AFLA-PISTACHIO: Development of a Mechanistic Model to Predict the Aflatoxin Contamination of Pistachio Nuts.
In recent years, very many incidences of contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in pistachio nuts have been reported as a major global problem for the crop. In Europe, legislation is in force and 12 μg/kg of AFB1 is the maximum limit set for pistachios to be subjected to physical treatment before human consumption. The goal of the […]
Integrated small RNA and mRNA expression profiles reveal miRNAs and their target genes in response to Aspergillus flavus growth in peanut seeds.
Background: MicroRNAs are important gene expression regulators in plants immune system. Aspergillus flavus is the most common causal agents of aflatoxin contamination in peanuts, but information on the function of miRNA in peanut-A. flavus interaction is lacking. In this study, the resistant cultivar (GT-C20) and susceptible cultivar (Tifrunner) were used to investigate regulatory roles of miRNAs […]
HPLC-MS/MS Method for the Detection of Selected Toxic Metabolites Produced by Penicillium spp. in Nuts
Penicillium spp. are emerging as producers of mycotoxins and other toxic metabolites in nuts. A HPLC-MS/MS method was developed to detect 19 metabolites produced by Penicillium spp. on chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. Two extraction methods were developed, one for chestnuts and one for the other three nuts. The recovery, LOD, LOQ and matrix effect were determined for […]
Bridging Fe3O4@ Au Nanoflowers and Au@ Ag Nanospheres with Aptamer for Ultrasensitive SERS Detection of Aflatoxin B1.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) as the most toxic mycotoxin in contaminated food can greatly threaten human health, and sensitive and selective detection of AFB1 is thus highly desired. An ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) aptasensor was developed for AFB1 detection in peanut oil samples. SH-cDNA modified Fe3O4@Au nanoflowers acted as capture probes, SH-Apt modified Au@Ag nanospheres […]
Effect of Drying Temperature and Exposure Times on Aspergillus Flavus Growth and Aflatoxin Production on Artificially Inoculated Hazelnuts.
Aspergillus flavus may colonise hazelnuts and produce aflatoxins in field and during storage. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of drying temperature and exposure times on the viability and ability of A. flavus to produce aflatoxins during the drying process and storage. Hazelnuts were inoculated with A. flavus and dried […]
Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium species associated with dried date fruits collected in the Perugia (Umbria, Central Italy) market.
A total of 20 dried date samples, chosen as representative among those available on the Perugia (Umbria, Central Italy) market, were analyzed for the possible occurrence of fungal species and related contamination by fungal secondary metabolites. Twenty-six isolates, representative of the total mycobiota, were obtained and morphologically identified as belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium […]
Advances in Crop Improvement and Delivery Research for Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.).
Groundnut is an important global food and oil crop that underpins agriculture-dependent livelihood strategies meeting food, nutrition, and income security. Aflatoxins, pose a major challenge to increased competitiveness of groundnut limiting access to lucrative markets and affecting populations that consume it. Other drivers of low competitiveness include allergens and limited shelf life occasioned by low […]
Functional Biology and Molecular Mechanisms of Host-Pathogen Interactions for Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and Maize (Zea mays L.).
Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by soilborne saprophytic fungus Aspergillus flavus and closely related species that infect several agricultural commodities including groundnut and maize. The consumption of contaminated commodities adversely affects the health of humans and livestock. Aflatoxin contamination also causes significant economic and financial losses to producers. Research efforts and significant progress have been made in […]
Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Encapsulation and Controlled Release of Biocontrol Agents to Prevent Peanut Aflatoxin Contamination.
Starch, alginate, and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) were combined to prepare a semi-interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel with temperature sensitivity. Calcium chloride was used as cross-linking agent, the non-toxigenic Aspergillus flavus spores were successfully encapsulated as biocontrol agents by the method of ionic gelation. Characterization of the hydrogel was performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), and […]
A Sensitive, Point-of-Care Detection of Small Molecules Based on a Portable Barometer: Aflatoxins In Agricultural Products.
Sensitive and point-of-care detection of small toxic molecules plays a key role in food safety. Aflatoxin, a typical small toxic molecule, can cause serious healthcare and economic issues, thereby promoting the development of sensitive and point-of-care detection. Although ELISA is one of the official detection methods, it cannot fill the gap between sensitivity and point-of-care […]