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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1975 July; 30(1): 52-57
Copyright © 1975 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Trace Metals on the Production of Aflatoxins by Aspergillus parasiticus

Nutrition Institute, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, and Woodard research Corporation, Herndon, Virginia 22070

ABSTRACT

Certain metals added as salts to a defined basal culture medium influenced the level of aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus in the low microgramsper-milliliter range of the added metal. In many cases no change or a relatively small change in mat weight and final pH of the medium accompanied this effect. With zinc at added levels of 0 to 10 µg/ml in the medium, aflatoxin increased 30-to 1,000-fold with increasing of zinc, whereas mat weight increased less than threefold. At 25 µg of added zinc per ml, aflatoxin decreased, but mat weight did not. At an added level of 25 µg or less of the metal per ml, salts of iron, manganese, copper, cadmium, trivalent chromium, silver, and mercury partly or completely inhibited aflatoxin production, without influencing mat weight.

¹ Present address: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C. 20204.