Objective: In the present study, we aim to evaluate the inhibitory effect of aflatoxin on Vibrio fischeri luminescence.
Methods: V. fischeri culture is treated with aflatoxin or the culture broth of aflatoxin-producing strains, and the luminescence intensity of V. fischeri is detected to analyze the influence of aflatoxin on V. fischeri.
Results: The logarithmic value of aflatoxin concentration and the decrease ratio of V. fischeri luminescence is in a linear relationship. Based on the regression equation between aflatoxin concentration and luminescence decrease of V. fischeri, the toxin-producing status of different microbes can be detected quickly and exactly: all of six tested Aspergillus flavus strains show toxigenicity to V. fischeri, and their toxin yield reached 14.94 mg/L - 46.45 mg/L (represented by aflatoxin concentration), while the tested Aspergillus oryzae shows no toxigenicity.
Conclusion: The above data showed that the luminescence change of V. fischeri could exactly reflect the capability of various microbes to produce toxin (especially aflatoxin), which provided a new clue for rapid detection of aflatoxin in industrial and agricultural production and could be developed as a potential method for aflatoxin assay.