Natural maize phenolic acids for control aflatoxigenic fungi on maize

NESCI, A.; GSPONER, N.; ETCHEVERRY, M.

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2007 vol. 72 p. 180 - 185

0022-1147

Natural phytochemicals may be an alternative to synthetic chemicals for controlling fungal growth and mycotoxin production in stored maize. A key to progress in this field is to select the best natural maize phytochemicals to be applied in storage maize ecosystem. This research was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the natural phytochemicals trans-cinnamic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA) alone at concentrations of 20 – 30 mM and in 5 combinations on Aspergillus flavus Link and A. parasiticus Speare populations and aflatoxin B1 production. Studies on Aspergillus population and aflatoxin B1 production were carried out in maize grain in relation to a water activity aw of 0.99, 0.97, 0.95 and 0.93. CA and FA at concentrations of 25 – 30 mM respectively and CA-FA mixture T9 (25 + 30 mM) were the treatments most effective at inhibiting A. flavus and A. parasiticus population at all aw assayed after 11 days of incubation. At all aw values, the mixture CA-FA T9 (25 + 30 mM) completely inhibited (100%) aflatoxin B1 production by both strains at aw = 0.99, 0.97, 0.95 and 0.93. Decreased aflatoxin B1 levels in comparison with the control were observed with mixtures CA-FA T6 (10 + 25 mM), T7 (20 + 20 mM) and T8 (20 + 30 mM) of both strains in the majority of aw assayed. The data show that CA and FA could be considered as effective fungitoxicants for A. flavus and A. parasiticus in maize in the aw range 0.99-0.93. The information obtained show promise for controlling aflatoxigenic fungi in stored maize.