No abstract

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic compounds produced by some species of Aspergillus, especially those belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi. Their occurrence in food may start in the field, in the post-harvest, or during storage due to inadequate handling and storage. Because cassava is a staple food for a high percentage of the Brazilian population, we evaluated the presence of aflatoxin-producing species in cassava tubers, cassava products (cassava flour, cassava starch, sour starch, and tapioca flour), and in soil samples collected from cassava fields. In addition, the levels of aflatoxin contamination in cassava products were quantified. A total of 101 samples were analyzed, and 45 strains of Aspergillus section Flavi were isolated. Among the identified species, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus arachidicola, Aspergillus novoparasiticus, and Aspergillus parasiticus were found. The majority of strains (73.3%) tested for their aflatoxin-producing ability in synthetic media was positive. Despite that, cassava and cassava products were essentially free of aflatoxins, and only one sample of cassava flour contained traces of AFB 1 (0.35 μg/kg).

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a highly consumed food in the world, especially in developing countries. Much of this tuber production comes from small farmers and it can suffer microbial infection during pre-harvest in the field and/or postharvest if stored under inadequate conditions. This review presented cassava production and the processing steps, resulting in products consumed in Brazil and other countries. Studies on fungal occurrence, including toxigenic fungi, presence of aflatoxins and other mycotoxins in cassava and its products carried out in several countries have been revised as well as the used methodologies for mycotoxin detection.