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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #258548
Title: Volatile trans-2-hexenal a soybean aldehyde inhibits Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin production in corn

Author
item De Lucca Ii, Anthony
item Carter-Wientjes, Carol
item Boue, Stephen
item Bhatnagar, Deepak

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2011
Publication Date: 9/6/2011
Citation: De Lucca II, A.J., Carter Wientjes, C.H., Boue, S.M., Bhatnagar, D. 2011. Volatile trans-2-hexenal, a soybean aldehyde, inhibits Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin production in corn. Journal of Food Science. 76:M381-M386.

Interpretive Summary: Trans-2-hexenal, a volatile aldehyde, is produced by soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] and other plants via the lipoxygenase pathway. In vitro tests showed it significantly (p< 0.001) reduced Aspergillus flavus germinating conidial viability at 10 µM, with approximately 95% viability reduction observed at 20µM. The viability of nongerminated conidia were not reduced. Separate experiments were performed to determine the ability of both volatiles to prevent A. flavus growth on sterile corn (20% moisture). Intermittently (15 min. pumping period every 2 hrs) over 5 days both volatiles were pumped through 350 grams of corn that was inoculated with 1 ml of 3 X 10**4 conidia of A. flavus. Controls consisted of sterile corn, corn inoculated with A. flavus with intermittent pumped air, and corn inoculated with A. flavus with no pumped air. Experiments were performed three times for each volatile. Aflatoxin, viability counts and aldehyde concentration in the headspace were performed. A second series of experiments were performed. They were similar to the first series except that trans-2-hexenal (only) was pumped for a 15 min period every 12 hrs. Both experiments showed that intermittent pumping of volatile trans-2-hexenal significantly (p<0.001) prevented A. flavus growth and aflatoxin production over a 7-day period.

Technical Abstract: Trans-2-hexenal, a volatile aldehyde, is produced by soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] and other plants via the lipoxygenase pathway. In vitro tests showed it significantly (p< 0.001) reduced Aspergillus flavus germinating conidial viability at 10 µM, with approximately 95% viability reduction observed at 20µM. The viability of nongerminated conidia were not reduced. Separate experiments were performed to determine the ability of both volatiles to prevent A. flavus growth on sterile corn (20% moisture). Intermittently (15 min. pumping period every 2 hrs) over 5 days both volatiles were pumped through 350 grams of corn that was inoculated with 1 ml of 3 X 10**4 conidia of A. flavus. Controls consisted of sterile corn, corn inoculated with A. flavus with intermittent pumped air, and corn inoculated with A. flavus with no pumped air. Experiments were performed three times for each volatile. Aflatoxin, viability counts and aldehyde concentration in the headspace were performed. A second series of experiments were performed. They were similar to the first series except that trans-2-hexenal (only) was pumped for a 15 min period every 12 hrs. Both experiments showed that intermittent pumping of volatile trans-2-hexenal significantly (p<0.001) prevented A. flavus growth and aflatoxin production over a 7-day period.