• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.48-55
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• 1995

This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Aloe vera on the growth and aflatoxin production of Aspergillus parasiticus. Spore suspension of A. parasiticus ATCC 15517 was inoculated on the yeast-extract sucrose broth containing 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 10.0% of chloroform extract of Aloe vera and then incubated at 30$\circ$C for 7 days. Mycelial weight was 160.7 mg/5ml in control group and decreased by the addition of the extract with no significance. The mold caused decrease in pH of the media with and without the extract. pH in the group contained 10.0% of the extract showed significantly higher value of 5.10 than that of 4.90 in control group (p<0.05). Fluorescence spots of four aflatoxins were observed under the 365 nm of UV light after extraction of the media and TLC. In the result of separation and determination by HPLC, the aflatoxins were produced in the order of $B_1, G_1, B_2$ and $G_2$ in all groups. Production of aflatoxins $B_1, B_2$ and $G_1$ was reduced by the addition of the extract and decreased as amount of the extract increased. The production of aflatoxins $B_1$ and $B_2$ significantly reduced when the media contained more than 1.0% of the extract, and $G_1$ more than 0.5%, respectively(p<0.05). No reduction and no significant difference among groups were observed in case of aflatoxin $G_2$. With the above result, the extract of Aloe vera reduced the production of aflatoxin by A. parasiticus though it did not inhibit mycelial growth.