Protect peanut kernels from Aspergillus spp and their mycotoxins during storage by aqueous extract of carob pulp

Abstract Recently, the trend of many studies to replace synthetic antifungals commonly used during storage with natural antifungals; Plants extracts are one of the promising strategies for this purpose. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the aqueous extract of carob pulp (AECP) at 1.5, 2.5, and 5mg/ml on the growth of some toxigenic Aspergillus species, and its effectiveness as antimycotoxigenic (aflatoxins and ochratoxin A) during storage red peanut kernels (RPKs) for 90 days. AECP at 5 mg/ml affected inhibition growth, as Aspergillus ochraceus was the most affected, then A. aflatoxiformans recorded (15.7 ± 0.4) and (13.4 ± 0.5), respectively. Whereas study influence of AECP on the accumulation of total AFs and OTA produced by A. parasiticus and A. ochraceus during the storage of RPKs for 90 days. The results reflected that the active compounds in the AECP can protect RPKs for 45 days without detecting any amounts of total AFs and OTA at 5mg/ml. While after 90 days, the percentages of inhibition for the four types (AFB1, AFG1, AFB2, AFG2) and OTA after storage for 90 days compared with positive control samples (85.1, 76.5, 86.5,84.2, and 87.5%), respectively. Finally, AFB1 recorded the lowest inhibition percentages with all treatments; on the contrary, it was OTA.