Evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus flavus inoculation on fatty acids, proxide value and aflatoxin production in four common varieties of peanut cultivated in Golestan province

Toxigenic fungi such as A. flavus grow widely in peanut and produce aflatoxins, a group of carcinogenic metabolites. Aflatoxin produced in peanut differed from the genetic variety of plant. The high humidity and moderate temperatures in the subtropical Caspian littoral of northern Iran could increase the growth of A. flavus and the production of aflatoxin. The objectives of this study were 1) to determine the chemical composition of peanut cultivars grown in Golestan Province, Iran, 2)to select resistant variety of peanut to aflaoxigenic A. flavus growth and 3) to evaluate relationship between A. flavus growth and changes in oleic and linoleic acid content and peroxide value.
Peanut samples were used from four important varieties of peanut, Goli, Mahalli, China and India. those have been harvested from farms in Golestan province, Iran. Fat, protein, ash, moisture, reducing sugar, AFB1 content and peroxide value in each sample were measured by the standard method of AOAC. Fatty acids of the peanut seed oil were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC, Varian CP-3800 model) with a flame ionization detector (FID) and a DB-WAX column (50 m × 0.32 mm ×0.2 µm). To study the effects of A. flavus on peanut varieties, they were sterilized with 0.5% NaClO solution and then one ml of A. flavus spore suspension was added to every 20gr disinfected peanut and was placed in the incubator for eight days at 26°C. After incubation, the number of seeds colonized by fungi, spore production, AFB1 production, the association between colonization rate of hydrolysis of fatty acids and peroxide value were determined.
The results showed that there were significant differences (P