Plant growth regulator diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate suppresses Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin biosynthesis through disruption of redox homeostasis.

Diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) suppresses Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin B₁ production by disrupting redox homeostasis and fungal development pathways.

• Why it matters: Aflatoxin B₁ poses a significant food safety risk, and current control methods are limited; understanding how plant growth regulators affect fungal toxin biosynthesis could offer new mitigation strategies.
• What they did: The study used biochemical, microscopic, and transcriptomic analyses to evaluate DA-6's effects on A. flavus, revealing inhibition of growth, conidiation, sclerotia formation, and aflatoxin gene expression, along with oxidative-redox imbalance.
• The result: DA-6's disruption of redox balance and mitochondrial function led to near-complete suppression of aflatoxin B₁ synthesis, suggesting its potential as a novel antifungal agent to reduce mycotoxin contamination in crops.