Aflatoxin Problem in Corn and Possible Solutions

E. B. LILLEHOJ I Northern Regional Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, Ill. 61604. 2 Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. 65201. Of the wide array of identified, toxic, fungal metabolites or mycotoxins, the aflatoxins have been studied the most intensively. Expanding research effort developed especially after aflatoxins were recognized as substances that occur naturally in some commodities traditionally used for human food and animal feed. These toxins are highly carcinogenic in various animal species and at sublethal levels can dramatically reduce feed efficiency and the general health of domestic animals. Historically, .aflatoxins were discovered in the early 1960's after an outbreak of a disease in turkeys was attributed to a fungal-contaminated peanut meal (14). The predominant fungus in the meal was Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fr. This organism is widely distributed in nature, occurring in soil and various plant residues. The genus Aspergillus is divided into a number of sections of closely related species; A. flavus is taxonomically associated with the larger Aspergillus flavus-oryzae group (43). Members of this group are broadly characterized by production of greenishyellow spores and by the absence of ascospores.