Food and feedstuff contamination with aflatoxins (AFTs) is a serious health problem for humans and animals, especially in developing countries. The present study evaluated antifungal activities of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against growth and aflatoxin production of toxigenic Aspergillus parasiticus. The mycelial growth inhibition rate of A. parasiticus PTCC 5286 was investigated in the pre...

The aim of this study was to determine the mycoflora of poultry feeds and evaluate the aflatoxin and ochratoxins producing ability of isolated Aspergillus species. One hundred and nineteen samples of commercially prepared and farm mixed feeds were collected during 20052007. The samples were inoculated on potato dextrose agar, Czapek dox solution agar, Czapek yeast autolysate agar and yeast extr...

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), among other aflatoxins of the aflatoxin family, is the most carcinogenic and hazardous mycotoxin to animals and human beings with very high potency leading to aflatoxicosis. Selenium is an essential trace mineral possessing powerful antioxidant functions. Selenium is widely reported as an effective antioxidant against aflatoxicosis. By preventing oxidative liver damage, sup...

Aflatoxins and the producing fungi Aspergillus section Flavi are widely known as the most serious and dangerous mycotoxin issue in agricultural products. In Europe, before the outbreak of aflatoxins on maize (2003-2004) due to new climatic conditions, their contamination was confined to imported foods. Little information is available on molecular biodiversity and population structure of Aspergi...

In the present study, a novel non radioactive digoxigenen labelled PCR-DNA probe was developed targeting nor-1 gene to assess the contamination of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species in food grain samples from Southern parts of India. The sensitivity of developed PCR-DNA probe was determined to be 10 pg of genomic DNA and 1 pg of purified PCR product. The specificity of the DNA probe was validate...

Aflatoxins are a potent carcinogenic mycotoxin and has become a research model of fungal secondary metabolism (SM). Via systematically investigating the APSES transcription factors (TFs), two APSES proteins were identified: AfRafA and AfStuA. These play central roles in the synthesis of mycotoxins including aflatoxin and cyclopiazonic acid, and fungal development and are consequently central to...

This study showed the comparison between Ocimum basilicum and Cassia fistula (leaves and branch) aqueous extracts for their ability to detoxify of aflatoxins B1 and B2 (AFB1; 100 μg L(-1) and AFB2; 50 μg L(-1)) by In Vitro assays and decontamination studies. Results indicated that O. basilicum leaves extract was found to be highly significant (P < 0.05) in degrading AFB1 and AFB2, i.e., 90.4 an...

Aspergillus flavus has received much attention owing to its severe impact on agriculture and fermented products induced by aflatoxin. Sclerotia morphogenesis is an important process related to A. flavus reproduction and aflatoxin biosynthesis. In order to obtain an extensive transcriptome profile of A. flavus and provide a comprehensive understanding of these physiological processes, the isolat...

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight intact cell mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF ICMS) is coming of age for the identification and characterization of fungi. The procedure has been used extensively with bacteria. UV-absorbing matrices function as energy mediators that transfer the absorbed photoenergy from an irradiation source to the surrounding sample molecules, resulting i...