Mycotoxins produced in plant-pathogen interactions

Evaluation of the safety and quality of Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) using the tools of dna sequencing technology and aflatoxin profile

“…In the HA, the bacteria identified in Shell_A are found in different environments, mainly in soil and decomposing material, as they have saprophytic characteristics. This result was expected since this fraction is in direct contact with the external environment and consequently more contaminated ( 1 , 6 , 16 ). On the other hand, Kernel_A and Cake_A showed a significant reduction in these bacteria, with only plastid DNA being detected in the majority, indicating low contamination of these fractions and adequacy in the good practices of processing these fractions.…”

“…The fungi observed in the samples are common in soils, with several considered phytopathogens, such as Alternaria and Cladosporium , while the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium are considered food degraders ( 44 ). These last two are the main fungal microflora and major producers of toxins that are harmful to plants, animals, and humans, with A. nomiae of great interest in Brazil nuts ( 16 , 45 ). Fungi of the genus Alternaria , despite receiving little attention in the literature on Brazil nuts, are capable of producing toxins such as alternariol (AOH), alternariol methyl ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TeA), tentoxin (TEN), and altenuene (ALT), leading to food spoilage and posing a health risk to humans.…”

“…For many years, it was thought that the appearance of mycotoxins was a peculiarity of the storage and storage stages of fruits; however, studies show that their production can also occur during planting and plant growth ( 8 , 16 ); therefore, hygienic-sanitary attention and care both in the stages that precede and those that proceed with extractivism must be reinforced and guaranteed ( 58 ). Another strategy that can be suggested for the control of aflatoxins, due to their low price and viability, is the early harvest of these fruits, as carried out by the study by Martins et al ( 52 ) with specimens of peanuts where they were successful in this type of intervention or even the application of temperature-controlled packaging technologies for storage and distribution ( 59 ).…”