Evaluation of the optimal multiplex PCR method for the detection of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus paraciticus on dried corns

Abstract

Corns, which are one of major agricultural crop in Vietnam, have high risk of being finfected fwith fA. pflavus fand fA. arasiticus due to the high humidity of VietNam’s climate which is the ideal condition for fungal development. The traditional methods for detection and identification of these mycotoxigenic fungi are very time- consuming, flaborious, fand frequire facilities. fThere fis fa fneed fto fdevelop fa fnew method - PCR-based method that target DNA which is considered a good alternative or rapid diagnosis of these fungi. In this study, a PCR-based method which had already fbeen foptimized fin fprevious fstudied fwas fevaluated fby fperforming fthe detection of A. flavus and A. arasiticus on corn kernels collected from markets. These samples were detected by both culture method and multiplex PCR method. The results were then analyzed and compared with that of traditional method. The statistical outcome showed that 66% results from PCR method was the same with culture method. However, after fungal enrichment by incubating samples in moist condition overnight, this proportion increased to 82% which was suggested to be statistically the same with culture method. Therefore, The PCR method with more advantages compared to culture method in time consuming, labor demand as well as the cost, it could be considered to be the replacement for the traditional method of rapid detection of A. flavus and A. parasiticus on dried corn. Key words Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus parasiticus D ried corn kernels IHPH Culture method M ultiplex PCR method