| Abstract: | The aim of the present work was to investigate the production of aflatoxin byAspergillus parasiticus and to find out the possible ways to control it. Of 40 food samples collected from Abha region, Saudi Arabia, only 25% were
contaminated with aflatoxins. Oil-rich commodities had the highly contaminated commodities by fungi and aflatoxins while spices
were free from aflatoxins.Bacillus megatertum andB cereus were suitable for microbiological assay of aflatoxins. Czapek’s-Dox medium was found a suitable medium for isolation of fungi
from food samples. The optimal pH for the growth ofA. parasiticus and its productivity of aflatoxin B1 was found at 6.0, while the best incubation conditions were found at 30°C for 10 days. D-glucose was the best carbon source
for fungal growth, as well as aflatoxin production. Corn steep liquor, yeast extract and peptone were the best nitrogen sources
for both fungal growth and toxin production (NH4)2HPO4 (1.55 gL-1) and NaNO2 (1.6 gL-1) reduced fungal growth and toxin production with 37.7% and 85%, respectively. Of ten amino acids tested, asparagine was the
best for aflatoxin B1 production. Zn2+ and Co2+ supported significantly both fungal growth, as well as, aflatoxin B1 production at the different tested concentrations. Zn2+ was effective when added toA. parasiticus growth medium at the first two days of the culture age. The other tested metal ions expressed variable effects depending
on the type of ion and its concentration. Water activity (aw) was an important factor controlling the growth ofA. parasiticus and toxin production. The minimum aw for the fungal growth was 0.8 on both coffee beans and rice grains, while aw of 0.70 caused complete inhibition for the growth and aflatoxin B1 production. H2O2 is a potent inhibitor for growth ofA. parasiticus and its productivity of toxins. NaHCO3 and C6H5COONa converted aflatoxin B1 to water-soluble form which returned to aflatoxin B1 by acidity. Black pepper, ciliated heath, cuminum and curcuma were the most inhibitory spices on toxin production. Glutathione,
quinine, EDTA, sodium azide, indole acetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, phenol and catechol were inhibitory for
both growth, as well as, aflatoxin B1 production. Stearic acid supported the fungal growth and decreased the productivity of AFB1 gradually. Lauric acid is the most suppressive fatty acid for both fungal growth and aflatoxin production, but oleic acid
was the most potent supporter. Vitamin A supported the growth but inhibited aflatoxin B1 production. Vitamins C and D2 were also repressive particularly for aflatoxin production The present study included studying the activities of some enzymes
in relation to aflatoxin production during 20-days ofA. parasiticus age in 2-days intervals. Glycolytic enzymes and pyruvate-generating enzymes seems to be linked with aflatoxin B1 production. Also, pentose-phosphate pathway enzymes may provide NADPH for aflatoxin B1 synthesis. The decreased activities of TCA cycle enzymes particularly from 4th day of growth up to 10th day were associated
with the increase of aflatoxin B1 production. All the tested enzymes as well as aflatoxin B1 production were inhibited by either catechol or phenol. |
