Exposure of aflatoxin-producing cultures of Aspergillus flavus to different pulsed electric field (PEF), reduced Bi and Gi toxin production. In recently inoculated cultures, continuous as well as 12 hrs exposure, every two days, to 50 Hz PEF resulted in the highest toxin decrease. Exposure of four-day old cultures to 0.50 and 50 Hz, as a daily treatment for 0.5-24 hr, reduced production by 75.53 and 82.75%, respectively. Increasing PEF from 100 to 400 Hz caused slight decrease in production, through the remarkable increase at 800 Hz. The highest amounts of aflatoxins Bi and Gi were associated with applying PEF strengths of 500 and 400 Hz, respectively. The multiple exposure at different PEF ranging from 800 to 500 Hz decreased production by 99.0 % maximum. It is worth to note that the Bi aflatoxin was undetectable at different combined PEF strengths. Multiple exposure of yellow com grains over 21 days to a combined treatment reduced the amount of aflatoxin, in either non-inoculated or in grains inoculated with A. flavus, compared to the check. Negligible changes were observed in protein and carbohydrates contents of the treated grains. |
