Aspergillus parasiticus from wheat grain of Slovak origin and its toxigenic potency

Abstract

During the mycological investigation of the wheat grain originating in Poltár (Central Slovakia), an endogenous aspergillus producing aflatoxins was encountered. Morphology, physiology and extrolites indicated the species Aspergillus parasiticus Speare. The amounts of aflatoxins detected by Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry on a synthetic medium were: B1 15.7, G1 23.4, B2 0.52, G2 0.68, and M1 0.18 mg/l. Compared to other screened strains, the amount of B1 produced was 5.6 mg/l lower than in A. parvisclerotigenus NRRL 3251 and 0.5 and 3.15 mg/l higher than in A. nomius I and A. nomius II, respectively. The production of G1 was 22.25 and 18.65 mg/l lower than in A. nomius I and II, respectively. The yields of other aflatoxins were lower and the yield of kojic acid, 227.0 mg/l, was higher. It is the first finding of both an aflatoxin producer and of A. parasiticus on a food commodity of Slovak origin within the last 20 years. The yields produced indicate rather a high toxigenic potency.