Effect of Aflasafe TZ01® on Aflatoxin Reduction and Emerging Challenges with Fusarium Mycotoxins in Maize from Rural Tanzania

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

• Sambwe Fundikira, Department of Food Science and Agro-Processing, Sokoine University of Agriculture,TanzaniaFollow
• Martin Kimanya, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha Tanzania
• Rashid Suleiman, Department of Food Science and Agro-Processing, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro Tanzania
• Marthe De Boevre, Centre of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
• Kokeb Tesfamariam Kokeb Tesfamariam, Centre of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
• Sarah De Saeger, Centre of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2025

Journal Name

MDPI-Toxins

Abstract

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus species and are common contaminants of many crops including maize. Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains, formulated as biocontrol products such as Aflasafe® TZ01, that comprises a mixture of four native atoxigenic strains, are used as pre-harvest agents to suppress toxigenic strains and reduce aflatoxin levels. This study assessed the intended and potential unintended impacts of Aflasafe® TZ01 on mycotoxin contamination in maize. A total of 158 samples 79 from treated and 79 from untreated fields were collected from Chemba and Kiteto districts in Tanzania. Multi-mycotoxin analysis was conducted using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Detected toxins included aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), trichothecenes, and fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3). Non-parametric paired t-test analysis showed significant reductions in AFB1 (62%, p = 0.024) in treated samples. The mean concentrations of Fusarium mycotoxins such as NIV, T2, and ZEN were higher in treated maize. However, statistical analysis showed that these differences were only numerical trends, and were not significant (p > 0.05). These findings confirm the efficacy of Aflasafe® TZ01 in reducing aflatoxins, while underscoring the importance of continued monitoring for other mycotoxins as part of integrated mycotoxin management strategies to mitigate both aflatoxins and co-occurring toxins.

Keywords

Aflasafe®, atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium, food safety, mycotoxin, Tanzania

Rsif Scholar Name

Sambwe Fundikira

Rsif Scholar Nationality

Tanzania

Cohort

Cohort 3

Thematic Area

Food security and Agribusiness

Africa Host University (AHU)

Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania

Funding Statement

This work was supported by Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology—Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (PASET-RSIF) (Project Grant No. P165581) and Ghent University under BOF scholarship 2021, grant no. 01W01421.

Recommended Citation

Fundikira, S., Kimanya, M., Suleiman, R., De Boevre, M., Kokeb Tesfamariam, K., & Saeger, S. D. (2025). Effect of Aflasafe TZ01® on Aflatoxin Reduction and Emerging Challenges with Fusarium Mycotoxins in Maize from Rural Tanzania. MDPI-Toxins https://doi.org/doi.org/10.3390/toxins17080419