Biological control of AFB1-producing Aspergillus section Flavi strains isolated from brewer's grains,alternative feed intended for swine production in Argentina

The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from brewer's grains on Aspergillus section Flavi growth and aflatoxin B₁ production. The Aspergillus strains tested were inhibited by all the LAB strains assayed. The isolates Lactobacillus brevis B20, P. pentosaceus B86, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis B87, L. brevis B131, and Lactobacillus sp. B144 completely suppressed the fungal growth and reduced aflatoxin B₁ production. In conclusion, LAB isolated from brewer's grains show a high inhibitory activity on fungal growth and aflatoxin biosynthesis by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Further studies must be conducted to evaluate the success of in vitro assays under food environment conditions and to elucidate the antifungal mechanism of these strains.     

Evaluation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains as probiotic agent with aflatoxin B1 adsorption ability for use in poultry feedstuffs

In this study the aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) removal capacity, the tolerance to salivary and gastrointestinal conditions, autoaggregation and coaggregation with pathogenic bacteria of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from broiler feces, were evaluated. Only four of twelve isolated strains were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae using molecular techniques. The results obtained in AFB₁ binding studies indicated that the amount of AFB₁ removed was both strain and mycotoxin-concentration dependent. Therefore, a theoretical model was applied in order to select the most efficient strain to remove AFB₁ in a wide range of mycotoxin concentration. The results indicated that S. cerevisiae 08 and S. cerevisiae 01 strains were the most efficient microorganisms in the mycotoxin removal. Viability on simulated salivary and gastrointestinal conditions was investigated and S. cerevisiae 08 strain showed the best results, achieving 98% of total survival whereas S. cerevisiae 01 reached only 75%. Autoaggregation and coaggregation assays showed S. cerevisiae 08 as the most appropriate strain, mainly because it was the unique strain able to coaggregate with the four bacterial pathogens assayed. Consequently, S. cerevisiae 08 is the best candidate for future in vivo studies useful to prevent aflatoxicosis. Further quantitative in vitro and in vivo studies are required to evaluate the real impact of yeast-binding activity on the bioavailability of AFB₁ in poultry. However, this study could be useful in selecting efficient strains in terms of AFB₁ binding and provide an important contribution to research into microorganisms with potential probiotic effects on the host.     

Influence of the pesticides glyphosate,chlorpyrifos and atrazine on growth parameters of nonochratoxigenic Aspergillus section Nigri strains isolated from agricultural soils

This investigation was undertake to determine the effect of glyphosate, chlorpyrifos and atrazine on the lag phase and growth rate of nonochratoxigenic A. niger aggregate strains growing on soil extract medium at ?0.70, ?2.78 and ?7.06 MPa. Under certain conditions, the glyphosate concentrations used significantly increased micelial growth as compared to control. An increase of about 30% was observed for strain AN 251 using 5 and 20 mg L^?1 of glyphosate at ?2.78 MPa. The strains behaved differently in the presence of the insecticide chlorpyrifos. A significant decrease in growth rate, compared to control, was observed for all strains except AN 251 at ?2.78 MPa with 5 mg L^?1. This strain showed a significant increase in growth rate. With regard to atrazine, significant differences were observed only under some conditions compared to control. An increase in growth rate was observed for strain AN 251 at ?2.78 MPa with 5 and 10 mg L^?1 of atrazine. By comparison, a reduction of 25% in growth rate was observed at ?7.06 MPa and higher atrazine concentrations. This study shows that glyphosate, chlorpyrifos and atrazine affect the growth parameters of nonochratoxigenic A. niger aggregate strains under in vitro conditions.     

Effects of probiotic bacteria on the bioaccessibility of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A using an in vitro digestion model under fed conditions

In the present study, we aimed at determining the release of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and ochratoxin A (OTA) from different food products in the gastro-intestinal tract in the absence and presence of probiotics, a possible adsorbent. The average bioaccessibility of AFB₁ and OTA without probiotics was about 90%, and 30%, respectively, depending on several factors, such as food product, contamination level, compound and type of contamination (spiked versus naturally contaminated). The six probiotic bacteria showed varying binding capacity to AFB₁ and OTA depending on the bacterial strain, toxin studied, type of food and contamination level. A reduction to a maximum of 37% and 73% as observed for the bioaccessibility of AFB₁ and OTA in the presence of probiotic bacteria, respectively. This is the first report on the effect of probiotic bacteria on reducing the fraction of mycotoxins available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract from different food products.     

Factors affecting the removal of aflatoxin M1 from food model by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains

This paper describes the ability of six dairy strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to remove aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and reconstituted milk. Bacteria were incubated in both PBS and reconstituted milk containing 5, 10 and 20 ng mL^?1 for 0, 4 and 24 h at 37°C. After centrifugation the concentration of AFM₁ was determined in the supernatant fraction using high-performance liquid chromatography. The binding abilities of AFM₁ by viable (10⁸ CFU mL^?1) and heat-killed Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains in PBS ranged from 10.22 to 26.65% and 14.04 to 28.97%, respectively. Similarly, AFM₁-binding capacity in reconstituted milk was found to range from 7.85 to 25.94% and from 12.85 to 27.31% for viable and heat-killed bacteria, respectively within 4 h. While B. bifidum Bb 13 was the best binder, the poorest removal was achieved by L. acidophilus NCC 68. Binding was reversible, and a small proportion of AFM₁ was released back into the solution. The toxin concentration and incubation period had no effect on the removal of AFM₁ by bacteria both in PBS and reconstituted milk.