Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252, CEP 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
J Food Prot. 2010 May;73(5):932-7. doi: 10.4315/0362-028x-73.5.932.
This study was developed to evaluate the fungal burden, toxigenic molds, and mycotoxin contamination and to verify the effects of gamma radiation in four kinds of medicinal plants stored before and after 30 days of irradiation treatment. Eighty samples of medicinal plants (Peumus boldus, Camellia sinensis, Maytenus ilicifolia, and Cassia angustifolia) purchased from drugstores, wholesale, and open-air markets in São Paulo city, Brazil, were analyzed. The samples were treated using a (60)Co gamma ray source (Gammacell) with doses of 5 and 10 kGy. Nonirradiated samples were used as controls of fungal isolates. For enumeration of fungi on medicinal plants, serial dilutions of the samples were plated in duplicate onto dichloran 18% glycerol agar. The control samples revealed a high burden of molds, including toxigenic fungi. The process of gamma radiation was effective in reducing the number of CFU per gram in all irradiated samples of medicinal plants after 30 days of storage, using a dose of 10 kGy and maintaining samples in a protective package. No aflatoxins were detected. Gamma radiation treatment can be used as an effective method for preventing fungal deterioration of medicinal plants subject to long-term storage.
本研究旨在评估四种药用植物在辐照处理前后 30 天的真菌负担、产毒霉菌和霉菌毒素污染情况，并验证伽马辐射的影响。从巴西圣保罗市的药店、批发商和露天市场购买了 80 份药用植物（Boldo 叶 Peumus boldus、茶树 Camellia sinensis、马滕斯叶 Maytenus ilicifolia 和狭叶番泻 Cassia angustifolia）样本进行分析。使用 (60)Co 伽马射线源（Gammacell）对样本进行处理，剂量为 5 和 10 kGy。未辐照的样本用作真菌分离物的对照。为了对药用植物上的真菌进行计数，将样品的连续稀释液分别在二氯氰胺 18%甘油琼脂平板上进行平板培养。对照样本显示出高的霉菌负担，包括产毒真菌。在 30 天的储存期后，使用 10 kGy 的剂量并用保护性包装保持样品，辐照处理可有效降低所有辐照处理后的药用植物样本每克 CFU 的数量。未检测到黄曲霉毒素。伽马辐射处理可作为防止长期储存的药用植物发生真菌变质的有效方法。
