The effect of different levels of Citric acid, Propionic acid, and Bacillus subtilis on the production of Aflatoxin from Aspergillus flavus

AbstractAflatoxin is considered as one of the most dangerous fungal toxins for human and animals. Crops contaminated with aflatoxin, causing economic losses in agriculture, food and livestock industries. In the present study, the effect of different concentrations of citric acid, propionic acid, and BsP4 strain of Bacillus subtilis on production of aflatoxin B1 by Aspergillus flavus was evaluated. Five treatment concentrations (0, 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 1.25 percent of compounds), in four replications were used to compare the production of aflatoxin. Appropriate concentration of the compounds were prepared and added to the PDA culture medium (Potato dextrose agar). After 21 days, the produced fungi on the PDA environment culture media were transmitted to rice containing flasks. Four flasks allocated to each studied concentration (20 flasks per each compound). The amount of aflatoxin B1 produced by each of the mentioned groups was measured by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The lowest yield of aflatoxin production (1.2 ppm) was extracted from strain BsP4 of Bacillus subtilis in 1.25 percent concentration. The highest toxin production was observed in the basal treatment (60.8 ppm). The study found that along with increasing in the concentration of citric acid, propionic acid, and BsP4 strain of Bacillus subtilis, the production rate of aflatoxin is diminished to lowest possible rate.