Effect of antioxidants and free radical scavengers on aflatoxin production "in vivo".

We demonstrated previously that some antioxidants butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), cysteamine and sodium thiosulfate (THIO) – were capable of inhibiting, to different extents and depending upon their concentration, the output of aflatoxins induced by lipoperoxides in cultures of Aspergillus parasiticus. However, other antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamjn C, reduced glutathione) increased significantly the production of mycotoxins. Following these findings we tested the effect of different concentrations (0 01-0 1% w/v) of the above compounds on wheat, maize and sunflower seeds properly moistened and inoculated with 106 conidia of a toxigenic strain of A. parasiticus (NRRL 2999). Uniform distribution of the antioxidants into the seeds was achieved by suspending them in 0 1% alkylamide betaine (an ampholitic detergent). Analysis of aflatoxins was carried out by HPLC on RP18 column. Hexosamine measurements were performed by GLC for the assesment of fungal growth in infected seeds. After 30 days of incubation, fungal growth and aflatoxin levels were much higher in sunflower than in maize or wheat seeds. Among the antioxidants tested, only BHA and BHT, mainly in association with 0.1% THIO, significantly reduced aflatoxin levels (p