THE EFFECT OF SODIUM BISELENITE ON THE GROWTH AND AFLATOXIN PRODUCTION OF ASPERGILLUS-PARASITICUS AND THE GROWTH OF OTHER ASPERGILLI

The effect of sodium biselenite on the growth of nine isolates from Aspergillus, including an aflatoxin-producing strain of Aspergillus parasiticus, was studied on plates of Czapek Dox agar and in the chemically defined medium of Reddy et al. (1971). Selenite (40 &ml) causes some inhibition of the growth of all the isolates tested and induces the formation of an orange pigment in the mycelium of all species except A. niger. The intensity of pigmentation of colonies of A. parasiticus increased with reduced growth brought about by increased concentration of selenite and the production of aflatoxin was quantitatively affected by the presence of selenite. © 1986 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.