• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 1997

We have reported a sensitive, specific and simple direct competitive ELISA method to detect aflatoxin in agricultural commodities. We evaluated the ELISA for practical use to detect aflatoxins contaminated in the domestic and foreign agricultural commodities. The detection limits of the direct ELISA for residual aflatoxins in rice, pine nuts, corns, almonds, bean nuts, and pistachio were 10 ppb and in peanuts and cashew nuts were 20 ppb, which were elucidated from the standard curves of ELISA for aflatoxin fortified into the agricultural commodities. Residue studies of naturally contaminated aflatoxins in the agricultural commodities were also carried out by using direct ELISA. As the results of the studies, it was revealed that there were no residues of aflatoxins in 20 rice samples produced in south Korea, 20 pine nut samples in south Korea (9 samples), USA (1 sample) and China (10 samples), each of 20 almond, pistachio and bean nut samples in USA. However, aflatoxin residues were detected in corn samples imported from north Korea (350∼585 ppb in 2 of 3 samples), from USA (109*326 ppb in 6 of 6 samples) and domestic corns (61-326 ppb in 7 of 17 samples). The toxins were contaminated in corn imported from USA for popcorn (17∼20 ppb, in 3 of 10 samples) whereas no residues were detected in corn from south Korea and China. In case of cashew nuts imported from India, 11.4∼23.1 ppb of aflatoxins were detected in 4 from 20 samples. Most of the contaminated foods were harvested before 1995. Thus, hygienic managements of the foods should be required during storage and circulation at market.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.117-126
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• 1984

Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites which are produced by trains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus during their growth on foods and feedstuffs. Aflatoxins are a group of closely related heterocyclic compounds of which $B_1$, $B_2$, and $G_2$ are the major members. Aflatoxins are synthesized via a polyketide pathway in which the general steps are acetate, an-thraquinones, xanthone and aflatoxins. Aflatoxin formation is favored by high moisture or high $a_w$(0.95${\sim}$0.99). The limiting $a_w$ for aflatoxin production on agricultural commodities is 0.83. Optimum temperature for aflatoxin production by the molds is $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ and the incubation time for the maximum production of the toxin is 7${\sim}$15 days. The limiting temperatures for aflatoxin production are ${\leq}7.5^{\circ}C\;and\;\geq40^{\circ}C$. Cycling temperatures may or may not stimulate aflatoxin production depending on the amplitude of cycling, substrate and strains of molds. Aflatoxin pro-ducing molds are aerobic organisms and thus have a requirement for oxygen. A decreasing $O_2$ concentration and/or increasing concentrations of $CO_2$ or $N_2$ depress the mold growth and aflatoxin formation. A. flavus grows competitively or associatively in the presence of other microorganisms and occasionally loses the competition with other microorganisms. Some lactic acid bacteria have been shown to reduce growth and aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus. Carbon source is the most important nutritional factors affecting aflatoxin formation by the molds. Sucrose, fructose and glucose are the most favorable carbon sources. Food substrates of plant derived products which have high carbohydrate content such as agricultural commodities and their products are most vulnerable to contamination by aflatoxins.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.721-725
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• 1989

Aflatoxin accumulation by Aspergillus flavus in rice was inhibited by A. kawachii and A. Shirousamii so that the rate of toxin accumulation and the maximum concentration of accumulated aflatoxins were considerablly reduced, although the initiation of aflatoxin accumulation was not affected. The maximal accumulated aflatoxin $B_1$ in rice by A. flavus at $28^{\circ}C$ and 85% RH was $40{\mu}g/50g$ rice after 35 days. Under the same condition but the additional inoculation of A. kawachii, $25{\mu}g\;of\;aflatoxin\;B_1$ was accumulated maximally in 50g rice after 45 days. When A. shirousamii was inoculated simultaneously with A. flavus on rice, however, only trace levels of aflatoxins were detected throughout 60 days of storage. Aflatoxins added to rice were reduced by 97% with A. kawachii and by 98% with A. shirousamii after 7 days during rife koji preparation. They were also reduced after 48 Hours of incubation by 30-67%, with A. kawachii koji and by 16-75% with A. shirousamii koji.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2011

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of the molds of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They are highly carcinogenic compounds and can affect a wide range of vegetable commodities such as cereals (especially corn), nuts, peanuts, fruits and oil seeds, in the field and during storage. In fact, oilseeds are often stored for weeks in conditions that promote the mould growth, and the possible consequent presence of aflatoxins in oilseeds can lead to their transfer in oil. In addition, aflatoxins can be found as a natural contaminant in multi-cereals and beans making baby food for infants and young-children. The objective of this study was to validate the liquid extraction method or develop an analytical method for edible oil and infant-children foods. Therefore, this study developed condition of extract for aflatoxins ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$ and $G_2$) in edible oil using a high performance liquid chromatography with florescence detector (HPLC/FLD). Aflatoxins were extracted from edible oil samples by means of MSPD (Matrix solid phased dispersion), utilizing $C_{18}$ as dispersing material and purified by using immunoaffinity column. The gression line coefficients were above 0.999. The recoveries for aflatoxins ranged from 85.9 to 93.0%, and relative standard deviations were below 5.7%. The new developed method of aflatoxins effectively enhanced recoveries by using MSPD-Immunoaffinity column compared with liquid extraction. The analytical method for liquid extraction of aflatoxin was appropriate for infant-children food. Reviewing the current method, the recoveries of aflatoxins ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$ and $G_2$) were 89.5~92.3%.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 2011

This study was performed to investigate contamination levels of aflatoxins, the secondary metabolites produced by fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, in herbal medicine. Herbs is susceptible to these fungi infections through its growth harvest, transport and storage. This study determine the aflatoxin $B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$ and $G_2$ levels by HPLC-florescence detector coupled with photochemical enhancement in 558 samples herbal medicine distributed in Korea and China. Also, We checked a transfer ratio of aflatoxins from raw herbal medicines to herbal medicine extract. Hot water extraction of herbal medicines was prepared by air pressure and high pressure condition. The analytical method for aflatoxins was validated in this method. In results recoveries of the analytical method were ranged from 67.4% to 96.2% and, limits of detection and quantitation for aflatoxins were $0.015{\sim}0.138\;{\mu}g/kg$ and $0.046{\sim}0.418\;{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. According to the results of monitoring on aflatoxins in herbal medicine, aflatoxins 1.7 ug/kg $B_1$ and 0.9 ug/kg $G_1$ were detected in only one sample of Strychni Ignatii Semen, and 0.8 ug/kg $G_1$ in Strychni Semen. About 13.6~51.3% of aflatoxins were transferred to hot water extract. Although the detected levels are under the permitted levels for aflatoxins in herbal medicine, these amounts should be considered in regard to overall daily exposure to mycotoxins.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5987-5991
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• 2015

Our previous study detected aflatoxins in red chili peppers from Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, each of which have a high incidence of gallbladder cancer (GBC). Since the aflatoxin B1 concentration was not so high in these peppers, it is important to clarify the presence of other mycotoxins. Here we attempted to determine any associations between the concentrations of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A (OTA) in red chili peppers, and the corresponding GBC incidences. We collected red chili peppers from three areas in Peru: Trujillo (a high GBC incidence area), Cusco (an intermediate GBC incidence area), and Lima (a low GBC incidence rate), and from Chile and Bolivia. Aflatoxins and OTA were extracted with organic solvents. The concentrations of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2, and OTA were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The values obtained were compared with the incidence of GBC in each area or country. All of the red chili peppers from the three areas showed contamination with aflatoxins below the Commission of the European Communities (EC) recommended limits ($5{\mu}g/kg$), but the OTA contamination of two samples was above the EC recommended limit ($15{\mu}g/kg$). The mean concentrations of OTA in the peppers from Chile (mean $355{\mu}g/kg$, range < $5-1,059{\mu}g/kg$) and Bolivia (mean $207{\mu}g/kg$, range $0.8-628{\mu}g/kg$), which has a high incidence of GBC, were higher than that in Peru ($14{\mu}g/kg$, range < $5-47{\mu}g/kg$), which has an intermediate GBC incidence. The OTA contamination in the red chili peppers from Chile, Bolivia, and Peru was stronger than that of aflatoxins. Our data suggest that OTA in red chili peppers may be associated with the development of GBC.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.201-205
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• 1973

In order to eliminate aflatoxin in foodstuffs, the effects of the treatment by various pH conditions, acid and alkali, and salt on each temperature and time were studied in this experiment and the results were as follows: 1) In the low pH, aflatoxins were much more destroyed than high pH. The destruction of aflatoxins was significantly increased by heat in the same pH levels. 2) BY the treatment of 1.5 and 10% of sodium hydroxide and ammonia, aflatoxins were completely eliminated, but $40{\sim}80%$ of aflatoxins were eliminated by the treatment of 1.5 and 10% of acetic acid, hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. 3) By the treatment of aflatoxin in bile acid and artificial gastric juice, aflatoxins were completly eliminated and 75% respectively. 4) By the boiling $(100^{\circ}C)$ for 30 minutes in salt solution, $39{\sim}55%$ of aflatoxins was eliminated and no variation was observed as the concentration.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2003

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.51-62
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• 1982

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.48-55
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• 1995

This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Aloe vera on the growth and aflatoxin production of Aspergillus parasiticus. Spore suspension of A. parasiticus ATCC 15517 was inoculated on the yeast-extract sucrose broth containing 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 10.0% of chloroform extract of Aloe vera and then incubated at 30$\circ$C for 7 days. Mycelial weight was 160.7 mg/5ml in control group and decreased by the addition of the extract with no significance. The mold caused decrease in pH of the media with and without the extract. pH in the group contained 10.0% of the extract showed significantly higher value of 5.10 than that of 4.90 in control group (p<0.05). Fluorescence spots of four aflatoxins were observed under the 365 nm of UV light after extraction of the media and TLC. In the result of separation and determination by HPLC, the aflatoxins were produced in the order of $B_1, G_1, B_2$ and $G_2$ in all groups. Production of aflatoxins $B_1, B_2$ and $G_1$ was reduced by the addition of the extract and decreased as amount of the extract increased. The production of aflatoxins $B_1$ and $B_2$ significantly reduced when the media contained more than 1.0% of the extract, and $G_1$ more than 0.5%, respectively(p<0.05). No reduction and no significant difference among groups were observed in case of aflatoxin $G_2$. With the above result, the extract of Aloe vera reduced the production of aflatoxin by A. parasiticus though it did not inhibit mycelial growth.