Abstract
This study aimed to morphologically characterize and determine the aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates. Forty isolates of A. flavus were obtained from sweet corn kernels and soil samples collected from Kampong Raja, Rose Valley, Kea, and Klebang farms in Malaysia. They were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA), dichloran rose-bengal chloramphenicol (DRBC), Aspergillusflavus and Aspergillus parasiticus agar (AFPA), and coconut cream agar (CCA). Macromorphological characteristics were determined by observing the colony color and texture, while the micromorphological characteristics were determined by examining the spore color, size, structure, conidiophore structure, and vesicle shape. The production of aflatoxin was determined by direct visualization of the UV fluorescence of A. flavus colonies on CCA. Aflatoxin was qualitatively detected in 18 (45%) isolates of A. flavus using UV fluorescence screening while the remaining 22 (55%) isolates did not exhibit any aflatoxin production. The highest incidence of A. flavus (30%) and aflatoxin production (15%) was recorded in samples from Kampong Raja. On the other hand, isolates from Rose Valley (17%) and Kea (12%) were non-aflatoxigenic. Klebang recorded a 25% incidence of A. flavus in which 15% were aflatoxigenic while 10% were non-aflatoxigenic. The occurrence of aflatoxin-producing A. flavus emphasizes the need for the measure to eradicate their presence in food crops. A biological control treatment utilizing the non-aflatoxigenic strains to compete with the aflatoxigenic ones is underway. Validation of aflatoxin production through high performance liquid chromatography is also ongoing.
Highlights
Living in the present time is dangerous, not because of accidents or ecological threats, and because of the foodstuff that we consume in our routine life
The flavus flavus isolates were identified through the observation their morphological characteristics as key per isolates were identified through the observation of theirof morphological characteristics as per the the key descriptions by
It has been reported that strains of A. flavus could produce B and G aflatoxins [50], a recent classification of Aspergillus section Flavi noted that such strains, though morphologically similar to A. flavus, were completely novel species [51,52]. These outcomes pointed out the fact that modern molecular approaches are mandatory to be used for A. flavus isolates’ characterization. Both aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus were present in the sweet corn kernels and soil of Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Summary
Living in the present time is dangerous, not because of accidents or ecological threats, and because of the foodstuff that we consume in our routine life. Most of the foods we consume are contaminated by microorganisms as well as their toxins. The intake of food materials affected by toxigenic fungi causes the induction of mycotoxicosis (toxic syndrome). Agriculture 2020, 10, 450 caused by the ingestion of mycotoxins produced by toxigenic fungi on specific foodstuffs. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by several species of fungi that significantly affect the quality of food products, causing serious problems for animals and humans [1]. The most significant and economically relevant mycotoxins are aflatoxins (AF), fumonisins (FUM), deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), patulin (PAT), and citrinin (CIT) [2]
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