Efficiency of Some Clays and Organic Materials on the Reduction of Aflatoxin B1 Produced from Isolates of the Fungus Aspergillus flavus Contaminating Corn Grains

Abstract

Abstract The study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of certain types of clay minerals, activated charcoal made from common reed and date palm kernel, in reducing the levels of aflatoxin B1(AFB1) produced by Aspergillus flavus that contaminated corn grains in a liquid medium, Yeast Extract Sucrose (YES). The results showed the presence of nine species of fungal genera that contaminated corn grains, with the Aspergillus spp being the most predominant, accounting for 42%, followed by the Penicillium spp with 27%, and the Fusarium spp with a 21%. The genera Rhizopus spp, Mucor spp, and Cladosporium spp had a prevalence of 5%, 4%, and 1%, respectively. The results of the thin-layer chromatography (TLC) test, which was used to isolate A. flavus fungi from corn grains and detect the presence of AFB1, showed variations in their ability to produce AFB1. Seventy-five percent of the diagnosed A. flavus isolates showed the ability to produce AFB1. The results indicated that all types of minerals used in the study were effective in reducing the levels of AFB1 in liquid media. Top of Form Similarly, activated charcoal from common reed showed a high potential for AFB1 reduction, where the highest reduction percentage was 93.90% for the activated charcoal from fermented reed at a concentration of 30 mgml−1.