Antifungal peptides produced by Bacillus subtilis for the biological control of aflatoxin contamination

Abstract

Iturin A, antifungal lipopeptide reported by Peypoux and Isogai, was isolated from submerged culture of Bacillus subtilis NK 330 and its growth inhibitory activity toward aflatoxigenic fungus A. parasiticus NRRL 2999 was investigated. At 50 ppm of iturin A in the medium, the toxin production was completely inhibited while the growth of A. parasiticus was partially restricted. In contrast, the same amount of cycloheximide showed no significant influence on the toxin production by this fungus.