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Aflatoxigenic Fungi in Food Grains: Detection, Its Impact on Handlers and Management Strategies

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Current Trends in Plant Disease Diagnostics and Management Practices

Part of the book series: Fungal Biology ((FUNGBIO))

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Abstract

Fungi are a major cause of spoilage in stored food grain. Aspergillus is a saprophytic fungus ubiquitously present in the environment. It is a mycotoxin producing fungus that predominately infects food grains. Preharvest contamination of food commodities by toxigenic fungi results in production of mycotoxins under favourable conditions and these organisms can be carried over into and persist during storage of the commodity.

Aim of this chapter is to provide an insight into current research in the field of Aspergillus contamination of food grains, its impact on workers handling these commodities, diagnostic tools for identification of aflatoxins and current as well as future prospects of technologies that minimize aflatoxin contamination of food grains.

Samples of wheat and maize were collected from field godowns and home storage and cultured to detect the presence of Aspergillus infection of grains. 37.5 % of the samples revealed growth of Aspergillus species. Predominant species isolated was A. flavus (31.25 %). Culture analysis revealed that 25 % of wheat samples and 50 % of maize samples were infected with Aspergillus.

Aflatoxins are economically important mycotoxins. They are known hepatotoxins and are among the most potent naturally occurring carcinogen. There is also some evidence of association of aflatoxins with respiratory toxicity. Acute aflatoxicosis epidemics have occurred in various parts of Asia and Africa causing significant mortality.

Agricultural work environment holds the potential for exposure to this biohazard. Detection of aflatoxin-albumin adduct by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum of food grain workers in the same region revealed that there was a significant positive association of aflatoxin in serum of food grain workers as compared to other occupations.

To reduce the health risk associated with aflatoxins, agricultural industry is committing considerable resources to prevent or at least minimize the production of aflatoxin in food grains. Novel methods have been designed to prevent as well as control the hazards of aflatoxigenic fungi.

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  1. Department of Microbiology, Janakpuri Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi, India

    Sana Ali

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  1. Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben Gurion University of The Negev, Beersheva, Israel

    Pradeep Kumar

  2. MGBG, Biochemistry, National Univ of Ireland Galway, Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Vijai Kumar Gupta

  3. Uttar Pradesh Council of Sugarcane, Shahjahnapur, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ajay Kumar Tiwari

  4. Dryland Biotechnology, Ben Gurion University of The Negev, Beersheva, Israel

    Madhu Kamle

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Ali, S. (2016). Aflatoxigenic Fungi in Food Grains: Detection, Its Impact on Handlers and Management Strategies. In: Kumar, P., Gupta, V., Tiwari, A., Kamle, M. (eds) Current Trends in Plant Disease Diagnostics and Management Practices. Fungal Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27312-9_20

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