Aspergillus section Flavi and Aflatoxins: Occurrence, Detection, and Identification in Raw Peanuts and Peanut-Based Products Along the Supply Chain.

Mahror Norlia,Nik Iskandar Putra Samsudin,Farah Asilah Azri,Son Radu,Mahmud Ab Rashid Nor-Khaizura,Selamat Jinap

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.02602

Mahror Norlia, Nik Iskandar Putra Samsudin + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02602

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Abstract

Aflatoxin contamination in foods is a global concern as they are carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic compounds. The aflatoxin-producing fungi, mainly from the Aspergillus section Flavi, are ubiquitous in nature and readily contaminate various food commodities, thereby affecting human’s health. The incidence of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus spp. and aflatoxins in various types of food, especially raw peanuts and peanut-based products along the supply chain has been a concern particularly in countries having tropical and sub-tropical climate, including Malaysia. These climatic conditions naturally support the growth of Aspergillus section Flavi, especially A. flavus, particularly when raw peanuts and peanut-based products are stored under inappropriate conditions. Peanut supply chain generally consists of several major stakeholders which include the producers, collectors, exporters, importers, manufacturers, retailers and finally, the consumers. A thorough examination of the processes along the supply chain reveals that Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins could occur at any step along the chain, from farm to table. Thus, this review aims to give an overview on the prevalence of Aspergillus section Flavi and the occurrence of aflatoxins in raw peanuts and peanut-based products, the impact of aflatoxins on global trade, and aflatoxin management in peanuts with a special focus on peanut supply chain in Malaysia. Furthermore, aflatoxin detection and quantification methods as well as the identification of Aspergillus section Flavi are also reviewed herein. This review could help to shed light to the researchers, peanut stakeholders and consumers on the risk of aflatoxin contamination in peanuts along the supply chain.

Highlights

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced mostly by fungi from the genus Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Alternaria which are formed pre- and post-harvest (Pitt and Hocking, 2009)
Contamination of Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins could occur at any stage along the peanut supply chain, from the pre- and post-harvest stage at the producing countries to the peanut manufacturers and retailers at the importing countries
The high temperature and humidity in the tropical regions causes the inability to maintain the low moisture/aw level of peanuts during storage, which subsequently enhances the growth of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus spp. especially A. flavus

Summary

Introduction

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced mostly by fungi from the genus Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Alternaria which are formed pre- and post-harvest (Pitt and Hocking, 2009). The most significant mycotoxins contaminating agricultural commodities and foods are aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, patulin, citrinin, and deoxynivalenol (Afsah-Hejri et al, 2013a). Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are legumes native to the western hemisphere. It is believed that peanut cultivation began in Bolivia and its neighboring countries before traders spread it to Asian and African continents. Peanuts are well adapted and widely grown in the tropical and sub-tropical countries such as India, China, Nigeria, Kenya, and the Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia (Archer, 2016). Peanuts are not the main agricultural commodities in Malaysia, and the people rely on the import of peanuts from other countries such as India, China and Vietnam to fulfill the increasing demand (Afsah-Hejri et al, 2013a)

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