INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE-HUMIDITY IN THE PRODUCTION OF AFLATOXINS IN SAMPLES OF STORED MAIZE, ARTIFICIALLY CONTAMINATED WITH ASPERGILLUS-FLAVUS (LINK)

Ninety (90) samples of maize grains from several regions of Brazil wer e utilized in order to verify the influence of temperature and relativ e humidity in the production of aflatoxins in this substract. The samp les were inoculated with toxigenic A. flavus and incubated in a contro lled temperature and relative humidity environment (15-degrees-C and 6 1% RH, 86.5% RH, 99% RH; 25-degrees-C and 64% RH, 85% RH; 40-degrees-C and 61.5% RH, 85.5% RH; 96% RH) for period of 10, 20 and 30 days of i ncubation. Aflatoxins were detected in the incubated samples at 15-deg rees-C and 86.5% RH; 25-degrees-C in the three humidity conditions stu died, 40-degrees-C and 61.5% RH, 96% RH. The best conditions for the p roduction of aflatoxins were 25-degrees-C and 85% RH and 98% RH. The l owest levels were obtained at 40-degrees-C and 61.5% RH. It was thus c oncluded that the lowest temperatures (15-degrees-C) with. A relative humidity of 61% and moisture content of 13.0% seem to be best conditio ns for the storage of maize.