Determination of antiaflatoxigenic effect of probiotic strains in sorghum bicolour

Abstract

Sorghum is a food and feed crop grown commonly in Asian and African countries. Aflatoxin contamination of sorghum is a common problem in all tropical countries. Since even low doses of aflatoxin intake, over a period of time, can prove to be carcinogenic, removal of aflatoxin from sorghum is necessary. Biodecontamination of food grains is now gaining popularity since it is considered to be a safer alternative to chemical methods. Probiotic organisms such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), have been commonly used in fermentation of various food products. Studies have been done to prove the ability of the probiotic organisms to bind and remove aflatoxin from food. Here the ability of four strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus brevis, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis) to reduce aflatoxin levels in sorghum during fermentation has been studied. The initial and final aflatoxin content in sorghum was analyzed using HPLC and UV spectrophotometer. It was concluded that L. delbrueckii had the maximum antiaflatoxigenic ability. It showed 74.38% reduction of aflatoxin in Sorghum bicolor. The research outcome concluded that L. delbrueckii may be used as potential probiotic for reducing the aflatoxin content in sorghum.