Degradation of aflatoxin by lactoperoxidase.

Three concentrations of lactoperoxidase, 5, 50, and 500 units/ml of reaction mixture, degraded aflatoxin in the presence of 225 micrometer NaCl and 50 micrometer H2O2 at 28 degrees C. Increasing the amount of lactoperoxidase from 50 to 500 units/ml of reaction mixture resulted in increasing the rate of degradation of aflatoxin B1 from 3.6 to 5.1%/24 h. When comparable amounts of lactoperoxidase were present, aflatoxin G1 was degraded approximately 1.5 times faster than was aflatoxin B1. At a given concentration of lactoperoxidase, aflatoxin degradation was independent of initial aflatoxin concentration. Derivatives that cochromatographed with aflatoxin B2a and derivatives that were water soluble were the major degradation products of aflatoxin B1. Similar derivatives, but in greater proportions, were noted as degradation products that resulted from activity of a blendure of mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus.