Ma. Caloridomingues et al., EFFECT OF PROPIONIC-ACID ON FUNGAL GROWTH AND AFLATOXIN PRODUCTION INMOIST INSHELL GROUNDNUTS, Revista de Microbiologia, 27(2), 1996, pp. 71-77
The effect of propionic acid (as ammonium salt) at 3.0 g/kg (PAI) and
5.0 g/kg (PA2) of inshell groundnuts (IG) was studied in laboratory co
nditions to verify its efficiency against fungal growth and anatoxin (
AF) production in rehydrated IG (16-18% moisture content). Fungal grow
th and aflatoxin contamination were evaluated on IG and their kernels
before treatment (dry and rehydrated IG) and on days 7, 14, 21 and 28
of incubation. PA1 treatment was ineffective in controlling fungal gro
wth from day 14 on, when the average counts of treated samples were si
milar to those observed for control samples. Concerning the control of
anatoxin production, this treatment was effective till the 14th day o
f application. PAZ treatment was efficient during the whole evaluation
periods since the production of aflatoxins remained below 30 mu g/kg
of B-1+G(1) and the average counts of total and aflatoxigenic fungi we
re equivalent to those observed in dry IG samples (before rehydration)
.