International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria.
Department of Microbiology, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo 121103, Nigeria.
Toxins (Basel). 2019 Jul 22;11(7):429. doi: 10.3390/toxins11070429.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, chili peppers are fundamental ingredients of many traditional dishes. However, chili peppers may contain unsafe aflatoxin concentrations produced by section fungi. Aflatoxin levels were determined in chili peppers from three states in Nigeria. A total of 70 samples were collected from farmers' stores and local markets. Over 25% of the samples contained unsafe aflatoxin concentrations. The chili peppers were associated with both aflatoxin producers and atoxigenic genotypes. Efficacy of an atoxigenic biocontrol product, Aflasafe, registered in Nigeria for use on maize and groundnut, was tested for chili peppers grown in three states. Chili peppers treated with Aflasafe accumulated significantly less aflatoxins than nontreated chili peppers. The results suggest that Aflasafe is a valuable tool for the production of safe chili peppers. Use of Aflasafe in chili peppers could reduce human exposure to aflatoxins and increase chances to commercialize chili peppers in premium local and international markets. This is the first report of the efficacy of any atoxigenic biocontrol product for controlling aflatoxin in a spice crop.
在撒哈拉以南非洲，辣椒是许多传统菜肴的基本成分。然而，辣椒可能含有不安全的黄曲霉毒素浓度，由真菌产生。本文测定了尼日利亚三个州辣椒中的黄曲霉毒素水平。共从农民商店和当地市场收集了 70 个样本。超过 25%的样本含有不安全的黄曲霉毒素浓度。这些辣椒与产黄曲霉毒素的真菌和无毒性基因类型都有关联。Aflasafe 是一种在尼日利亚注册的用于玉米和花生的无毒性生防产品，本文测试了其在尼日利亚三个州种植的辣椒的功效。用 Aflasafe 处理的辣椒积累的黄曲霉毒素明显少于未处理的辣椒。结果表明，Aflasafe 是生产安全辣椒的一种有价值的工具。在辣椒中使用 Aflasafe 可以减少人类接触黄曲霉毒素的机会，并增加在当地和国际优质市场上销售辣椒的机会。这是首次报道任何无毒性生防产品在控制香料作物黄曲霉毒素方面的功效。
