A polyphasic study of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from corn in Guangxi, China- a hot spot of aflatoxin contamination

Aspergillus section Flavi is widely known as a potential threat to contaminate agricultural products and food commodities. In this study, a polyphasic approach consisting of micro- and macro-morphological, chemical and molecular features, was applied to survey the Aspergillus section Flavi population in corn collected from Guangxi, China. Based on multigene phylogenies as well as morphological observations, Aspergillus fiavus (192/195), A. arachidicola (1/195), A. pseudonomius (1/195) and A. novoparasiticus (1/195) were found to be the predominant section Flavi population. Among them, 31 representative isolates were selected for mycotoxin determination. The results showed that Aspergillus fiavus chemotype I was most common, chemotype IV was also detected with low incidence and low CPA amounts, while chemotypes II and III were absent. Other tested species including A. arachidicola, A. pseudonomius, and A. novoparasiticus produced all types of aflatoxins, but none of them produced CPA. The polyphasic approach applied in this study permitted reliable understanding of the prevailing Aspergillus section Flavi population and their mycotoxin profiles. Knowledge of the prevailing section Flavi population will aid in developing a sustainable strategy to mitigate the effects of aflatoxin contamination. This study suggests that CPA contamination of food should be considered while conducting mycotoxigenic surveys of food commodities, and the same should be considered while planning a bio-control strategy to control aflatoxin contamination.