Inhibitory Effect of Korean Fermented Vegetable (Kimchi) on the Growth and Aflatoxin Production of Aspergillus parasicitus-Part 1.

Inhibitory Effect of Korean Fermented Vegetable (Kimchi) on the Growth and Aflatoxin Production of Aspergillus parasicitus-Part 1.

Aflatoxin B1 is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus and is a human carcinogen. This study was performed to investigate reduction of growth and aflatoxin production of A. parasiticus by kimchi. A. parasiticus was grown in a modified APT broth with the juice of kimchi (at a concentration of 7%) at 28oC for 9 days. Aflatoxin B1 was determined by use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The addition of the juice of kimchi significantly reduced mycelial growth and aflatoxin production during the incubation period (p<0.05). Reduction of mycelial growth of A. parasiticus as the result of addition of the juice of kimchi was observed to range between 64.8 to 83.4% while reduction of aflatoxin production ranged from 62.2 to 73.0%. This study indicates that kimchi could be an effective inhibitor of aflatoxin production although mycelial growth may be permitted. More research is needed to study the inhibitory effects of the metabolites of kimchi.