Aflatoxin production by entomopathogenic isolates of Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus

• Published in: Journal of invertebrate pathology Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 332 - 336
• Main Authors: Drummond, Jane, Pinnock, Dudley E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.05.1990; Elsevier
• Subjects: aflatoxin; AFLATOXINAS; AFLATOXINE; AFLATOXINS; Aflatoxins - biosynthesis; Animals; ASPERGILLUS; Aspergillus - isolation & purification; Aspergillus - metabolism; Aspergillus - pathogenicity; Aspergillus flavus; Aspergillus parasiticus; Biological and medical sciences; Biological control; COCCIDE; COCCIDIOS; COCCIDS; Coccoidea; Control; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Homoptera; Insecta - microbiology; INSECTE NUISIBLE; INSECTOS DANINOS; Invertebrates; mealybug; MORTALIDAD; MORTALITE; MORTALITY; PATHOGENICITY; PEST INSECTS; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; PODER PATOGENO; POUVOIR PATHOGENE; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Pseudococcidae; QUEENSLAND; SACCHARICOCCUS SACCHARI; SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM; Time Factors; Aspergillus parasiticus; pathogenicity; Aspergillus flavus; mealybug; aflatoxin; Saccharicoccus sacchari; Entomopathogen; Insecta; Biological control; Coccoidea; Sugar plant; Fungi; Toxin; Pest; Homoptera; Arthropoda; Pseudococcidae; Plant origin; Production; Fungi Imperfecti; Invertebrata; Aflatoxin; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0022-2011; 1096-0805
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-2011(90)90075-H

Fourteen isolates of Aspergillus parasiticus and 2 isolates of Aspergillus flavus isolated from the mealybug Saccharicoccus sacchari were analyzed for production of aflatoxins B 1, B 2, G 1, and G 2 in liquid culture over a 20-day period. Twelve Aspergillus isolates including 11 A.parasiticus and 1 A.flavus produced aflatoxins which were extracted from both the mycelium and culture filtrate. Aflatoxin production was detected at day 3 and was detected continually up to day 20. Aflatoxin B 1 production was greatest between 7 and 10 days and significantly higher quantities were produced by A.flavus compared to A.parasiticus. Aflatoxin production was not a stable trait in 1 A.parasiticus isolate passaged 50 times on agar. In addition to loss of aflatoxin production, an associated loss in sporulation ability was also observed in this passaged isolate, although it did maintain pathogenicity against S.sacchari. An aflatoxin B 1 concentration of 0.16 μg/mealybug (14.2 μ/g wet wt) was detected within the tissues of infected mealybugs 7 days after inoculation. In conclusion, the ability of Aspergillus isolates to produce aflatoxins was not essential to the entomopathogenic activity of this fungus against its host S.sacchari.