Fumigation of Brazil nuts with allyl isothiocyanate to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and aflatoxin production

Abstract BACKGROUND Brazil produces approximately 40 000 tons of Brazil nuts annually, which is commonly contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins. Gaseous allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was used to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and its production of aflatoxins (AFs) in Brazil nuts. RESULTS Nuts were inoculated with 104 spores g−1 of A. parasiticus and placed in airtight glass jars with controlled relative humidity (RH = 95 or 85%). Samples were treated with 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.5 µL L−1 of gaseous AITC and analyzed after 30 days to determine the fungal population and AFs content. Samples were also submitted to sensory evaluation. AITC at 2.5 µL L−1 could completely inhibit the fungal…