Breeder's disease, Farmer's lung, or humidifier fever. The final proven category of fungal diseases is through infection, as in the case of onchomycosis or coccidiomycosis. These diseases can be treated using anti-fungal agents. Molds and fungi can also be particularly important in infections that occur in immunocompromised patients. Systemic candidiasis does not occur unless the individual is immunodeficient. Previous reports of "toxic mold syndrome" or "toxic black mold" have been shown to be no more than media hype and mass hysteria, partly stemming from the misinterpreted concept of the "sick building syndrome." There is no scientific evidence that exposure to visible black mold in apartments and buildings can lead to the vague and subjective symptoms of memory loss, inability to focus, fatigue, and headaches that were reported by people who erroneously believed that they were suffering from "mycotoxicosis." Similarly, a causal relationship between cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage and exposure to "black mold" has never been proven. Finally, there is no evidence of a link between autoimmune disease and mold exposure.
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Mamo FT, Shang B, Selvaraj JN, Wang Y, Liu Y. Isolation and characterization of Aspergillus flavus strains in China. J Microbiol 2018; 56:119-127. [PMID: 29392555 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-018-7144-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Important staple foods (peanuts, maize and rice) are susceptible to contamination by aflatoxin (AF)-producing fungi such as Aspergillus flavus. The objective of this study was to explore non-aflatoxin-producing (atoxigenic) A. flavus strains as biocontrol agents for the control of AFs. In the current study, a total of 724 A. flavus strains were isolated from different regions of China. Polyphasic approaches were utilized for species identification. Non-aflatoxin and non-cyclopiazonic acid (CPA)-producing strains were further screened for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) biosynthesis pathway gene clusters using a PCR assay. Strains lacking an amplicon for the regulatory gene aflR were then analyzed for the presence of the other 28 biosynthetic genes. Only 229 (32%) of the A. flavus strains were found to be atoxigenic. Smaller (S) sclerotial phenotypes were dominant (51%) compared to large (L, 34%) and non-sclerotial (NS, 15%) phenotypes. Among the atoxigenic strains, 24 strains were PCR-negative for the fas-1 and aflJ genes. Sixteen (67%) atoxigenic A. flavus strains were PCRnegative for 10 or more of the biosynthetic genes. Altogether, 18 new PCR product patterns were observed, indicating great diversity in the AFB1 biosynthesis pathway. The current study demonstrates that many atoxigenic A. flavus strains can be isolated from different regions of China. In the future laboratory as well as field based studies are recommended to test these atoxigenic strains as biocontrol agents for aflatoxin contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firew Tafesse Mamo
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Bo Shang
- Academy of State Administration of Grain, Beijing, 100037, P. R. China
| | | | - Yan Wang
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China.
- Key Laboratory of Agro-products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China.
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Zhang C, Selvaraj JN, Yang Q, Liu Y. A Survey of Aflatoxin-Producing Aspergillus sp. from Peanut Field Soils in Four Agroecological Zones of China. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:E40. [PMID: 28117685 PMCID: PMC5308272 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Peanut pods are easily infected by aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus sp.ecies from field soil. To assess the aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus sp. in different peanut field soils, 344 aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus strains were isolated from 600 soil samples of four agroecological zones in China (the Southeast coastal zone (SEC), the Yangtze River zone (YZR), the Yellow River zone (YR) and the Northeast zone (NE)). Nearly 94.2% (324/344) of strains were A. flavus and 5.8% (20/344) of strains were A. parasiticus. YZR had the highest population density of Aspergillus sp. and positive rate of aflatoxin production in isolated strains (1039.3 cfu·g-1, 80.7%), the second was SEC (191.5 cfu·g-1, 48.7%), the third was YR (26.5 cfu·g-1, 22.7%), and the last was NE (2.4 cfu·g-1, 6.6%). The highest risk of AFB₁ contamination on peanut was in YZR which had the largest number of AFB₁ producing isolates in 1g soil, followed by SEC and YR, and the lowest was NE. The potential risk of AFB₁ contamination in peanuts can increase with increasing population density and a positive rate of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus sp. in field soils, suggesting that reducing aflatoxigenic Aspergillus sp. in field soils could prevent AFB₁ contamination in peanuts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chushu Zhang
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, China.
- Shandong Peanut Research Institute, Qingdao 266100, China.
| | - Jonathan Nimal Selvaraj
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Qingli Yang
- Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, China.
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Giorni P, Bertuzzi T, Battilani P. Aflatoxin in maize, a multifaceted answer of Aspergillus flavus governed by weather, host-plant and competitor fungi. J Cereal Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Hedayati MT, Mahdavi Omran S, Soleymani A, Taghizadeh Armaki M. Aflatoxins in Food Products in Iran: a Review of the Literature. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2016; 9:e33235. [PMID: 27679702 PMCID: PMC5035393 DOI: 10.5812/jjm.33235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Context Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by certain toxigenic fungi and the most of them are aflatoxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, ochratoxin A, patulin, and zearalenone. Evidence Acquisition In consideration of the consumption of certain farm products for animal feed and the prevalence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in food, the present study was performed to evaluate this situation in Iran with a review of the literature using search engines. All published articles were selected using Iran Medex, Magiran, PubMed NCBI, and Google Scholar. Results Aflatoxins have been found in many food products in Iran. Conclusions It is necessary to detect aflatoxins in foods and food products as early as possible, before they enter human or animal bodies. There is a high consumption of milk and dairy products in Iran, and the proper management of animal foods can help to decrease the aflatoxins in milk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Taghi Hedayati
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IR Iran
| | - Saeid Mahdavi Omran
- Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine Research Center, and Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
- Corresponding author: Saeid Mahdavi Omran, Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine Research Center, and Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran. Tel: +98-1132199936, E-mail:
| | - Abbas Soleymani
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran
| | - Mojtaba Taghizadeh Armaki
- Invasive Fungi Research Center, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IR Iran
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Tribble DR, Rodriguez CJ, Weintrob AC, Shaikh F, Aggarwal D, Carson ML, Murray CK, Masuoka P. Environmental Factors Related to Fungal Wound Contamination after Combat Trauma in Afghanistan, 2009-2011. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 21:1759-69. [PMID: 26401897 PMCID: PMC4593427 DOI: 10.3201/eid2110.141759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental characteristics, along with known risk factors, may help predict likelihood of mold contamination after injury. During the recent war in Afghanistan (2001–2014), invasive fungal wound infections (IFIs) among US combat casualties were associated with risk factors related to the mechanism and pattern of injury. Although previous studies recognized that IFI patients primarily sustained injuries in southern Afghanistan, environmental data were not examined. We compared environmental conditions of this region with those of an area in eastern Afghanistan that was not associated with observed IFIs after injury. A larger proportion of personnel injured in the south (61%) grew mold from wound cultures than those injured in the east (20%). In a multivariable analysis, the southern location, characterized by lower elevation, warmer temperatures, and greater isothermality, was independently associated with mold contamination of wounds. These environmental characteristics, along with known risk factors related to injury characteristics, may be useful in modeling the risk for IFIs after traumatic injury in other regions.
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Carranza CS, Barberis CL, Chiacchiera SM, Dalcero AM, Magnoli CE. Isolation of culturable mycobiota from agricultural soils and determination of tolerance to glyphosate of nontoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi strains. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART. B, PESTICIDES, FOOD CONTAMINANTS, AND AGRICULTURAL WASTES 2015; 51:35-43. [PMID: 26549415 DOI: 10.1080/03601234.2015.1080491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Glyphosate-based herbicides are extensively used in Argentina's agricultural system to control undesirable weeds. This study was conducted to evaluate the culturable mycobiota [colony forming units (CFU) g(-1) and frequency of fungal genera or species] from an agricultural field exposed to pesticides. In addition, we evaluated the tolerance of A. oryzae and nontoxigenic A. flavus strains to high concentrations (100 to 500 mM - 17,000 to 84,500 ppm) of a glyphosate commercial formulation. The analysis of the mycobiota showed that the frequency of the main fungal genera varied according to the analyzed sampling period. Aspergillus spp. or Aspergillus section Flavi strains were isolated from 20 to 100% of the soil samples. Sterilia spp. were also observed throughout the sampling (50 to 100%). Aspergillus section Flavi tolerance assays showed that all of the tested strains were able to develop at the highest glyphosate concentration tested regardless of the water availability conditions. In general, significant reductions in growth rates were observed with increasing concentrations of the herbicide. However, a complete inhibition of fungal growth was not observed with the concentrations assayed. This study contributes to the knowledge of culturable mycobiota from agricultural soils exposed to pesticides and provides evidence on the effective growth ability of A. oryzae and nontoxigenic A. flavus strains exposed to high glyphosate concentrations in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia S Carranza
- a Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Exact, Physiochemical and Natural Science, National University of Río Cuarto , Río Cuarto, Córdoba , Argentina
| | - Carla L Barberis
- a Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Exact, Physiochemical and Natural Science, National University of Río Cuarto , Río Cuarto, Córdoba , Argentina
| | - Stella M Chiacchiera
- b Chemistry Department, Faculty of Exact , Physiochemical and Natural Science, National University of Río Cuarto , Río Cuarto , Córdoba , Argentina
| | - Ana María Dalcero
- a Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Exact, Physiochemical and Natural Science, National University of Río Cuarto , Río Cuarto, Córdoba , Argentina
| | - Carina E Magnoli
- a Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Exact, Physiochemical and Natural Science, National University of Río Cuarto , Río Cuarto, Córdoba , Argentina
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Distribution of indigenous strains of atoxigenic and toxigenic Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus in maize and peanuts agro-ecological zones of Kenya. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1186/s40066-015-0033-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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30
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Donner M, Lichtemberg PSF, Doster M, Picot A, Cotty PJ, Puckett RD, Michailides TJ. Community Structure of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in Major Almond-Producing Areas of California, United States. PLANT DISEASE 2015; 99:1161-1169. [PMID: 30695944 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-05-14-0450-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Several nut crops, including almond, pistachio, and walnut, can become contaminated with mycotoxins. Of greatest economic significance are aflatoxins, which are mainly produced by members of Aspergillus section Flavi. The distribution of the two sclerotial-size morphotypes of Aspergillus flavus (i.e., S and L strains) and A. parasiticus, the main species responsible for aflatoxin production among section Flavi, was monitored in the soil of almond orchards in California over a 5-year period from 2007 to 2011, excluding 2009. In total, 4,349 Aspergillus isolates were collected from 28 almond orchards located in the northern, central, and southern Central Valley in California. Overall, A. flavus L strain was the most frequent, followed by A. parasiticus and A. flavus S strain. However, variations in the spatial distribution of these three taxa were found between the three regions. Over the 5-year period, higher frequencies of L strain were more often observed in the southern region (79.9 to 95.1%, depending on year) compared with the northern region (21.4 to 47.1%). In the north, A. parasiticus was the most common strain, with frequencies of 28.5 to 61% for the various years. In addition, the frequency of aflatoxin-producing isolates among L strains fluctuated from year to year. A significant increase (P = 0.0001) was observed from 2008 (75% of the isolates produced aflatoxins) to 2007 (59%), and a decrease was observed from 2010 (61%) to 2011 (53%). Aflatoxin-producing L strain isolates were significantly more prevalent than atoxigenic isolates in each region during the 5-year survey, except in 2011 in the north, where more isolates were atoxigenic (56%) than aflatoxin-producing (44%). Our results indicate that the structure of A. flavus and A. parasiticus communities in the soil and the proportion of toxigenic isolates vary across regions and years. Such knowledge may help devise appropriate aflatoxin control strategies, including the use of atoxigenic isolates as biological control agents adapted to the soil environments in each region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Donner
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier 93648
| | - Paulo S F Lichtemberg
- Department of Crop Protection, Federal University of Paraná State, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Mark Doster
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center
| | - Adeline Picot
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center
| | - Peter J Cotty
- Department of Plant Science, University of Arizona, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Division of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Tucson 85721
| | - Ryan D Puckett
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center
| | - Themis J Michailides
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center
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Jahanshiri Z, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Allameh A, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Inhibitory effect of eugenol on aflatoxin B1 production in Aspergillus parasiticus by downregulating the expression of major genes in the toxin biosynthetic pathway. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 31:1071-8. [PMID: 25896772 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-015-1857-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination of grains and agro-products is a serious food safety issue and a significant economic concern worldwide. In the present study, the effects of eugenol on Aspergillus parasiticus growth and aflatoxin production were studied in relation to the expression of some essential genes involved in aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. The fungus was cultured in presence of serial two-fold concentrations of eugenol (15.62-500 μg mL(-1)) for 3 days at 28 °C. Mycelia dry weight was determined as an index of fungal growth, while aflatoxin production was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography. The expression of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes including ver-1, nor-1, pksA, omtA and aflR were evaluated by real-time PCR. Eugenol strongly inhibited A. parasiticus growth in the range of 19.16-95.83 % in a dose-dependent manner. Aflatoxin B1 production was also inhibited by the compound in the range of 15.07-98.0 %. The expressions of ver-1, nor-1, pksA, omtA and aflR genes were significantly suppressed by eugenol at concentrations of 62.5 and 125 μg mL(-1). These results indicate that eugenol may be considered as a good candidate to control toxigenic fungal growth and the subsequent contamination of food, feed and agricultural commodities by carcinogenic aflatoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Jahanshiri
- Department of Mycology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-331, Tehran, Iran
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Oktay Basegmez H, Heperkan D. Aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid and β-nitropropionic acid production byAspergillussectionFlavifrom dried figs grown in Turkey. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SAFETY OF CROPS & FOODS 2015. [DOI: 10.3920/qas2013.0320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H.I. Oktay Basegmez
- TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, Food Institute, 41470 Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - D. Heperkan
- Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Department of Food Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
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Brožková I, Šmahová P, Vytřasová J, Moťková P, Pejchalová M, Šilha D. Influence of chosen microbes and some chemical substances on the production of aflatoxins. POTRAVINARSTVO 2015. [DOI: 10.5219/416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxins are produced as secondary metabolites by A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. nomius and A. tamarii. The aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway involves several enzymatic steps and genes (apa-2, ver-1) that appear to be regulated by the aflR gene in these fungi. The aim of this work was the detection of aflatoxins by the HPLC method and the ascertainment of factors influencing their production. A. parasiticus CCM F-108, A. parasiticus CCF 141, A. parasiticus CCF 3137 and two isolates A. flavus were used. These toxigenic isolates were recovered from spice (strain 1) and wraps (strain 2). The gene for the production of aflatoxin B1 for each species of fungi was detected using an optimized PCR method. Rhodotorula spp.*, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CCM 1881, Flavobacterium spp. and fungal strain Pythium oligandrum* were tested for inhibition of aflatoxins production and fungal growth. Having used the HPLC detection, various preservatives (propionic acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate) were tested from the viewpoint of their influence on the growth of aflatoxigenic fungi followed by the production of aflatoxins. The growth of A. flavus and A. parasiticus and aflatoxin production in Potato Dextrose Agar supplemented with propionic acid (1000-2000-3000 mg/kg), citric acid (2000-3000-4000 mg/kg) and potassium sorbate (500-800-1000 mg/kg) was tested by Agar Dilution Method. After 72 h of incubation was evaluated growth of fungi, all samples were frozen for later extraction and aflatoxins quantification by HPLC. Effect of peptone and sucrose additions were studied in yeast extract (2%) supplemented with peptone (5-10-15%) or sucrose (15%). Growth inhibition of Aspergillus by Pythium oligandrum was tested on wood surface. As shown, the highest inhibition effect on the aflatoxins production was obtained when propionic acid was applied in concentrations since 1000 mg/kg. A total inhibition of the fungi growth and aflatoxins production was observed in all samples containing peptone in the concentration range tested. Significant limitation of the growth and production of aflatoxins was also observed in the presence of other microorganisms such like Pythium oligandrum and Rhodotorula spp.
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da Silva FC, Chalfoun SM, Batista LR, Santos C, Lima N. Use of a polyphasic approach including MALDI-TOF MS for identification of Aspergillus section Flavi strains isolated from food commodities in Brazil. ANN MICROBIOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-015-1050-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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Iheanacho HE, Njobeh PB, Dutton FM, Steenkamp PA, Steenkamp L, Mthombeni JQ, Daru BH, Makun AH. Morphological and molecular identification of filamentous Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus isolated from compound feeds in South Africa. Food Microbiol 2014; 44:180-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2014.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Reis T, Baquião A, Atayde D, Grabarz F, Corrêa B. Characterization of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from organic Brazil nuts using a polyphasic approach. Food Microbiol 2014; 42:34-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2014.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Kumar SN, Sreekala SR, Chandrasekaran D, Nambisan B, Anto RJ. Biocontrol of Aspergillus species on peanut kernels by antifungal diketopiperazine producing Bacillus cereus associated with entomopathogenic nematode. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106041. [PMID: 25157831 PMCID: PMC4144970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The rhabditid entomopathogenic nematode associated Bacillus cereus and the antifungal compounds produced by this bacterium were evaluated for their activity in reducing postharvest decay of peanut kernels caused by Aspergillus species in in vitro and in vivo tests. The results showed that B. cereus had a significant effect on biocontrol effectiveness in in vitro and in vivo conditions. The antifungal compounds produced by the B. cereus were purified using silica gel column chromatography and their structure was elucidated using extensive spectral analyses. The compounds were identified as diketopiperazines (DKPs) [cyclo-(L-Pro-Gly), cyclo(L-Tyr-L-Tyr), cyclo-(L-Phe-Gly) and cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp)]. The antifungal activities of diketopiperazines were studied against five Aspergillus species and best MIC of 2 µg/ml was recorded against A. flavus by cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp). To investigate the potential application of cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp) to eliminate fungal spoilage in food and feed, peanut kernels was used as a food model system. White mycelia and dark/pale green spores of Aspergillus species were observed in the control peanut kernels after 2 days incubation. However the fungal growth was not observed in peanut kernels treated with cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp). The cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp) was nontoxic to two normal cell lines [fore skin (FS) normal fibroblast and African green monkey kidney (VERO)] up to 200 µg/ml in MTT assay. Thus the cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp) identified in this study may be a promising alternative to chemical preservatives as a potential biopreservative agent which prevent fungal growth in food and feed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that the entomopathogenic nematode associated B. cereus and cyclo(4-hydroxy-L-Pro-L-Trp) could be used as a biocontrol agents against postharvest fungal disease caused by Aspergillus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasidharan Nishanth Kumar
- Division of Crop Protection/Division of Crop Utilization, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Sreerag Ravikumar Sreekala
- Division of Crop Protection/Division of Crop Utilization, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | | | - Bala Nambisan
- Division of Crop Protection/Division of Crop Utilization, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Ruby John Anto
- Integrated Cancer Research Program, Division of Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvanathapuram, India
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Munitz MS, Resnik SL, Pacin A, Salas PM, Gonzalez HHL, Montti MIT, Drunday V, Guillin EA. Mycotoxigenic potential of fungi isolated from freshly harvested Argentinean blueberries. Mycotoxin Res 2014; 30:221-9. [PMID: 25098914 DOI: 10.1007/s12550-014-0206-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 07/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, Fusarium graminearum, F. semitectum, F. verticillioides, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus section Nigri strains obtained from blueberries during the 2009 and 2010 harvest season from Entre Ríos, Argentina were analyzed to determine their mycotoxigenic potential. Taxonomy status at the specific level was determined both on morphological and molecular grounds. Alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), aflatoxins (AFs), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisins (FBs), and ochratoxin A (OTA) were analyzed by HPLC and the trichotecenes deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2), fusarenone X (FUS-X), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-AcDON) by GC. Twenty-five out of forty two strains were able to produce some of the mycotoxins analyzed. Fifteen strains of Aspergillus section Nigri were capable of producing Fumonisin B1 (FB1); two of them also produced Fumonisin B2 (FB2) and one Fumonisin B3 (FB3). One of the F. graminearum isolated produced ZEA, HT-2, and T-2 and the other one was capable of producing ZEA and DON. Two A. alternata isolates produced AOH and AME. Four A. tenuissima were capable of producing AOH and three of them produced AME as well. One Aspergillu flavus strain produced aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), and aflatoxin G1 (AFG1). To our knowledge, this is the first report showing mycotoxigenic capacity of fungal species isolated from blueberries that include other fungi than Alternaria spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin S Munitz
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Concordia, Argentina,
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Dehghan P, Bui T, Campbell LT, Lai YW, Tran-Dinh N, Zaini F, Carter DA. Multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis of clinical isolates of Aspergillus flavus from Iran reveals the first cases of Aspergillus minisclerotigenes associated with human infection. BMC Infect Dis 2014; 14:358. [PMID: 24986045 PMCID: PMC4099206 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aspergillus flavus is intensively studied for its role in infecting crop plants and contaminating produce with aflatoxin, but its role as a human pathogen is less well understood. In parts of the Middle East and India, A. flavus surpasses A. fumigatus as a cause of invasive aspergillosis and is a significant cause of cutaneous, sinus, nasal and nail infections. Methods A collection of 45 clinical and 10 environmental A. flavus isolates from Iran were analysed using Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat (VNTR) markers with MICROSAT and goeBURST to determine their genetic diversity and their relatedness to clinical and environmental A. flavus isolates from Australia. Phylogeny was assessed using partial β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequencing, and mating type was determined by PCR. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on selected isolates using a reference microbroth dilution method. Results There was considerable diversity in the A. flavus collection, with no segregation on goeBURST networks according to source or geographic location. Three Iranian isolates, two from sinus infections and one from a paranasal infection grouped with Aspergillus minisclerotigenes, and all produced B and G aflatoxin. Phylogenic analysis using partial β-tubulin and calmodulin sequencing confirmed two of these as A. minisclerotigenes, while the third could not be differentiated from A. flavus and related species within Aspergillus section flavi. Based on epidemiological cut-off values, the A. minisclerotigens and A. flavus isolates tested were susceptible to commonly used antifungal drugs. Conclusions This is the first report of human infection due to A. minisclerotigenes, and it raises the possiblity that other species within Aspergillus section flavi may also cause clinical disease. Clinical isolates of A. flavus from Iran are not distinct from Australian isolates, indicating local environmental, climatic or host features, rather than fungal features, govern the high incidence of A. flavus infection in this region. The results of this study have important implications for biological control strategies that aim to reduce aflatoxin by the introduction of non-toxigenic strains, as potentially any strain of A. flavus, and closely related species like A. minisclerotigenes, might be capable of human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dee A Carter
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Molecular characterization of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates collected in China. J Microbiol 2014; 52:559-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-014-3629-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Mohale S, Medina A, Rodríguez A, Sulyok M, Magan N. Mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins associated with stored maize from different regions of Lesotho. Mycotoxin Res 2013; 29:209-19. [PMID: 23955377 DOI: 10.1007/s12550-013-0176-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Samples of stored maize from villages located in five different agroecological zones (southern lowlands, northern lowlands, Senqu river valley, foothills and mountains) of Lesotho were collected in 2009/10 and 2010/11 and assessed for contamination with toxigenic fungi. The water activity of all samples collected during the two seasons was <0.70. The total fungal populations of the maize from different regions in the two seasons was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Fusarium verticillioides, F. proliferatum and F. subglutinans predominated in different regions in both seasons based on molecular analyses. In the 2009/10 season, the isolates of these species all produced FB1, while in the 2010/11 season, very few produced FB1. A. flavus isolates (2009/10) were recovered from mountains and Senqu river valley samples while the 2010/11 isolates were predominantly from the foothills and northern lowlands. The mountain isolates of Aspergillus section Flavi produced the highest levels of AFB1 (20 mg kg(-1)). Aspergillus parasiticus was only isolated from the foothills, Senqu river valley and southern lowlands samples, and the AFB1 levels produced ranged from 'none detected' to 3.5 mg kg(-1). The Aspergillus ochraceous isolates were least frequently encountered in both seasons. In the 2009/10 season, the isolates from the northern lowlands produced ochratoxin A (OTA) in culture. No isolates of A. niger from different regions in both seasons produced any OTA. Multi-mycotoxin analyses of the maize samples were done for a range of mycotoxins. At least one sample from each region in both seasons was FB1-positive. FB1 levels for 2010/11 samples (7-936 μg kg(-1)) were higher than in the 2009/10 season (2-3 μg kg(-1)). In both seasons, the mountains registered the highest levels of FB1. Deoxynivalenol (DON) was recovered from all the samples analysed, with the highest mean contamination of 1,469 μg kg(-1) in samples from the northern lowlands. Moniliformin (MON) was detected from all agroecological zones in the two seasons (5-320 μg kg(-1) in 2009/10; 15-1,205 μg kg(-1) in 2010/11). Emerging toxins such as fusaproliferin (FUS) and beauvericin (BEA) were also detected. OTA was not detected in any of the samples analysed. Only one 2009/10 sample in the Senqu river valley was positive for AFB1. This is the first report on toxigenic fungi and multi-mycotoxin contamination of maize samples from subsistence farmers' stores in different agroecological zones of Lesotho.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sejakhosi Mohale
- Applied Mycology Group, Cranfield Health, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedford, MK43 0AL, UK
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Baquião AC, de Oliveira MMM, Reis TA, Zorzete P, Diniz Atayde D, Correa B. Polyphasic approach to the identification of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from Brazil nuts. Food Chem 2013; 139:1127-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Revised: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Mauro A, Battilani P, Callicott KA, Giorni P, Pietri A, Cotty PJ. Structure of an Aspergillus flavus population from maize kernels in northern Italy. Int J Food Microbiol 2013; 162:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2012.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Jamali M, Karimipour M, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Amani A, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Expression of aflatoxin genes aflO (omtB) and aflQ (ordA) differentiates levels of aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus strains from soils of pistachio orchards. Res Microbiol 2012; 164:293-9. [PMID: 23275075 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2012.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The expression of four aflatoxin (AF) biosynthetic pathway genes (aflD, aflO, aflP and aflQ) was evaluated in 24 Aspergillus flavus strains isolated from soils of pistachio orchards, with the aim of rapidly and accurately differentiating toxigenic from non-toxigenic strains. The amounts of AFB1 produced by 20 aflatoxigenic strains varied from 1.25 to 321.56 ng/mg fungal dry weights in YES medium. RT-PCR results showed that transcription of the four genes was not always correlated with AF production. The expression pattern of aflO and aflQ, however, was found to be well correlated with the amounts of AFB1 produced when strains were arbitrarily classified into two types: type I, comprised of strains producing ≥30 ng/mg; and type II, low (≤30 ng/mg) and non-AF producers. The present study suggests that, under specific growth conditions, the expression pattern of aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway genes such as aflO and aflQ can be used to infer the AF-producing capability of A. flavus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojdeh Jamali
- Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran; Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Payam-e-Noor University Karaj Branch, Alborz, Iran
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Reis T, Oliveira T, Baquião A, Gonçalves S, Zorzete P, Corrêa B. Mycobiota and mycotoxins in Brazil nut samples from different states of the Brazilian Amazon region. Int J Food Microbiol 2012; 159:61-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2012.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 07/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Amani S, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Banasaz M, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Mycotoxin-producing ability and chemotype diversity of Aspergillus section flavi from soils of peanut-growing regions in iran. Indian J Microbiol 2012; 52:551-6. [PMID: 24293709 DOI: 10.1007/s12088-012-0275-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasion of crops with Aspergillus flavus may result in contamination of food and feed with carcinogenic mycotoxins such as aflatoxins (AF) and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). In the present study, distribution and toxigenicity of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in soils of five peanut fields located in Guilan province, Northern Iran was investigated. From a total of 30 soil samples, 53 strains were isolated which all of them were finally identified as A. flavus by a combination of colony morphology, microscopic criteria and mycotoxin profiles. Chromatographic analysis of fungal cultures on yeast extract sucrose broth by tip culture method showed that 45 of the 53 A. flavus isolates (84.9 %) were able to produce either CPA or AFB1, while eight of the isolates (15.1 %) were non-toxigenic. The amounts of CPA and AFB1 produced by the isolates were reported in the range of 18.2-403.8 μg/g and 53.3-7446.3 μg/g fungal dry weights, respectively. Chemotype classification of A. flavus isolates based on the ability for producing mycotoxins and sclerotia showed that 43.4 % were producers of CPA, AFB1 and sclerotia (group I), 13.2 % of CPA and AFB1 (group II), 9.4 % of AFB1 and sclerotia (group III), 13.2 % of AFB1 (group IV), 5.7 % of CPA and sclerotia (group V) and 15.1 % were non-toxigenic with no sclerotia (group VI). No strain was found as producer of only CPA or sclerotia. These results indicate different populations of mycotoxigenic A. flavus strains enable to produce hazardous amounts of AFB1 and CPA are present in peanuts field soils which can be quite important regard to their potential to contaminate peanuts as a main crop consumed in human and animal nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Amani
- Department of Mycology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-331 Tehran, Iran
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Guezlane-Tebibel N, Bouras N, Mokrane S, Benayad T, Mathieu F. Aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from marketed peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) in Algiers (Algeria). ANN MICROBIOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-012-0473-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Rodrigues P, Venâncio A, Lima N. Aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxins in Portuguese almonds. ScientificWorldJournal 2012; 2012:471926. [PMID: 22666128 PMCID: PMC3361232 DOI: 10.1100/2012/471926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination of nuts is an increasing concern to the consumer's health. Portugal is a big producer of almonds, but there is no scientific knowledge on the safety of those nuts, in terms of mycotoxins. The aim of this paper was to study the incidence of aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin contamination of 21 samples of Portuguese almonds, and its evolution throughout the various stages of production. All fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi were identified and tested for their aflatoxigenic ability. Almond samples were tested for aflatoxin contamination by HPLC-fluorescence. In total, 352 fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi were isolated from Portuguese almonds: 127 were identified as A. flavus (of which 28% produced aflatoxins B), 196 as typical or atypical A. parasiticus (all producing aflatoxins B and G), and 29 as A. tamarii (all nonaflatoxigenic). Aflatoxins were detected in only one sample at 4.97 μg/kg.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Rodrigues
- CIMO/School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal.
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Al-Hmoud N, Ibrahim MA, Al-Rousan H, Alseyah A. The Prevalence of Aflatoxinogenic Aspergillus parasiticus in Jordan. Int J Microbiol 2012; 2012:675361. [PMID: 22606204 PMCID: PMC3347748 DOI: 10.1155/2012/675361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2011] [Revised: 01/17/2012] [Accepted: 02/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxins are potent carcinogens and produced by almost all Aspergillus parasiticus isolates and about 35% of Aspergillus flavus isolates. Chemical methods are used for detection of aflatoxins in food and feed. These methods cannot detect aflatoxinogenic fungi in samples, which contain undetectable amounts of aflatoxins. The objective of this research work was to ascertain the importance of molecular and microbiological methods in detection of aflatoxinogenic fungus A. parasiticus in food and feed samples in Jordan. Specific media for the detection of aflatoxins showed the prevalence of A. parasiticus (6-22%) in contaminated food and feed samples. HPLC method confirmed the presence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in food sample contaminated with A. parasiticus. Primer set OmtBII-F and OmtBII-R amplified DNA fragment of 611 base pairs from genomic DNA of aflatoxinogenic A. parasiticus isolated from food and feed samples but could not amplify DNA fragment of nonaflatoxinogenic A. flavus. The results of this study showed the prevalence of aflatoxinogenic A. parasiticus in food and feed samples in Jordan and give further evidence of suitability of microbiological and molecular methods in detection of aflatoxins, which are reliable low-cost approach to determine food and feed biosafety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisreen Al-Hmoud
- Biosafety Unit, Royal Scientific Society, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan
- Environmet Management Department, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan
| | - Mohammed A. Ibrahim
- Biosafety Unit, Royal Scientific Society, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan
- Environmet Management Department, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan
| | - Hiyam Al-Rousan
- Biosafety Unit, Royal Scientific Society, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan
| | - Abbas Alseyah
- Biosafety Unit, Royal Scientific Society, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan
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