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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Tribolium castaneum is one of the most common insect pests of stored products. Its presence
makes cereals more susceptible to the spread of the fungi Aspergillus flavus, which may produce
mycotoxins. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of T. castaneum adults on the
development of a mycotoxigenic A. flavus strain in maize flour as well as the influence of this fungus
on the insects. Maize flour was exposed to T. castaneum, spores of A. flavus or to both. The results
revealed an interaction between T. castaneum and A. flavus as the flour exposed to both organisms
was totally colonized by the fungus whereas almost all the insects were killed. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)
revealed a significantly higher concentration in the flour inoculated with both organisms (18.8 g/kg),
being lower when exposed only to A. flavus, suggesting that the presence of insects may trigger
fungal development and enhance mycotoxin production. The ability of these organisms to thrive
under the same conditions and the chemical compounds they release makes the interaction between
them a subject of great importance to maintain the safety of stored maize. This is the first work
evaluating the interaction between T. castaneum and A. flavus mycotoxin production
Description
Keywords
Aspergillus flavus aflatoxin B1 maize flour Tribolium castaneum food safety
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Duarte, S.; Magro, A.; Tomás, J.; Hilário, C.; Alvito, P.; Ferreira, R.B.; Carvalho, M.O. The Interaction between Tribolium castaneum and Mycotoxigenic Aspergillus flavus in Maize Flour. Insects 2021, 12, 730
Publisher
MDPI