Essential Oil-Induced Downregulation of Aflatoxin Biosynthetic Genes in Aspergillus Flavus: A Natural Strategy for Reducing Crop Contamination
Background: Aspergillus flavus is an important aflatoxigenic fungus associated with contamination of maize, wheat, peanuts and other stored crops. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a highly toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolite, and its biosynthesis is controlled by clustered structural and regulatory genes, including aflR,...