Aflatoxin is degraded by mycelia from toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of aspergilli grown on different substrates

The ability of 9-day-old mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 to degrade aflatoxin varied depending on the substrate used to grow the mold. Substrates which allowed substantial mycelial growth yielded mycelia which actively degraded aflatoxin. Substrates which allowed minimal growth of mycelia yielded mycelia with little ability to degrade aflatoxin. Biodegradation of aflatoxin was also strain-dependent. A. parasiticus NRRL 2999 and NRRL 3000 actively degraded aflatoxin, A. flavus NRRL 3353 was less active, and A. flavus NRRL 482 and A. parasiticus NRRL 3315 degraded minimal amounts of aflatoxins. Those aspergilli producing greatest amounts of aflatoxin also degraded aflatoxins most rapidly, whereas those strains which produced minimal amounts of aflatoxin generally degraded aflatoxins less effectively. Substrates which allowed maximum aflatoxin production also yielded mycelia which actively degraded aflatoxins, whereas media which allowed limited production of aflatoxin generally yielded mycelia with minimal ability to degrade the toxin. Although exceptions exist, generally as aflatoxin production increased so did the ability of mycelia to degrade the toxin.