Abstract
Aflatoxins are carcinogens produced by Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. In the present study, peanut samples were collected at different phenological stages of the plant during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons and from stored peanuts harvested in 2007/2008. The mycoflora and aflatoxins in the peanuts were evaluated. The results showed the presence of Fusarium spp., Macrophomina spp., Trichoderma spp., Aspergillus spp. and Cladosporium spp. during the period of peanut maturation (39.8, 17.9, 8.2, 2.7 and 1.7%, respectively) and storage (49.8, 27.8, 12.5, 8.8 and 1.0%, respectively). However, aflatoxins were not detected in the samples. Of the 25 Aspergillus spp. isolates, 24 (96%) were producers of aflatoxin B1 (96%), 10 (40%) of aflatoxin B2, 17 (68%) of aflatoxin G1, and 10 (40%) of aflatoxin G2. The isolation of Aspergillus spp. during storage was not influenced by the temperature, relative humidity or water activity (p > 0.05). The detection of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus spp. in the samples analysed at different phenological stages, aerial gynophore, pod filling (seeds), mature fruits (pod), and dry fruits (harvest), indicates the importance of good agricultural practices from the cultivation to storage of peanuts in southern Brazil.
Highlights
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are rich in protein and a high-energy food
Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by different species of the genus Aspergillus, A. flavus Link, A. parasiticus Speare and A. nomius Kurtzmann et al These toxins are frequently isolated from peanuts grown in tropical and subtropical regions during storage, and the high incidence of aflatoxins in peanuts observed in Brazil is mainly due to the traditional practices of harvest, drying and storage used
The fungal population isolated during the different peanut maturity stages of the 2007/2008 harvest consisted of Fusarium spp. (38.4 to 62.4% depending on the culture medium, i.e., potato-dextrose agar (PDA), Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol agar (DRBC) and AFPA), Penicillium spp
Summary
Peanut plants are currently grown on a large scale in China, India, Africa and the United States, with a world production of approximately 37,6 million tons (FAO, 2010). In Brazil, peanut production increased by 14.4% from 226,500 tons in 2010/2011 to 259,100 tons in 2011/2012, with this rise being a consequence of the expansion of the cultivated area (15.8%) (CONAB, 2012). Peanut crops are highly susceptible to fungal contamination, including toxin-producing fungi. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by different species of the genus Aspergillus, A. flavus Link, A. parasiticus Speare and A. nomius Kurtzmann et al These toxins are frequently isolated from peanuts grown in tropical and subtropical regions during storage, and the high incidence of aflatoxins in peanuts observed in Brazil is mainly due to the traditional practices of harvest, drying and storage used
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