Variations in polyamine conjugates in maize (Zea mays L.) seeds contaminated with aflatoxin B1: a dose–response relationship

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cereal seeds, such as maize seeds, are frequently contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), one of the most dangerous naturally occurring carcinogens. In plants, phenolamides are involved in biotic stress response. The data on variations of phenolamides in AFB1-containing seeds are limited. RESULTS: Five polyamine conjugates, including two spermidine and three putrescine conjugates, were tentatively identified in methanolic extracts, using HPLC-DAD-MS. The ratio of putrescine to spermidine conjugates changed with increasing AFB1 concentration in a logistic dose–response manner, with a ratio of below 1 up to a concentration of 51.51 μg kg−1, and approximately 2.54 and 3 at higher concentrations of 177.4 and 308.13 μg kg−1, respectively. The observed variations of the total antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content may support this biphasic behaviour of the seeds against AFB1 stress. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained data are a contribution to the understanding of the roles of polyamine conjugates in seed defence to increasing AFB1 concentrations. According to our knowledge, this study reports for the first time the biphasic response of maize seeds to increasing AFB1 contamination level, comprising the induction of polyamine conjugate accumulation and variation in the ratio of conjugates. This dose–response relationship may provide useful information in the field of agricultural and food chemistry as an indicator of AFB1 contamination level and, hence, for selecting an appropriate seed quality.