Selection of Resistant Varieties to Aspergillus flavus by Determination of Aflatoxin B1 Content in Korean Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Accessions

Selection of Resistant Varieties to Aspergillus flavus by Determination of Aflatoxin B1 Content in Korean Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Accessions

Peanuts, also known as groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), are globally recognized as a vital oilseed crop. Peanuts are rich in proteins (e.g., arginine), oils (e.g., oleic acid and linoleic acid), fiber, vitamins (e.g., niacin and tocopherol), and carbohydrates and are consumed worldwide. However, the presence of aflatoxin (AF) has garnered substantial attention since its initial discovery as the causative agent of Tukey’s X disease in the United Kingdom in 1960. Among the 18 aflatoxins identified, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has the highest toxic activity and causes hepatocellular carcinoma. It is classified as Group I by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). The present study was conducted to evaluate aflatoxin B1 resistance of 102 peanut accessions and select putative aflatoxin B1-resistant peanut accessions to aflatoxin B1. One hundred and one Korean germplasms harvested in 2020 were inoculated with A. flavus to identify aflatoxin-resistant cultivars, and the aflatoxin B1 concentration was measured using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector. Twenty-six accessions with aflatoxin B1 concentrations lower than those of the check plant 55-437 were chosen for the development of aflatoxin-resistant varieties in Korea. As Korean aflatoxin-resistant varieties have not yet been developed, the findings of the present study are expected to provide useful information for the development of aflatoxin-resistant cultivars.