Protein Band Article type: Original Article

Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: Whole-cell protein profiles of Aspergillus species could provide valuable criteria for serological and immunological studies of tea workers exposed to occupational aeroallergens. Background: Spoilage of tea (Camellia sinensis) is often accompanied by contamination and formation of mycotoxins, which are toxic secondary metabolites produced by spe-cific tea-borne fungi. Objectives: The purposes of this study were to isolate Aspergillus flora in the air from tea gardens and factories in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces, in northern Iran, and to determine their protein patterns. Materials and Methods: Air samples were collected from 11 tea gardens and 13 tea fac-tories between 2006 and 2008, and cultured in specific fungal media. Mycelial mats and spores of the Aspergillus species were disrupted in liquid nitrogen containing glass beads. The crude extracts were separated from other cell components by centrifugation and sterilized using a filter. The extracts obtained were analysed using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to separate the fungal antigeni