Molecular Detection of Mycotoxigenic Fungi in Foods: The Case for Using PCR-DGGE

ABSTRACT

Among the toxin-producing microbes, those that produce mycotoxins are especially problematic due to their broad distribution in the environments and in foods. Several species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium are sources of potent mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, ochratoxins, patulin, deoxynivalenol, and fumonisins. It is, therefore, vital that mycotoxigenic fungi contaminants in food are rapidly and accurately identified for ensuring the safety of consumers. Most of the current methods are based on PCR using gene-specific or species-specific primers. However, contaminating microbes often compose a complex community and PCR-DGGE may provide a better approach than traditional single-gene and/or single-species based methods. It provides “fingerprints” for each microbial flora and has been widely used to analyze environmental and food-associated microbial communities. This review shows the advantages and disadvantages of different molecular methods for the detection of mycotoxigenic fungi including PCR-DGGE as a potent and applicable method that could overcome the difficulties associated with other methods.

KEYWORDS:

• Modern molecular approaches
• PCR-based methods
• mycotoxin-producing fungi
• PCR-DGGE
• foods