Effect of Treatment with Mold Inhibitors on Plant Growth of Corn and some Nutritional Components of Stored Grains, Infected with A. flavus and F. verticilloides

Abstract

Planting sterilized corn grains in soil, treated with the mold inhibitors Fix-a-tox (FAT) or Antitox Plus (AP) resulted, in cases, in dwarfed and malformed corn plants and in the development of deformed, bone-shaped and grain-free corn cobs. Moreover, treating corn grains with the mold inhibitors before storage for one month caused significant changes in some nutritional components of corn grains, i.e. proteins, aminoacids, crude fibers, moisture, fats, ash and carbohydrates. Insignificant differences in protein percetage were detected between control inoculated with Aspergillus flavus and those treated with butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA) antioxidant or FAT treatments, whereas ground clove significantly reduced protein content. In corn grains inoculated with Fusariumverticillioides, previous treatment with FAT resulted in significant reduction in the content of proline, aspartic acid, cysteine, valine, isoleucine and leucine, whereas treatment with BHA significantly reduced the content of threonine, serine, glutamic, glycine, alanine, phenylalanine and tyrosine. In Aspergillus flavus treatments, FAT significantly increased the content of methionine and threonine, whereas, aspartic acid showed 26 percentage decreases, compared to the control. Pronounced reductions in threonine, isoleucine and leucine were also detected in corn grains treated with BHA. Significant increases in fiber content were detected in inoculated corn grains treated with BHA, attaining 1.34 to 2.05-fold over that of control, respectively. Treatment with FAT and BHA led to pronounced reductions in moisture content in corn inoculated with both F. verticilloides and A. flavus trials. However, treatment with ground clove significantly increased the moisture content in A. flavus treatment. FAT treatment led to significant increase in ash and fat contents in both A. flavus and F. verticilloides treatments, whereas the other tested treatments of F. verticilloides significantly reduced ash content. Treatment with ground clove significantly reduced fat content in A. flavus treatment. All the tested materials significantly reduced carbohydrate content.