scholarly journals A Corn Trypsin Inhibitor with Antifungal Activity Inhibits Aspergillus flavus α-Amylase

1999 ◽  
Vol 89 (10) ◽  
pp. 902-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z.-Y. Chen ◽  
R. L. Brown ◽  
J. S. Russin ◽  
A. R. Lax ◽  
T. E. Cleveland

In this study, we found that the inhibition of fungal growth in potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium by the 14-kDa corn trypsin inhibitor (TI) protein, previously found to be associated with host resistance to aflatoxin production and active against various fungi, was relieved when exogenous α-amylase was added along with TI. No inhibitory effect of TI on fungal growth was observed when Aspergillus flavus was grown on a medium containing either 5% glucose or 1% gelatin as a carbon source. Further investigation found that TI not only inhibited fungal production of extracellular α-amylase when A. flavus was grown in PDB medium containing TI at 100 μg ml-1 but also reduced the enzymatic activity of A. flavus α-amylase by 27%. At a higher concentration, however, TI stimulated the production of α-amylase. The effect of TI on the production of amyloglucosidase, another enzyme involved in starch metabolism by the fungus, was quite different. It stimulated the production of this enzyme during the first 10 h at all concentrations studied. These studies suggest that the resistance of certain corn genotypes to A. flavus infection may be partially due to the ability of TI to reduce the production of extracellular fungal α-amylase and its activity, thereby limiting the availability of simple sugars for fungal growth. However, further investigation of the relationship between TI levels and fungal α-amylase expression in vivo is needed.

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Aiko ◽  
A. Mehta

Cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and clove were studied for their effect on growth of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) synthesis. The experiments were carried out in yeast extract sucrose culture broth as well as in rice supplemented with spices. AFB1 produced was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. At a concentration of 10 mg/ml, cardamom and star anise did not exhibit any antifungal or anti-aflatoxigenic activity in culture broth, whereas cinnamon and clove inhibited A. flavus growth completely. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of cinnamon and clove were 4 and 2 mg/ml, respectively. Concentrations of cinnamon and clove below their minimum inhibitory concentrations showed enhanced fungal growth, while AFB1 synthesis was reduced. Clove inhibited the synthesis of AFB1 significantly up to 99% at concentrations ≥1.0 mg/ml. The spices also inhibited AFB1 synthesis in rice at 5 mg/g, although fungal growth was not inhibited. Clove and cinnamon inhibited AFB1 synthesis significantly up to 99 and 92%, respectively, and star anise and cardamom by 41 and 23%, respectively. The results of this study suggest the use of whole spices rather than their essential oils for controlling fungal and mycotoxin contamination in food grains.


2002 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 1984-1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. MELLON ◽  
P. J. COTTY

Soybean lines lacking lipoxygenase (LOX) activity were compared with soybean lines having LOX activity for the ability to support growth and aflatoxin B1 production by the fungal seed pathogen Aspergillus flavus. Whole seeds, broken seeds, and heat-treated (autoclaved) whole seeds were compared. Broken seeds, irrespective of LOX presence, supported excellent fungal growth and the highest aflatoxin levels. Autoclaved whole seeds, with or without LOX, produced good fungal growth and aflatoxin levels approaching those of broken seeds. Whole soybean seeds supported sparse fungal growth and relatively low aflatoxin levels. There was no significant difference in aflatoxin production between whole soybean seeds either with or without LOX, although there did seem to be differences among the cultivars tested. The heat treatment eliminated LOX activity (in LOX+ lines), yet aflatoxin levels did not change substantially from the broken seed treatment. Broken soybean seeds possessed LOX activity (in LOX+ lines) and yet yielded the highest aflatoxin levels. The presence of active LOX did not seem to play the determinant role in the susceptibility of soybean seeds to fungal pathogens. Seed coat integrity and seed viability seem to be more important characteristics in soybean seed resistance to aflatoxin contamination. Soybean seeds lacking LOX seem safe from the threat of increased seed pathogen susceptibility.


2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosane Tamara da Silva Medeiros ◽  
Edlayne Gonçalez ◽  
Roberto Carlos Felicio ◽  
Joana D'arc Felicio

The presence of mycotoxins as a result of fungal attack can occur before, after and during the harvest and storage operations on agricultural crops and food commodities. Considering the inhibitory property of essential plant oils on the mycelial development of fungi and the importance of Aspergillus flavus, the main producer of aflatoxins, this research was designed to evaluate the toxicity of essential oil from Pittosporum undulatum against A. flavus. The essential oils were obtained from P. undulatum leaves, collected in different months and analyzed by GC/MS. The oils were rich in hydrocarbon, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes and it was observed a significant variation on the chemical composition of the essential oil of leaves at different months. Besides, the essential oils were tested against fungal growth and the results showed different spectrum of inhibition on A. flavus. However, the essential oils inhibited the aflatoxin B1 production.


1987 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1044-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. FARAG ◽  
M. A. EL-LEITHY ◽  
A. E. BASYONY ◽  
Z. Y. DAW

The effect of some widely used plant hormones (indol-3-acetic acid and gibberellic acid), herbicides (gramoxone, stomp and treflan) and insecticides (malathion, actellic and guthion) on Aspergillus parasiticus growth and aflatoxin production in a synthetic medium was studied. Addition of indol acetic acid to the medium increased aflatoxin production more than gibberellic acid. Treflan at 5, 10 and 20 ppm levels caused a highly significant stimulatory effect on A. parasiticus growth and aflatoxin production. In contrast, stomp at 10 and 20 ppm produced the reverse effect. Guthion, an insecticide, caused a marked decrease in fungal growth and aflatoxin production. The inhibitory effect of insecticides under study on both fungal growth and aflatoxin production in effectiveness followed the sequence: guthion>actellic>malathion. At the recommended application rate (10 ppm), with the exception of indol acetic acid and treflan, all compounds suppressed mold growth and aflatoxin production.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Folly ◽  
Chang ◽  
Wang ◽  
...  

Lactobacillus plantarum, as a natural bio-preservative, has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. In this study, 22 L. plantarum strains were tested against the aflatoxin-producing fungus, Aspergillus flavus; strain IAMU80070 showed the highest antifungal activity. At a concentration of 5 × 105 colony-forming units (CFU) mL−1, it completely inhibited A. flavus growth and decreased aflatoxin production by 93%. Furthermore, ultrastructural examination showed that IAMU80070 destroyed the cellular structure of hyphae and spores. To explore the inhibitory effect of IAMU80070 on A. flavus at the transcriptional level, transcriptome data were obtained and subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. The aflatoxin biosynthetic process was the most significantly downregulated functional category, while genes implicated in the synthesis and organization of cell wall polysaccharides were upregulated. Quantitative real-time PCR results verified the credibility and reliability of the RNA sequencing data. These results provided insight into the transcriptome of A. flavus in response to the antagonistic effects of L. plantarum IAMU80070.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D. Gong ◽  
G.J. Sun ◽  
Z.Y. Zhao ◽  
Y.C. Liao ◽  
J.B. Zhang

Controlling proliferation and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus is a pressing challenge for global food safety and security. Marine bacterium Staphylococcus saprophyticus strain L-38 showed excellent antifungal activity toward A. flavus in vitro and in vivo. In sealed, non-contact confrontation assays, L-38 completely inhibited conidial germination and mycelial growth of A. flavus through the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-epoxybutane (3-DE) as the most abundant VOC (32.61% of total peak area, 78% matching). Exposure of A. flavus cultures to synthetic 3-DE similarly demonstrated strong inhibition of growth. Moreover, culture of L-38 in a sealed chamber with maize or peanuts artificially inoculated with A. flavus, at high water activity, resulted in significant inhibition of A. flavus germination and aflatoxin biosynthesis. Scanning electron microscopy of these samples revealed severe damage to conidial cells and hyphae compared to samples not exposed to L-38. L-38 also showed broad and effective antifungal activity toward eight other phytopathogenic fungi including Aspergillus niger, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium graminearum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria alternata, Monilinia fructicola, and Botrytis cinerea. This work introduces S. saprophyticus L-38 as a potential biocontrol agent and demonstrates the efficacy of the volatile 3-DE in the control of A. flavus and other destructive plant pathogens for post-harvest food safety.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
Hai N. Nguyen

Sacharomyces cerevisiae isolates were obtained from baker's yeast, soil, fruit and identified with PCR. Twenty-seven isolates of S. cerevisiae were screened for capacity of inhibition of aflatoxin production of Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) on coconut extract agar media (CEA). The results showed that the coculture method of S. cerevisiae isolates and aflatoxin producing A. flavus on CEA medium could be used for screening the strains that are able to antagonize aflatoxin-producing A. flavus. On ground corn medium, with the rate of 104 aflatoxin-producing A. flavus spores and 108 S. cerevisiae yeast cells/g, S. cerevisiae was able to reduce the amount of aflatoxin produced by A. flavus in corn. In an in vivo experiment, it was found that addition of 108 cells of S. cerevisiae to one kg of duck feed contaminated with 300 ppb aflatoxin from 1 to 10 days of age reduced adverse effects of aflatoxin on the liver and kidneys of ducks


1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Fonseca ◽  
C.R. Gallo ◽  
M.A. Calori-Domingues ◽  
E.M. Gloria ◽  
P.J. Approbatto ◽  
...  

The present experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of sodium ortho-phenylphenate (SOP) application to in-shell moist peanuts for the control of aflatoxin production. Previous studies showed the need to improve the SOP solution distribution on peanut pods to evaluate the product. Thus, in this experiment the place of the spray system was the bag filler pipe of the pre-cleaning machine in the warehouse. In the 1989 rainy season two lots of 120 bags of in-shell moist peanuts were sprayed with 0.5 and 1% SOP solutions and aflatoxin production was not controlled. In the dry season of 1989 and in the rainy season of 1990, in-shell moist peanuts were sprayed with 5% SOP solution. The coverage of pods with the solution was efficient, allowing a uniform distribution of SOP solution on the pods. The results showed that only the 5.0% concentration of SOP solution utilized controlled the external fungal growth when a naked eye observation was made, however did not control aflatoxin production when applied to in-shell moist peanuts, probably due to the internal presence of Aspergillus flavus and because the fungicide could not penetrate inside to reach the kernels.


1977 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-99
Author(s):  
Jo Ann L Hilldrup ◽  
Thomas Eadie ◽  
Gerald C Llewellyn

Abstract Unprocessed honey, Lilium longiflorium pollen, brood comb, whole larvae, and whole bees were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3251, A. flavus ATCC 15548, and A. parasiticus NRRL 2999. The fungi grew, sporulated, and produced various amounts of aflatoxin on all substrates except the unprocessed honey. The largest quantity of aflatoxin B1 was produced on whole larvae supporting A. flavus NRRL 3251 growth. A. parasiticus NRRL 2999 growing on whole larvae produced the most aflatoxin G1. Aflatoxins B2 and G2 were seldom detected. Apiarian substrates with the exception of honey seem capable of supporting fungal growth and resultant aflatoxin production.


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