Characterization of sclerotia from environmental strains of Aspergillus flavus and their relationship with the mycotoxins production
Keywords:
fungi, environment, aflatoxins, cyclopiazonic acidAbstract
Aspergillus flavus Link is frequently isolated fungi in environmental studies.
This species produces sclerotia, a phenotypic feature that has been related to
the production of aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid. The objective of this study
was to analyze the characteristics of the sclerotia of environmental strains of
A. flavus due to their relationship with mycotoxin biogenesis. The sclerotia of
14 strains from the Microbial Culture Collection of the Faculty of Biology were
measured and the qualitative detection of aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid
was performed. All sclerotia produced were of the L morphotype (> 400 μm)
and the presence of aflatoxins or cyclopiazonic acid was not detected.
Knowledge of the morphological characteristics of these resistance structures
and their relationship to the biogenesis of mycotoxins in populations of this
species contributes to knowledge of their diversity in the neotropics.