LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2022
·
IF 6.056
Yanbin Wang,Yifeng Zhou,Yuchuan Qin,Liling Wang
The purpose of this study was to predict the optimal storage conditions for inhibiting aflatoxin production in upland rice seeds inoculated with Aspergillus flavus . The effects of storage conditions including moisture (A), temperature (B) and incubation time (C) on aflatoxin (AFG1, AFG2, AFB1, AFB2 and AFTOT) production in upland rice seed after inoculation of A. flavus were studied by response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken Design (BBD). The concentration range of AFG1, AFG2, AFB2, AFB1 and AFTOT were 0.031–9.078 μg/kg, 0–2.766 μg/kg, 0.021–3.478 μg/kg, 1.145–43.433 μg/kg and 1.197–58.755 μg/kg, respectively. Analysis of model variance indicated that moisture and incubation time (AC) exhibited an extremely significant interaction effect on AFG1, AFB2, AFB1 and AFTOT ( p < 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis showed that AFG1, AFG2, AFB1, and AFTOT were the least under the incubation temperature of 35 °C or 15 °C, incubation time less than 15 d, and moisture less than 10% or 10.2%, respectively. After best point prediction and validation, the minimum total aflatoxin (AFTOT) concentration was close to 0 μg/kg under the predicted conditions (A = 35 °C, B = 15 days, C = 10%).
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FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
·
2026
·
IF 5.4
Xiyu Cao,Xuran Fu,Jiadi Sun,Honglin Yan,Jin Ye,Wei Wang,Xiulan Sun
Maize is frequently contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs), posing a significant global food safety threat. Understanding how environmental factors regulate fungal toxigenesis under global warming is crucial. This study systematically investigated the in vitro stress responses of Aspergillus flavus , Aspergillus parasiticus , and Fusarium verticillioides (strains isolated from contaminated maize) across broad gradients of temperature (15-40 °C) and water activity (0.93-0.995 a w ). Phenotypically, primary and secondary metabolism exhibited striking divergence: A. flavus grew optimally at 30 °C and 0.98 a w , yet intriguingly accumulated peak AFB 2 specifically under severe drought stress (0.93 a w ). A. parasiticus showed broad thermal adaptability for growth, but its AFB 1 production was strictly confined to 25 °C. F. verticillioides maximized FB 1 at 20 °C and 0.98 a w ,. Transcriptomics revealed novel regularity underlying these patterns: under drought stress, A. flavus AFB 2 biosynthesis uniquely decoupled from the classical aflM -dependent pathway via metabolic flux redirection; lepI was identified as an unprecedentedly strict temperature-dependent switch for A. parasiticus AFB 1 ; and a FUM13 -centric hub network coordinated FB 1 synthesis in F. verticillioides . These findings provide a theoretical basis for developing targeted mycotoxin mitigation strategies under environmental factors change.
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高影响因子
FOOD CONTROL
·
2024
·
IF 5.6
Yuqi Yang,Weibin Ma,Eric T. Johnson,Yanli Xie,Renyong Zhao
The contamination of peanuts with aflatoxins predominantly produced by Aspergillus flavus poses a worldwide threat to both food safety and agricultural economies. Antifungal compounds from natural sources may offer a safe and effective alternative strategy to control A. flavus in peanuts. We evaluated the contact and fumigant antifungal effects of three natural branched medium-chain fatty acids (branched-MCFAs), ( E )-2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, and 2-methylheptanoic acid against A . flavus relative to their straight-chain isomers and sorbic acid a commonly used preservative. In vitro experiments showed that the inhibitory effects of these three branched-MCFAs on A. flavus were stronger than their straight-chain isomers and sorbic acid. In addition, fumigant effects of the branched-MCFAs were more effective than their direct contact inhibitory effects against the growth of A. flavus . 2-Methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, and ( E )-2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid showed significant fumigant activity, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.10, 0.10, and 0.12 g/l air, respectively. Fumigation of these branched-MCFAs also significantly slowed the growth of A. flavus in peanut seeds, and completely inhibited A. flavus growth at 2.0 g/l air. After 24 h of fumigation exposure to the branched-MCFAs, the fumigated A. flavus on medium or peanut seeds was re-incubated to observe whether the A. flavus could continue to grow, and the results revealed that the in vitro and in vivo minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC) were 0.15 and 2.5 g/l air, respectively. This study indicated that these three natural branched-MCFAs have strong antifungal fumigation activity with application potential in protecting peanut seeds from A. flavus contamination during storage.
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PLoS Pathogens
·
2026
·Vol. 22
·期 3
·e1014021
·
IF 4.9
Dongmei Ma,Yanfang Yao,Chi Yang,Hong Lin,Minghui Sun,Yuanyuan Gao,Wenwen Xin,Dandan Wu,Kangfu Ye,Wenxin Luo,Zhenhong Zhuang,Shihua Wang
Aspergillus flavus is the second most prevalent species of Aspergillus causing invasive aspergillosis, but its treatment efforts had been hindered by the continuous emergence of drug-resistant fungal strains, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the role of the chromatin remodeling factor Arp9 in A. flavus drug-resistant. We show that Arp9 up-regulates the chromatin accessibility of the Erg3 and Erg6 promoters, thereby increasing their transcription levels and enhancing ergosterol synthesis. Therefore, the absence of Arp9 enhances A. flavus sensitivity to amphotericin B (AMB). Additionally, by down-regulating chromatin accessibility of Erg11A gene promoter, Arp9 leads to the decrease of its transcription level and subsequently reduces A. flavus resistance to voriconazole (VOR). Co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Arp9 exists in both SWI/SNF and RSC complex. Drug susceptibility test results indicated that the drug sensitivity response induced by Arp9 may be unique to Arp9, as neither SWP82 of the SWI/SNF nor Sth1 of the RSC is required. The role of Arp9 in drug-resistance was also confirmed using the Galleria mellonella model. Furthermore, we found that VOR induces aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) biosynthesis in an Arp9-dependent manner at 35°C and 37°C, and the effect is dramatically magnified in the VOR-resistant A. flavus strain. This study demonstrates that Arp9 plays a critical role in regulating fungal drug-resistance in vitro and in vivo and revealed that Arp9 is an important factor in enhancing AFB1 biosynthesis under Mammalian physiological temperatures. This study provides potential new insights for the control of the infections caused by filamentous pathogenic fungi.
As the notorious aflatoxin producing pathogenic fungi in agriculture and medicine, Aspergillus flavus is widely distributed, contaminating various crops, and inducing invasive aspergillosis mainly to immunodeficiency-patients. Since the drug-resistant clinical A. flavus strains is continuously emergent, the underlying mechanisms urgently needs to be explored. This study demonstrates that chromatin remodeling factor Arp9 is a key switch in A. flavus drug-resistance. It reduces the resistance of A. flavus to VOR by down-regulating the expression of Erg11A . Additionally, Arp9 decreases the sensitivity of A. flavus to AMB by up-regulating ergosterol synthesis. And the role of Arp9 in drug-resistance in vivo was further verified by the G. mellonella model. More importantly, our study is the first to discover that Arp9 promotes AFB1 biosynthesis at mammalian physiological temperature (from 35°C to 37°C) under VOR stress, especially in VOR-resistant strain. This study reveals the important role of chromatin remodeling factor Arp9 in fungal drug-resistance, and provides a potential key target for the treatment of A. flavus infections.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
·
2022
·
IF 5.911
Weibin Ma,Luling Zhao,Eric T. Johnson,Yanli Xie,Mingming Zhang
Natural food flavour ( E )-2-hexenal, a green leaf volatile, exhibits potent antifungal activity on Aspergillus flavus , but its antifungal mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated ( E )-2-hexenal-induced apoptosis in A. flavus conidia and explored the underlying mechanisms of action. Evidence of apoptosis in A. flavus conidia were investigated by methods including fluorescent staining, flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscope, and spectral analysis. Results indicated that 4.0 μL/mL (minimum fungicidal concentration, MFC) of ( E )-2-hexenal application induced early markers of apoptotic cell death in A. flavus conidia with a rate of 38.4% after 6 h exposure. Meanwhile, typical hallmarks of apoptosis, such as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), activated metacaspase activity, fragmented DNA, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening and cytochrome c (Cyt C) release from mitochondria to the cytosol were also confirmed. Furthermore, intracellular ATP levels were reduced by 63.3 ± 3.6% and reactive oxygen species (ROS) positive cells increased by 31.1 ± 3.1% during A. flavus apoptosis induced by ( E )-2-hexenal. l -Cysteine (Cys), an antioxidant, could strongly block the excess ROS generation caused by ( E )-2-hexenal, which correspondingly resulted in a significant inhibition of MPTP opening and decrease of apoptosis in A. flavus , indicating that ROS palys a pivotal role in ( E )-2-hexenal-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that ( E )-2-hexenal exerts its antifungal effect on A. flavus conidia via a ROS-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
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高影响因子
FOOD CONTROL
·
2025
·
IF 6.3
Gang Yang,Xinrui Zhang,Muying Du,Kewei Chen,András Nagy,Krisztina Takács,Ferenc Hegyi,Amel Ahmed Ibrahim,Nassra Dabour,Sameh Awad,Zsolt Zalán,Jianquan Kan
Corn is highly susceptible to pathogen invasion, such as Aspergillus flavus , leading to aflatoxin contamination and posing a significant threat to food safety. Yeasts are widely applied in the food industry, and the use of yeasts for pathogen control as an alternative to physical and chemical methods has gained increasing attention. Previous studies have investigated the aflatoxin-degrading capability of Geotrichum candidum XG1 (an unconventional yeast), but its antifungal activity and application potential have not been explored. In this study, the antifungal activity of G. candidum XG1 was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo , and its impact on corn quality was investigated. The mechanisms and safety of the yeast were also further examined. The results indicated that G. candidum XG1 significantly inhibited A. flavus , reducing the fungus and aflatoxin contamination by over 90% on corn. A 75-day storage experiment assessing changes in corn color, starch, protein, fat, and fatty acid values revealed that G. candidum XG1 had minimal impact on corn quality. Compared to the control group (infected with A. flavus ), it significantly reduced the quality deterioration caused by A. flavus invasion. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified phenylethyl alcohol as a key compound involved in the antifungal activity of the yeast. Phenylethyl alcohol inhibited A. flavus by affecting its cell morphology, energy metabolism, and defense systems. Safety evaluations, including whole-genome sequencing and animal trials, confirmed the safety of the strain. This study provides valuable insights into the application of antagonists like G. candidum XG1 for controlling pathogen in corn.
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POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 6.8
Lijun Ling,Rongxiu Mo,Wenyue Zhang,Yijuan Jiang,Fanjin Kong,Lijun Feng,Yao Li,Rui Yue,Yongpeng Zhou
The antifungal activity of six microbial-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [ 3-hepten-2-one (Hep), cis-3-octen-1-ol, 3-methylvalerate, isovalerate, 1-octen-3-ol (Oct), and 2-methylbutyrate] against Aspergillus flavus was investigated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). The results demonstrated that all 15 binary combinations of the VOCs presented additive effects against A. flavus . Among them, the combination of Hep and Oct, refers to C OH , with concentrations of 2 μL L −1 and 2.5 μL L −1 , respectively, displayed the most potent antifungal effect with the lowest concentration, in contrast to the individual MIC of Hep or Oct, which were reduced to 1/8 and 1/2. C OH can induce membrane lipid peroxidation, enhance cell membrane permeability, and cause leakage of nucleic acids and proteins within the cell, and 1-octen-3-ol might play a leading role. Finally, applying C OH at a concentration of 1/2 MIC Oct + 1/4 MIC Hep could effectively restrain the spread of A. flavus on wolfberries and exhibit excellent preservation effects. This study validates the antifungal effect of C OH and may serve as a natural alternative to antimicrobial agents for post-harvest agricultural products.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2020
·Vol. 56
·期 1
·178-184
·
IF 2.773
Qian Li,Xiaoman Zhu,Yanli Xie,Shilin Ren
Summary This study investigated the antifungal activity and the potential antifungal mechanisms of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (HMB) against Aspergillus flavus ( A. flavus ). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of HMB in preventing spore germination was 70 μg mL −1 . HMB at MIC disrupted cell wall integrity by reducing the number of septa by 86.66% ( P < 0.05) in mycelia and increased cell membrane permeability by about 14-fold ( P < 0.05) evidenced by propidium iodide (PI) staining. Furthermore, HMB at MIC inhibited respiration by 33.33%. These results revealed that the antifungal activity of HMB against A. flavus could be attributed to the damaged cell wall integrity, cell membrane permeability and respiration metabolism. What’s more, A. flavus was completely restrained in corn kernels due to HMB. Therefore, HMB could be applied as an effective antifungal agent.
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高影响因子
FOOD CONTROL
·
2021
·
IF 5.548
Weibin Ma,Eric T. Johnson
Strategies for preventing the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi in agricultural commodities need to be identified. In this study, sorbaldehyde and ( E , E )-2,4-heptadienal, two natural aldehydes as derivatives of the common food preservative sorbic acid, were investigated for their antifungal efficacy as fumigants against Aspergillus flavus in stored peanut seeds. In vitro assays demonstrated that both sorbaldehyde and ( E , E )-2,4-heptadienal exhibited stronger inhibitory effects on A. flavus than sorbic acid. Moreover, the vapor phase of these two aldehydes were much more effective than direct contact on A. flavus growth. ( E , E )-2,4-Heptadienal showed higher fumigant activity than sorbaldehyde, with 50% effective concentration (EC 50 ) values of 1.5 and 2.6 mg/l air, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 16 and 8 mg/l air, respectively. Furthermore, fumigation with sorbaldehyde or ( E , E )-2,4-heptadienal could significantly reduce and delay A. flavus growth in stored peanut seeds, and the infection was completely inhibited by 100 mg/l air sorbaldehyde or 75 mg/l air ( E , E )-2,4-heptadienal. These results revealed that ( E , E )-2,4-heptadienal, a natural food flavour with better safety than sorbaldehyde, has high potential as an antifungal fumigant for protecting peanut seeds from contamination of A. flavus during storage.
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Foods
·
2021
·Vol. 10
·期 12
·2951
·
IF 4.35
Qian Li,Ying Zhao,Yanli Xie
Paeonol can effectively inhibitAspergillus flavus(A. flavus) via damaging cell walls. In this work, paeonol treatment remarkably destroyed both the outer amorphous layer and the inner fibrous layer of cell walls. Furthermore, FT-IR and XPS characterization showed that OH functional groups were altered and proteins in the outer layer were released. According to proteomic analysis, 605 proteins have been identified and annotated. The activities of β-1,3-glucan synthase and chitinase were prohibited and promoted, respectively, by paeonol treatment, however, the activities of β-1,3-glucanase and chitin synthase were not influenced. QRT-PCR results suggested thatFKSP,CHIIII, andCHIVgenes might be the antifungal targets of paeonol. In addition, paeonol can effectively restrain the pathogenicity ofA. flavuson peanut butter. This study provided a new elucidation on the mode of action of paeonol against cell walls ofA. flavus, facilitating the application of paeonol in the preservation of agricultural products.Keywords:paeonol;Aspergillus flavus;cell walls
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