This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Buchanan, R L Articles by Jones, S B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Buchanan, R L Articles by Jones, S B Agricola Articles by Buchanan, R L Articles by Jones, S B

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 November; 46(5): 1193-1200

Caffeine inhibition of aflatoxin production: mode of action.

ABSTRACT

Evaluation of caffeine and a number of related methylxanthines indicated that the ability of the compound to inhibit growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus is highly specific and does not involve an inhibition of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. Supplementation of the culture medium with purine bases, nucleosides, and nucleotides suggested that the inhibition of fungal growth could be partially overcome by adenine or guanine but that the purines had little effect on the inhibition of aflatoxin production. Likewise, increasing the levels of trace minerals did not overcome the inhibition of toxin production. Electron microscopic evaluation of caffeine-treated and -untreated cultures indicated that the compound produced observable changes in the ultrastructure of the fungus.