Food Grade Antioxidants and Antimicrobials to Control Growth and Ochratoxin A Production by Aspergillus Section Nigri on Peanut Kernels.

BARBERIS C; ASTORECA A; DALCERO A; MAGNOLI C

JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION

INT ASSOC FOOD PROTECTION

Año: 2010 vol. 73 p. 1493 - 1501

0362-028X

ABSTRACT Each year, a significant portion of the peanuts produced cannot be marketed due to fungal disease at the post-harvest stage and to mycotoxins contamination. The use of antioxidants could be an alternative to control ochratoxigenic fungi in peanuts during storage.This study was carried out to determine the efficacy of the phenolic antioxidants and antimicrobials butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA) and propyl paraben (PP) under different water activity (aw) and temperatures on the lag phase prior to growth, growth rate and ochratroxin A (OTA) production by Aspergillus section Nigri strains in peanut kernels. At 20 mmol/g of BHA, 18ºC and 0.93 aw, the complete growth inhibition occurred. For PP, there was no growth at 20 mmol/g, 18ºC and 0.93, 0.95 and 0.98 aw conditions. Butylatedhydroxyanisole inhibited OTA production at concentrations of 1, 5, 10 and 20 mmol/g of peanut, 0.93 and 0.95 aw at 18ºC for A. carbonarius strain. Propyl paraben completely inhibited of OTA production at 20 mmol/g and 18ºC. The results of this work suggest that PP is more appropriate than BHA for control of growth and OTA production by Aspergillus section Nigri species in peanut kernels.