Aflatoxins: production of the toxins in vitro in relation to temperature.

The production or accumulation of aflatoxins in vitro by four isolates on three substrates (acid-delinted cottonseed, shelled Spanish peanut, and rough rice) was studied in relation to temperature in the range of 10 to 40 C. Within the first 10 days after inoculation, the optimal temperature range for aflatoxin production was between 20 and 35 C. Only small amounts of the toxins were produced at 10 and 40 C. Within the optimal temperature range, the time required for toxin production and for significant accumulation decreased as the temperature increased. More aflatoxin G was produced or accumulated in relation to aflatoxin B at low temperatures (within the optimal range), and the G aflatoxins were metabolized more rapidly at the higher temperatures.