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Aflatoxins of Aspergillus flavus Grown on Cassava
Author(s) -
Nartey Frederick
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1966.tb07068.x
Subject(s) - aspergillus flavus , aflatoxin , food science , manihot esculenta , aspergillus , mycotoxin , biology , chemistry , horticulture , botany
Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fries was grown on cassava (Manihot utilissima) and Czapek‐Dox media at 31±1°C and 90 per cent relative humidity for 8 weeks. Isolation and purification of the toxic and carcinogenic metabolic products of the mould by paper and thin layer chromatography are described. High concentrations of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 were synthesized by the mould grown on cassava for 4 weeks. In addition to these four major toxic components, 9 other fluorescent materials were observed on the chromatograms of crude products from cassava. It is concluded that the high moisture, high polysaccharide and low nitrogen content of cassava constitute a favourable nutritional condition at high temperatures and high relative humidity for the growth of A. flavus and the synthesis of relatively high concentrations of aflatoxin. This conld represent a serious health hazard in the moist tropics.