Improved methodology for detecting aflatoxin production quantitatively in natural media

Area of Science:

• Food safety and mycology
• Microbiology and analytical chemistry

Background:

• Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain moulds, notably within the Aspergillus flavus group.
• Accurate and rapid screening methods are crucial for controlling aflatoxin contamination in food and agricultural products.
• Existing methods can be time-consuming or require specialized equipment, limiting their widespread application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, rapid, and quantitative method for screening aflatoxin production.
• To assess the efficacy of the proposed method for early detection of aflatoxin-producing moulds.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a natural medium (moist wheat or rice) for mould cultivation.
• Employed a single chloroform extraction step to isolate aflatoxins.
• Detected and quantified aflatoxins using thin-layer chromatography (TLC).

Main Results:

• The method demonstrated simplicity, rapidity, and quantitative capability.
• Aflatoxin production was detected by the third day of incubation in over 85% of tested strains.
• The method proved effective for both laboratory culture collection strains and field isolates.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a practical and efficient approach for screening aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus group moulds.
• Early detection within three days facilitates timely intervention to prevent contamination.
• This technique is suitable for routine screening in various settings due to its simplicity and speed.