Aflatoxins: Biosynthesis And Methods Of Biological Control

Abstract

Aflatoxins, the naturally occurring mycotoxins are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, especially Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They contaminate several food commodities including cereals, peanuts and crops. Being highly toxic and carcinogenic in nature, the aflatoxins are reported to be involved in various health complications including liver cancer. This review presents the detailed discussion of aflatoxin production and various biological control methods of them so that their lethal effects could be minimized.