Abstract
The influence of inoculum size on the colony-forming units, production of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) was determined when Aspergillus flavus and A. niger aggregate strains were cultured alone and in pairs on irradiated peanut grains at 28°C and 0.97 water activity (aW). The results showed a marked influence of inoculum factor on fungal counts, AFB1 and OTA production in single and paired cultures. Fungal counts of the A. niger aggregate strain in interacting cultures at 7, 14 and 21 days of incubation were significantly higher than those observed in the A. flavus strain, except in the mixed culture with 102 spores/ml of both strains. In all mixed culture assays, the AFB1 production was significantly reduced in comparison with the accumulation of mycotoxin in single cultures. A total inhibition in AFB1 production was observed in some interactions as 102 spores/ml of A. flavus and 103 spores/ml of A. niger aggregate strain at 7 and 14 days, among others. With regard to OTA production, a stimulation in the interacting cultures was observed at all inoculum sizes and incubation period. The highest levels of OTA accumulation were observed at 14 days for all interacting cultures. The maximum level was reach in the culture 103 spores/ml of A. niger aggregate and 104 spores/ml of A. flavus (p < 0.001). These results suggest that, under optimal environmental conditions in peanut grains, the interaction between A. flavus and A. niger aggregate strains could result in an inhibition of AFB1 and in a stimulation of OTA production.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrunhosa L, Serra R, Venâncio A (2002) Biodegradation of ochratoxin A by fungi isolated from grapes. J Agric Food Chem 50:7493–7496
Accinelli C, Abbas HK, Zohlotoxicz MR, Wilkinson JR (2008) Aspergillus flavus aflatoxin occurrence and expression of aflatoxin biosynthesis genes in soil. Can J Microbiol 54:371–379
Aryantha NP, Lunggani AT (2007) Suppresion on the aflatoxin B production and the growth of Aspergillus flavus by lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus delbrueckii, L. fermentum and L. plantarum). Biotechnology 6:257–262
Asis R, Barrionuevo DL, Giorda LM, Nores ML, Aldao MA (2005) Aflatoxin production in six peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes infected with Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, isolated from peanut production areas of Cordoba, Argentina. J Agric Food Chem 53:9274–9280
Astoreca A, Magnoli C, Barberis C, Combina M, Chiacchiera SM, Dalcero A (2007) Ochratoxin A production in relation to ecophysiological factors by Aspergillus section Nigri strains isolated from different substrates in Argentina. Sci Tot Environ 388:16–23
Astoreca A, Barberis C, Magnoli C, Combina M, Dalcero A (2009) Ecophysiological factors effect on growth rate, lag phase and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus niger aggregate strains on irradiated peanut seeds. Int J Food Microbiol 129:130–135
Barberis C, Astoreca A, Dalcero A, Magnoli C (2010) Food grade antioxidants and antimicrobials to control growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus section Nigri on peanuts kernels. J Food Prot 73(8):1493–1501
Barros G, Torres A, Palacio G, Chulze S (2003) Aspergillus species from section Flavi isolated from soil at planting and harvest time in peanuts-growing regions of Argentina. J Sci Food Agric 83:1303–1307
Barros G, Chiotta ML, Torres A, Chulze S (2006) Genetic diversity in Aspergillus parasiticus population from the peanut agroecosystem in Argentina. Lett Appl Microbiol 42:560–566
Commission of the European Communities (2006) Commission regulation (EC) N° 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. Off J Eur Union L364:5–24
Cuero R, Smith JE, Lacey I (1988) Mycotoxin formation by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium graminearum in irradiated maize grains in the presence of other fungi. J Food Prot 6:452–456
Cvetnic Z, Pepeljnjak S (2007) Interaction between certain moulds and aflatoxin B1 producer Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3251. Arh Hig Rada Tokiskol 58:429–434
Etcheverry M, Magnoli C, Dalcero A, Chulze S, Lecumberry S (1998) Aflatoxin B1, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol production by Aspergillus parasiticus and Fusarium graminearum in interactive cultures on irradiated corn kernels. Mycopathologia 142:37–42
Geisen R (1996) Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the detection of potential aflatoxin and sterigmatocystin producing fungi. Appl Microbiol 19:388–392
International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC (1993) Ochratoxin A. In: monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to human: some naturally occurring substances; food items and constituents, heterocyclic aromatic amines and mycotoxins. Lyon, France. Vol. 56, 489–521
Karunaratne AE, Bullerman LB (1990) Interactive effects of spore load and temperature on aflatoxin production. J Food Prot 53:227–229
King AD (1992) Methodology for routine mycological examination of food. In: Samson RA, Hocking AD, Pitt JI, King AD (eds) Modern methods in food mycology, developments in food science, 1st edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 11–20
Klich MA (2002) Identification of common Aspergillus species. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, The Netherlands
López GM (2011) Serie de estudios sectoriales. Caso del maní y derivados del maní. Programa de inserción agrícola. http://www.inai.org.ar/sitio_nuevo/archivos/Informe. Accessed 26 October 2011
Magnoli C, Astoreca A, Ponsone L, Combina M, Palacio G, da Rocha Rosa CA, Dalcero AM (2004) Survey of mycoflora and ochratoxin A in dried vine fruits from Argentina markets. Lett Appl Microbiol 39:326–331
Magnoli C, Hallak C, Chiacchiera S, Dalcero A (2006a) Occurrence of ochratoxin A- producing fungi in commercial corn kernels in Argentina. Mycopathologia 161:53–58
Magnoli C, Astoreca A, Ponsone L, Chiacchiera S, Dalcero A (2006b) Ochratoxin A and the occurrence of ochratoxin A- producing black Aspergilli in stored peanut seeds from Córdoba, Argentina. J Sci Food Agric 86:2369–2373
Magnoli C, Astoreca A, Ponsone L, Fernández-Juri MG, Barberis CL, Dalcero AM (2007) Ochratoxin A and Aspergillus section Nigri in peanut seeds at different months of storage in Córdoba, Argentina. Int J Food Microbiol 119:213–218
Odamttem GT, Appiah V, Langerak DI (1987) Influence of the inoculum size of Aspergillus flavus link on the production of aflatoxin B1 in maize medium before and after exposure to combination treatment of heat and gamma radiation. Int J Food Microbiol 4:119–127
Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, AOAC (1980) Helrich K (ed) 13th Edition, section 26031, pag 419, Washington
Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, AOAC (1995) Helrich K (ed) 15th Edition, section 972–26, 976–22
Pfohl-Leszkowicz A, Manderville RA (2007) Ochratoxin A: an overview on toxicity and carcinogenicity in animals and humans. Mol Nut Food Res 51:61–99
Picco M, Nesci A, Barros G, Cavaglieri L, Etcheverry M (2000) Aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 in mixed cultures of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium proliferatum on maize. Nat Toxins 8:1–6
Pittet A, Royer D (2002) Rapid low cost thin layer method for the detection of ochratoxin A in green coffee at a control level of 10 μg/ kg. J Agric Food Chem 50:243–247
Ponsone ML, Combina M, Dalcero A, Chulze S (2007) Ochratoxin A and ochratoxigenic Aspergillus species in Argentinean wine grapes cultivated under organic and non-organic systems. Int J Food Microbiol 114:131–135
Quinn GP, Keough MJ (2002) Experimental design data analysis for biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Shantha T, Rati ER, Shankar TNB (1990) Behavior of Aspergillus flavus in presence of Aspergillus niger during biosynthesis of aflatoxin B. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 58:121–127
Sharma A, Behere AG, Padwal-Desai SR, Nadkarni GB (1980) Influence of inoculum size of Aspergillus parasiticus spores on aflatoxin production. Appl Environ Microbiol 40:989–993
Téren J, Varga J, Hamar Z, Rinyu E, Kevei F (1996) Immunochemical detection of ochratoxin A in black Aspergillus strains. Mycopathologia 134:171–176
Torres AM, Ramírez ML, Reynoso MM, Rodriguez M, Chulze S (1997) Natural co occurrence of Fusarium species (section Liseola) and Aspergillus flavus group species, fumonisin and aflatoxin in argentinian corn. Cereal Res Commun 25:389–392
Tran-Dinh N, Kennedy I, Bui T, Carter D (2009) Survey of Vietnamese peanuts, corn and soil for the presence of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Mycopathologia 168:257–268
Valero A, Oliván S, Marín S, Sanchis V, Ramos A (2007) Effect of intra and interspecific interaction on OTA production by A. section Nigri in grapes during dehydration. Food Microbiol 24:254–259
Wicklow DT (1988) Patterns of fungal associations within maize kernels in North Carolina. Plant Dis 72:113–115
Widstrom NW, McMillian WW, Wilson DM, Richard JL, Zumo N, Beaver RW (1994) Preharvest aflatoxin contamination of maize inoculated with Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium moniliforme. Mycopathologia 128:118–123
Yoshizawa T, Yamashita A, Chokethaworn N (1996) Occurrence of fumonisins and aflatoxins in corn from Thailand. Food Addit Contam 13:163–168
Acknowledgements
This work was carried out thanks to grants from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONICET-PIP), Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica de la Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto (SECYT-UNRC) and Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCYT-PICTO).
Conflict of interest
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barberis, C.L., Dalcero, A.M. & Magnoli, C.E. Evaluation of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A in interacting mixed cultures of Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri on peanut grains. Mycotoxin Res 28, 149–156 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-012-0126-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-012-0126-y