Natural co-occurrence of aflatoxin and CPA in peanuts grown in Argentina

FERNÁNDEZ PINTO, VIRGINIA; PATRIARCA, ANDREA; LOCANI, O.; VAAMONDE, GRACIELA

Guarujá, Sao Paulo, Brasil

Simposio; X International IUPAC Symposium on Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins; 2000

IUPAC

Some isolates of A. flavus are able to produce cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in addition to aflatoxins (AF). The presence of both toxins in food or feed may result in synergistic effects. The natural occurrence of aflatoxins in Argentine peanuts has been detected but there are no reports on CPA contamination. However, isolates with the ability of producing high levels of CPA are frequently isolated from substrates such as peanuts and corn. Twenty samples of peanuts from the growing area in the province of Córdoba were screened for the natural occurrence of AF and CPA. The samples were first extracted with methanol/bicarbonate 2% (70:30), defatted with hexane, added of ClK 10%, neutralized with ClH 6N and then extracted twice with chloroform. A thin layer chromatographic system including densitometry was performed for determining both CPA and AF. Of the 20 samples analyzed, 4 were contaminated, 2 with CPA and AF, and 2 with AF only. Strains of A. flavus producing both toxins were isolated from most of the natural contaminated samples. In our knowledge this is the first report of natural co-occurrence of CPA and AF in peanuts grown in Argentina. Since peanut meal is used as a raw material for elaboration of poultry feeds in our country, it can be hypothesized that CPA could be involved in some pathologies of unknown ethiology observed in chickens with symptoms similar to those described when this toxin was studied on laboratory animals.