The series of events that led to the discovery of aflatoxin as a potent carcinogen, its biosynthesis, mechanism of action, structure-function relationship provide interesting insight into the economical and technological factors involved in the development of an effective control measure for the toxin. Scientists all over the world are making continuous efforts to explore a generalized process of detoxification, which can bring down the toxin content in heterogenous commodities to a threshold level. In this article biological control methods with special emphasis on in vivo and in vitro enzymatic detoxification of aflatoxin have been reviewed. Future areas of research involving large-scale enzymatic detoxification and modified atmosphere storage are also discussed.

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Aflatoxin BI was detoxified (60 %) enzymatically by horseradish peroxidase. In another set of experiments the toxin was detoxified (97 %) by a combination of enzyme and microwave treatments. Chloroform extracts of these reaction products were used to study their effects on some important physiological processes of higher plants. Cell mass growth in suspension culture of Catharanthus roseus showed 34 % and 77 % respective increase in dry weight after 4 to 8 weeks of incubation at room temperature (22 EC) without toxin but in presence of toxin only 21% and 43 % dry weight increase occurred in the same time interval. Aflatoxin B 1 showed a profound effect on pollen germination and pollen tube morphology leading to only 40 % germination and several morphological anomalies in Catharanthus roseus and Haemanthus Katherinae. Embryogenic callus of Santalum album could give rise to only 60 % somatic embryo in presence of lmM toxin with several abnormalities which is much less compared to 94 % conversion to distinct bipolar embryos in case of control set without toxin. Only 49 % seeds ofArachis hypogaea germinated in presence of 1 mM aflatoxin in the germinating medium compared to 71 % germination in control media.