Abstract
<p>Aflatoxin and especially aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub> (AFB<sub>1</sub>) is a carcinogenic secondary metabolite synthesized by certain <em>Aspergillus </em>species. They contaminate natural and processed agricultural and animal products which render them unfit for consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the <em>in vitro</em> effects of <em>Balanites aegyptiaca</em> and <em>Tamarindus indica</em> fruit extracts on the growth and aflatoxin secretion of <em>Aspergillus flavus</em> (SQU21) and <em>A. parasiticus </em>(CBS921.7) strains. The two fruit extracts significantly (<em>P </em>&lt; 0.05) reduced aflatoxin and did not inhibit mycelial dry weights of the two <em>Aspergillus </em>strains. At different concentrations of balanites (2.5-10%), the inhibition of total aflatoxin was 49.9-84.8% for <em>A. flavus</em> (SQU21) and 32.1-84.4% for <em>A. parasiticus</em> (CBS921.7), whereas the inhibition of aflatoxin Bwas 38.2-81.4% and 32.8-80.6% for the two strains. Tamarind fruit extract (2.5-7.5%) caused 28.8-84.2% and 40.7-85.5% reductions in total aflatoxin and 37.1-83.5% and 33.9-85.9% in aflatoxin B for the two strains, respectively. None of these extracts inhibited the fungal growth or detoxified synthetic aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub>. We have concluded that these fruits contain various inhibitors to aflatoxin biosynthesis and secretion. Therefore, they can be used in combination as safe green biopreservatives to combat aflatoxin contamination of food.</p>
Highlights
Fungal growth on agricultural and animal products occurs under favourable ecological conditions and associated with the production of toxigenic secondary metabolites, many of which can be hazardous to humans and animals health (El-Nagerabi, Elshafie, & Abdalla, 2001; El-Nagerabi, 2002; El-Nagerabi & Elshafie, 2000, 2001; Jouany, 2007; Kumar, Basu, & Rajendran, 2008; Herzallah, 2009; Salem & Ahmad, 2010)
Total aflatoxin production of A. flavus and A. parasiticus strains at different concentrations of balanites fruit extract (Identical letters and numbers indicate no significant diffrence at P < 0.05)
Aflatoxin B production of A. flavus and A. parasiticus at different concentrations of balanites fruit extract (Identical letters and numbers indicate no significant diffrence at P< 0.05)
Summary
Fungal growth on agricultural and animal products occurs under favourable ecological conditions and associated with the production of toxigenic secondary metabolites, many of which can be hazardous to humans and animals health (El-Nagerabi, Elshafie, & Abdalla, 2001; El-Nagerabi, 2002; El-Nagerabi & Elshafie, 2000, 2001; Jouany, 2007; Kumar, Basu, & Rajendran, 2008; Herzallah, 2009; Salem & Ahmad, 2010). Of these mycotoxins, aflatoxins are the most lethal ones and composed of approximately twenty fungal metabolites secreted by Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, A. mominus and A. pseudotamarii. FAO and WHO have imposed regulatory guidelines of 20 ppb of total afaltoxin as maximum tolerance level in food or feed products
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