The Efficiency of Aloe vera Gel Extract in Inhibiting the Growth of Aspergillus flavus Fungus Associated with Imported and Domestic Rice Grains in Iraq and its Ability to Reduce Aflatoxin B1 Production

Abstract

Al-Hamiri, K.A.A. and H.Z. Hussein. 2022. The Efficiency of Aloe vera Gel Extract in Inhibiting the Growth of Aspergillus flavus Fungus Associated with Imported and Domestic Rice Grains in Iraq and its Ability to Reduce Aflatoxin B1 Production. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 40(2): 164-168. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-040.2.164168 The study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different concentrations of Aloe vera gel extract in inhibiting the growth of A. flavus on potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture medium, as well as evaluating the efficiency of the extract in inhibiting the growth of A. flavus and reducing Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production in rice grains. The results obtained showed that the concentrations 1, 2, 3, and 4% of Aloe vera gel extract caused variable inhibition rates of A. flavus growth on PDA culture medium; of 97, 100, 5.88 and 17.64%, respectively. The best concentration from the laboratory experiment, (2%) was used, to evaluate its efficiency in inhibiting the growth of A. flavus on rice grains during storage and reduced AFB1 production by 86.5%, from 21.2 ppb in the control to 2.86 ppb in the treatment using HPLC high- performance liquid chromatography. The same treatment reduced AFB1 concentration in rice grains contaminated with AFB1 by 74.7%, from 22.88 ppb in control to 5.78 ppb in the extract treatment. Keywords: A. flavus, mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1, Aloe vera, food, feed, toxicity