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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 #274851
Title: Aflatoxins: mechanisms of inhibition by antagonistic plants and microorganisms

Author
item RAZZAGHI-ABYANEH, MEHDI - Pasteur Institute Of Iran
item SHAMS-GHAHFAROKHI, MASOOMEH - Tarbiat Modares University
item Chang, Perng Kuang

Submitted to: Intech
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2011
Publication Date: 9/9/2011
Citation: Razzaghi-Abyaneh, M., Shams-Ghahfarokhi, M., Chang, P-K. 2011. Aflatoxins: mechanisms of inhibition by antagonistic plants and microorganisms. In: Guevara-Gonzalez, R.G., editor. Aflatoxins - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Rijeka, Croatia: Intech Open Access publishers. pp 285-304.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aflatoxins are a family of toxic fungal secondary metabolites. The rapid expansion in our knowledge about inhibition of aflatoxin biosynthesis by compounds from plants and microorganisms has enabled us to utilize them as potential biocontrol agents. Substantial efforts have been devoted to identify novel bioactive metabolites and to characterize the underlying inhibitory mechanisms. In this article, we summarize known inhibitors from plants and microorganisms, with an emphasis on potential modes of action at cellular and molecular levels. We highlight direct inhibition that interferes with the signal transduction regulatory network and address indirect inhibition that affects toxin synthesis by various mechanisms. This review would help to advance current knowledge about toxigenic fungus-host plant interactions, an important aspect of aflatoxin contamination of crops.