Chemical control of Aspergillus section Flavi in peanut grains using food grade antioxidants

PASSONE, M.A.; RESNIK, S.; ETCHEVERRY, M

Villa Giardino, Córdoba

Congreso; XV Jornadas Científicas; 2005

Sociedad de Biología de Córdoba

Approximately a 98% of peanut national production is concentrated in the middle-south region of Córdoba. These crops tend to be contaminated by Aspergillus section Flavi species. These fungi produce aflatoxins, which are responsible of the rejection of grains in the exportation stage. Due to it, the purpose of this study was to control growth (UFCs g-1) and aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) production by Aspergillus section Flavi species, using food grade antioxidant mixtures: butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA), butyl hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl paraben (PP) at the doses of 10 and 20 mmol g-1, in peanut grains without inoculum and grains with 104 spores ml-1 of A. parasiticus CHG24 and A. flavus CHG46. Peanut grains were adjusted at three water activities (aW) (0.982, 0.955, 0.937) and were incubated at 28ºC during 11 and 35 days. All antioxidant mixtures significantly reduce growth and AFB1 production, independently of water stress and incubation period. The percentages of growth reduction at 35 days with the mixtures: BHA-PP (10:10, 10:20, 20:10) were 9.2-100%, 87.6-100% and 90-100% at 0.982, 0.955, 0.937 aW, respectively, with a 100% of reduction in the AFB1 accumulation. Treatments with BHA-PP (20:20) and BHA-PP-BHT (10:20:10, 20:10:10, 20:20:10) inhibited growth and AFB1 production. This study showed the efficacy of food grade antioxidants to control aflatoxigenic mycoflora in peanut grains.