Abstract
Background: Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains have emerged as a serious threat to food safety and quality
assurance. The objective of this study was to identify the aflatoxigenic Aspergillus sp. by targeting the
amplification of aflatoxigenic genes i.e., aflR, nor1, omt1, ver1, in different fugal strains isolated from the
rice grains being marketed in local markets of Lahore city, Pakistan.
Methods: Total eleven (11) Aspergillus strains were isolated from rice grains and aflatoxigenic genes i.e., aflR,
nor1, omt1, ver1 were amplified to differentiate between aflatoxin producing and non-producing strains.
Results: Four (04) out of total eleven (11) strains showed the presence of aflatoxins producing genes, indicating
the possible contamination of aflatoxins in rice grains being sold in local markets of Lahore.
Conclusion: This research provides the basis for the quantification of aflatoxins; a significant threat to the quality
of foodstuffs and consumers. The situation demands the attention of rice growers, processors as well as
government officials to tackle the problem to assure the safety of rice eaters.
Sohaib Afzaal, Shinawar Waseem Ali, Usman Hameed, Aftab Ahmad, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Arshad Javed, Muhammad Saleem Haider. (2020-2021) Molecular probing of Aflatoxigenic fungi in rice grains collected from local markets of Lahore, Pakistan, Advancements in Life Sciences, Volume-8, Issue-2.
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