Antifungal nanoparticles reduce aflatoxin contamination in pistachio

Abstract

Aflatoxins (AFs) are fungal subsidiary products that are predominantly generated by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillusparasiticus strains on cereals, nuts, dried fruits and dairy products under warm and humid conditions. Harmful fungi causespoilage in agricultural crops, and mycotoxins exert harmful effects on humans and livestock. Pistachios (Pistachio vera L) arefrom among the most well-known nut trees extremely susceptible to contamination by aflatoxins and the major contributors todietary aflatoxins. Aflatoxins, in particular aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), are from among the most toxic natural compounds withcarcinogenic effects. Besides, exposure to aflatoxins results in several health-related conditions in humans, including acute andchronic aflatoxicosis, immune suppression, liver cancer/cirrhosis, and stunting. Some traditional and novel control strategieshave been proposed for the elimination of AF prevalent in food crops. The application of nanoparticles is a newly advancedmethod where they are used as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer agents. Nanoparticles aremost widely used for the molecular detection of pathogens at the early stages of the plant growth and for the control ofdiseases. In this paper, the utilization and effects of nanomaterials on controlling aflatoxigenic fungi and their toxicity onpistachio nuts have been studied.