This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Arai, T. Articles by Koyama, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Arai, T. Articles by Koyama, Y.

Antimicrobial Activity of Aflatoxins

Department of Antibiotics, Institute of Food Microbiology, Chiba University, Narashino, Chiba, Japan
Pharmaceutical Faculty, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial activity of a crude aflatoxin preparation and of aflatoxin B₁ was studied. They were found inactive against common gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at a concentration of 100 µg/ml. Both samples of aflatoxin did, however, exhibit antimicrobial activity, though narrow and limited, against various strains of Streptomyces and Nocardia. The antibiotic action of aflatoxin B₁ was confirmed by bioautogram after thin-layer chromatography. Among seven strains of microorganisms, including aflatoxin-sensitive and -resistant strains, N. asteroides IFM 8 was found to reduce aflatoxin B₁, in addition to other minor fluorescent components in the crude preparation.