Effect of Soybean Volatile Compounds on Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin Production

• Published in: Journal of food science 2009-03, Vol.74 (2), p.H83-H87
• Main Authors: Cleveland, T.E, Carter-Wientjes, C.H, De Lucca, A.J, Boué, S.M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aflatoxin; aflatoxin B1; Aflatoxin B1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Aflatoxin B1 - metabolism; aflatoxins; Aflatoxins - biosynthesis; alcohols; Alcohols - pharmacology; Aldehydes; Aldehydes - pharmacology; Aspergillus flavus; Aspergillus flavus - drug effects; Aspergillus flavus - growth & development; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Division - drug effects; Effects; Food industries; Food science; Food toxicology; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; furans; Furans - pharmacology; Glycine max; growth inhibition; ketones; Ketones - pharmacology; microbial colonization; microbial growth; Physical growth; plant extracts; Seeds - chemistry; soybean volatiles; Soybeans; triacylglycerol lipase; VOCs; volatile compounds; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - pharmacology; Zea mays - drug effects; Zea mays - physiology
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01078.x

Soybean homogenates produced volatile compounds upon exposure to lipase. These induced volatiles were identified by SPME. Seventeen volatile compounds identified by SPME were chosen for determination of their ability to inhibit Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin B₁ (AFB1) production in a solid media assay. These volatiles included aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and furans. Of the tested compounds, the aldehydes showed the greatest inhibition of fungal growth and AFB1 production. These compounds inhibited up to 100% of the observed growth and AFB1 production as compared to the controls. The greatest activity by the aldehydes to disrupt growth was ranked as follows: 2,4 hexadienal > benzaldehyde > 2-octenal > (E)-2-heptenal > octanal > (E)-2-hexenal > nonanal > hexanal. The greatest activity by the aldehydes to reduce AFB1 was ranked as follows: (E)-2-hexenal > 2,4 hexadienal > (E)-2-heptenal > hexanal > nonanal. (E)-2-hexenal and (E)-2-heptenal were tested further in an A. flavus-inoculated corn kernel assay. Both compounds prevented colonization by A. flavus and eliminated AFB1 production when exposed to compound volumes < 10 μL as also shown in the solid media assay. The results suggest that soybeans react to lipase by production of potent antifungal volatiles.