Bioprospecting of Medicinal Plants for Detoxification of Aflatoxins

Aflatoxin contamination of foods is a major concern worldwide as aflatoxin B1 is implicated in the etiology of hepatic cancer in humans. The aflatoxins are a group of secondary metabolites mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus when they grow on a wide range of agricultural commodities. Once the food commodities are contaminated with aflatoxin, removal of the toxin is extremely difficult as the toxin is highly stable. Several approaches for detoxification of aflatoxins have been proposed; however, each method has its own shortcomings. Natural plant products are of interest as a source of safe and alternative way for detoxification of aflatoxins. This paper summarizes some of the recent developments in the detoxification of aflatoxins by using plant products.