AFLATOXIN-PRODUCING POTENTIAL OF ASPERGILLUS-FLAVUS AND ASPERGILLUS-PARASITICUS ISOLATED FROM SAMPLES OF SMOKED-DRIED MEAT

Over a period of three years 420 samples of various smoke-dried meat p roducts, collected from individual households in different region of C roatia were analysed for the presence of aflatoxigenic strains of the Aspergillus flavus group. Strains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus were present in 17,8% of the samples, and aflatoxin-producing ability was tested in 75 strains. In relation to sequential method of aflatoxin de tection, 5 of 8 isolates were found in the first step (fluorescence in aflatoxin-producing ability medium - APA) and all of them in the seco nd step (extraction method from syntheses on moist shredded wheat - SW ). A. flavus strains produced mainly aflatoxin B-1, and had various le vels of toxigenicity (1.4-3.12 mg/kg). Some strains of A. parasiticus produced all four aflatoxins B-1 B-2 G(1) G(2), while the other ones p roduced AF B-1 + G(1) only, with concentrations of aflatoxins from 0.1 to 450 mg/kg.