MYCOFLORA AND AFLATOXIGENIC SPECIES OF ASPERGILLUS-SPP ISOLATED FROM STORED MAIZE

Mycoflora and aflatoxigenic species from the genus Aspergillus were st udied in ninety samples of maize from storage silos from different reg ions of Brazil. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Rhizopus, Acremoni um, Cladosporium, Neurospora and Paecilomyces were the genera isolated . A. flavus was the most frequently isolated among the Aspergillus spe cies from samples with moisture content (MC) between 14% and 18%. 39.4 % of the isolates were toxigenic and produced only B aflatoxins. A. pa rasiticus was the third most frequent species, isolated from samples w ith MC between 13% and 18%. All cultures were toxigenic and produced a flatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2. The other species isolated were A. alutac eus, (A. ochraceus), A. petrakii, A. chryselius, A. versicolor, A. syd owi, A. fumigatus and A. niger, which occured only in samples with moi sture content between 12% and 13%.