Occurrence and fumonisin B2 producing potential of Aspergillus section Nigri in Brazil nuts

Larissa S. Ferranti, Benedito Correa, Maria Helena P. Fungaro, Beatriz T. Iamanaka, Fernanda P. Massi, Christopher B W Phippen, Jens Christian Frisvad, Marta H. Taniwaki

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    Bertholletia excelsa is the tree that produces Brazil nuts which have vast economic importance in the Amazon region and as an export commodity. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of Aspergillus section Nigri in Brazil nut samples at different stages of its production chain and to verify the toxigenic potential for fumonisin B2 (FB2) production of these isolates along with the presence of this mycotoxin in Brazil nut samples. The fungal infection ranged from 0 to 80% at the different stages of the harvest and processing chain and the water activity of the nuts from 0.273 to 0.994. A total of 1052 A. section Nigri strains were isolated from Brazil nuts and 200 strains were tested for their ability to produce FB2: 41 strains (20.5%) were FB2 producers with concentrations ranging from 0.09 to 37.25 mg/kg; 2 strains (1%) showed traces of FB2, less than the detection limit (0.08 mg/kg); and 157 (78.5%) were not FB2 producers. Although several samples showed high contamination by A. section Nigri, no sample was contaminated by FB2.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalMycotoxin Research
    Volume33
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)49–58
    Number of pages10
    ISSN0178-7888
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Keywords

    • Bertholletia excelsa
    • Black Aspergilli
    • Fumonisins

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