Inhibition of aflatoxin formation by 2 mercaptoethanol

Abstract

2 Mercaptoethanol inhibits growth of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 3240 and aflatoxin formation by the fungus. When added to the resuspended medium, 2 mercaptoethanol inhibited [1 14C]acetate incorporation into both aflatoxins and neutral lipids, thus showing that it acts at an early stage of aflatoxin biosynthesis. The inhibition is probably due to its chelating action on zinc, which is essential for aflatoxin production. It is proposed that any chelating agent that selectively binds to zinc will inhibit aflatoxin formation.