Implantation of Aspergillus Section Flavi in French Maize and Consequences on Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize at Harvest: Three-Year Survey
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Results
2.1. Climatic Data
2.2. Global Mycoflora of Maize Samples
2.3. Presence of Aspergillus Section Flavi in French Maize Samples
2.4. Nature of Aspergillus Section Flavi Species Present in French Fields
2.5. Toxigenic Potential of Isolated Strains
2.6. Impact on AF Contamination of Maize Grains at Harvest
3. Discussion
4. Conclusions
5. Materials and Methods
5.1. Sampling
5.2. Climate Monitoring
- -
- The mean of the average daily temperature (in °C) from 1 March to 30 October for each year.
- -
- The mean of the total daily rainfall sum (in mm) from 1 March to 30 October of each year.
- -
- The number of days with a maximum temperature exceeding 30 °C from 1 January to 31 December of each year.
5.3. Aflatoxin Quantification
5.4. Mycological Analysis
5.5. Identification of Aspergillus Section Flavi
5.6. Determination of AFs and CPA Production by Aspergillus Section Flavi Strains
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
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Fungal Genus | Aspergillus | ||||||||
Section Flavi | Section Nigri | Section Candidi | Section Cremei | ||||||
Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | ||
Year | 2018 | 105 (53.8) | 1000 | 69 (35.4) | 1000 | 7 (3.6) | 8000 | 5 (2.6) | 2000 |
2019 | 103 (56.3) | 1000 | 87 (47.5) | 1000 | 9 (4.9) | 300 | 4 (2.2) | 600 | |
2020 | 140 (79.5) | 10,000 | 123 (69.9) | 5000 | 12 (6.8) | 60 | 9 (5.1) | 400 | |
Fungal Genus | Aspergillus | Eurotium | |||||||
Section Fumigati | Section Nidulantes | Section Terrei | |||||||
Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | ||
Year | 2018 | 1 (0.03) | 100 | 8 (4.1) | 100 | 4 (2.0) | 60 | 61 (31.2) | 10,000 |
2019 | 4 (2.2) | 50,000 | 3 (1.6) | 40 | 2 (1.1) | 300 | 33 (18.0) | 1000 | |
2020 | 3 (1.7) | 70 | 17 (9.6) | 500 | 6 (3.4) | 2000 | 59 (33.5) | 9000 | |
Fungal Genus | Penicillium | Fusarium (Liseola Section) | Acremonium | Cladosporium | |||||
Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | ||
Year | 2018 | 190 (97.4) | 70,000 | 186 (95.4) | 30,000 | 161 (82.6) | 6000 | 176 (90.2) | 1000 |
2019 | 179 (96.8) | 50,000 | 177 (96.7) | 40,000 | 163 (89.1) | 20,000 | 158 (86.3) | 2000 | |
2020 | 173 (98.3) | 20,000 | 167 (94.9) | 20,000 | 156 (88.6) | 5000 | 161 (91.5) | 2000 | |
Fungal Genus | Mucor | Rhizopus | Absidia | ||||||
Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | Positive Samples a (%) | Mean CFU/g b | ||||
Year | 2018 | 142 (72.8) | 5000 | 97 (49.7) | 1000 | 54 (27.7) | 2000 | ||
2019 | 154 (84.1) | 9000 | 165 (90.1) | 20,000 | 116 (63.4) | 9000 | |||
2020 | 137 (77.8) | 4000 | 167 (94.9) | 10,000 | 52 (29.5) | 2000 |
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of samples | 195 | 183 | 176 |
Number of samples (%) contaminated with Aspergillus section Flavi strains | 105 (54%) | 103 (56%) | 140 (80%) |
Total number of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated and characterized | 258 | 204 | 386 |
Mean number of strains per sample | 1.3 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
Mean number of strains per sample contaminated with AFs | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.75 |
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Samples (%) | Mean Numeration | Number of Samples (%) | Mean Numeration | Number of Samples (%) | Mean Numeration | |
Flavi+/AF− | 98 (50%) | 5.102 | 99 (54%) | 7.102 | 112 (64%) | 7.102 |
Flavi+/AF+ | 7 (4%) | 104 | 4 (2%) | 8.103 | 28 (16%) | 7.104 |
Species | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
Aspergillus flavus | 241 (93%) | 189 (93%) | 349 (90%) |
Aspergillus parasiticus | 16 (6%) | 14 (7%) | 37 (10%) |
Aspergillus pseudonomius | 1 | - | - |
Aspergillus tamarii | - | 1 | - |
Morphotype a | Year | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 (n b = 241) | 2019 (n = 189) | 2020 (n = 346) | ||
1 | 1a | 56 (23.2%) | 48 (25.4%) | 46 (13.3%) |
1b | 82 (34%) | 46 (24.3%) | 89 (25.7%) | |
1c | 4 (1.7%) | 1 (0.5%) | 11 (3.2%) | |
2 | 80 (33.2%) | 69 (36.5%) | 161 (46.5%) | |
3 | 9 (3.7%) | 12 (6.3%) | 18 (5.2%) | |
4 | 10 (4.1%) | 13 (6.9%) | 21 (6%) |
Species | Number of Toxigenic Strains | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||||||
Number of Strains | AFB | AFG | CPA | AFB | AFG | CPA | AFB | AFG | CPA | |
A. flavus | 779 | 67 | - | 182 | 40 | - | 136 | 77 | - | 251 |
A. parasiticus | 67 | 16 | 16 | - | 14 | 14 | - | 32 | 31 | - |
A. pseudonomius | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | ||||||
A. tamarii | 1 | - | - | 1 |
Year | Range of Contamination (µg/kg) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
<LOQ | >LOQ < 2 | 2–4 | 4–10 | >10 | ||
AFB1 | 2018 | 96.4 | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
2019 | 97.8 | 2.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2020 | 84.1 | 10.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.3 | |
Total AF | 2018 | 96.4 | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
2019 | 97.8 | 2.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2020 | 84.1 | 10.1 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 3.4 |
Gene | Gene Name | Length bp | Primers | Sequence (Nucleotides: 5′ → 3′) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forward | Reverse | ||||
benA | ß-tubulin | 541 | Btub2a | 5′-GGTAACCAAATCGGTGCTGCTTTC | |
Btub2b | 5′-ACCCTCAGTGTAGTGACCCTTGGC | ||||
cmdA | Calmodulin | 543 | Cmd5 | 5′CCGAGTACAAGGAGGCCTTC-3′ | |
Cmd6 | 5′-CCGATAGAGGTCATAACGTGG-3′ |
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Bailly, S.; El Mahgubi, A.; Puel, O.; Lorber, S.; Bailly, J.-D.; Orlando, B. Implantation of Aspergillus Section Flavi in French Maize and Consequences on Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize at Harvest: Three-Year Survey. Toxins 2025, 17, 155. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17040155
Bailly S, El Mahgubi A, Puel O, Lorber S, Bailly J-D, Orlando B. Implantation of Aspergillus Section Flavi in French Maize and Consequences on Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize at Harvest: Three-Year Survey. Toxins. 2025; 17(4):155. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17040155
Chicago/Turabian StyleBailly, Sylviane, Anwar El Mahgubi, Olivier Puel, Sophie Lorber, Jean-Denis Bailly, and Béatrice Orlando. 2025. "Implantation of Aspergillus Section Flavi in French Maize and Consequences on Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize at Harvest: Three-Year Survey" Toxins 17, no. 4: 155. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17040155
APA StyleBailly, S., El Mahgubi, A., Puel, O., Lorber, S., Bailly, J.-D., & Orlando, B. (2025). Implantation of Aspergillus Section Flavi in French Maize and Consequences on Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize at Harvest: Three-Year Survey. Toxins, 17(4), 155. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17040155