Pest Management Science (2006) 62, 775-784

Andrea V. Nesci and Miriam G. Etcheverry (2006)
Control of Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin production using natural maize phytochemicals under different conditions of water activity
Pest Management Science 62 (8), 775-784
Abstract: The effects of the natural phytochemicals trans-cinnamic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA) alone at concentrations of 1-25 mM and in 16 combinations (M: mixtures) on growth and aflatoxin B₁ production by Aspergillus flavus Link and A. parasiticus Speare were evaluated. Studies on growth rate and aflatoxin B₁ production were carried out in vitro in relation to a water activity aw of 0.999, 0.971, 0.955 and 0.937. Overall, CA at concentrations of 10 and 20 mM and FA-CA mixtures M3 (20 + 5 mM respectively), M8 (25 + 5 mM), M9 (1 + 10 mM), M10 (10 + 10 mM), M11 (20 + 10 mM), M12 (25 + 10 mM), M13 (1 + 20 mM), M14 (10 + 20 mM), M15 (20 + 20 mM) and M16 (25 + 20 mM) were the treatments most effective at inhibiting growth of the four species assayed. All strains were much more sensitive to all natural phytochemicals tested on growth rate at aw = 0.937. CA and the FA-CA mixtures M1 (1 + 1 mM respectively), M4 (25 + 1 mM), M5 (1 + 5 mM), M6 (10 + 1 mM), M7 (20 + 1 mM), M8 (25 + 5 mM), M9 (1 + 10 mM), M10 (10 + 10 mM), M11 (20 + 10 mM), M12 (25 + 10 mM), M13 (1 + 20 mM), M14 (10 + 20 mM), M15 (20 + 20 mM) and M16 (25 + 20 mM) completely inhibited aflatoxin B₁ production by all strains at aw = 0.999, 0.971, 0.955 and 0.937. Decreased aflatoxin B₁ levels in comparison with the control were observed with FA at 1, 10, 20 and 25 mM with the strains RCM89, RCM108 and RCM38 at aw = 0.971, 0.955 and 0.999 respectively. The data show that CA and FA can be considered as effective fungitoxicants for A. flavus and A. parasiticus in in vitro assay. The information obtained is part of an ongoing study to determine their application at the storage level.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Miriam G. Etcheverry

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aspergillus flavus (plant/storage disease)
	Aspergillus parasiticus