**11. Conclusion**

Mycotoxins especially aflatoxins are believed to have caused harm to mankind since time immemorial. It is now almost 54 years after the discovery of the Turkeys X disease suspect‐ ed to have been caused by aflatoxin contamination. Several major steps have been made to‐ wards the understanding of the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway and its related genes. This book chapter not only emphasizes such work, but also focuses on Africa where due to the complex social economic dynamics, aflatoxins have greatly impacted negatively on the grain consuming population. This work goes on to describe the biosynthetic control of aflatoxi‐ nand further explores how AF/ST pathways could be altered via cross species RNA interfer‐ ence of key steps. If adopted, together with other existing aflatoxin control methods we believe researchers targeting mycotoxinswill realign their efforts in the development of practical methods for preventing not only aflatoxin contamination but alsoall the major my‐ cotoxins in grains and nuts.

[2] Ambros, V. (2001). MicroRNAs: Tiny regulators with great potential. *Cell*, 107,

Species by RNA Silencing Technique http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51440 51

A New Approach in Aflatoxin Management in Africa: Targeting Aflatoxin/Sterigmatocystin Biosynthesis in Aspergillus

[3] Asad, S., Haris, W. A., Bashir, A., Zafar, Y., Malik, K. A., Malik, N. N., & Lichtenstein, C. P. (2003). Transgenic tobacco expressing geminiviral RNAs is resistant to the seri‐ ous viral pathogen causing cotton leaf curl disease. *Archives of Virology*, 148,

[4] Avantaggio, G., Quaranta, F., Desidero, E., & Visconti, A. (2002). Fumonisin contami‐ nation of maize hybrids visibly damaged by Sesamia. *Journal of Science, Food and Agri‐*

[5] Awad, W. A., Ghareeb, K., Bhm, J., & Zentek, J. (2010). Decontamination and detoxi‐ fication strategies for Fusariummycotoxindeoxynivalenol in animal feed and the ef‐ fectiveness of microbial biodegradation. *Food Addidives and Contaminants Part A*, 27,

[6] Azziz-Baumgartner, E., Lindblade, K., Gieseker, K., Rogers, S., Kieszak, S., Njapau, H., Schleicher, R., Mc Coy, L., Misore, A., De Cock, K., Rubin, C., & Slutsker, L. (2005). AflatoxinInvestive Group. Case-Control Study of an Acute Aflatoxicosis Out‐

[7] Bandyopadhyay, R., & Cotty, P. (2011). *Presentation at Annual Meeting of APS/IAPPS*

[8] Bauchera, M., Montiesb, B., van Montagua, M., & Boerjana, W. (1998). Biosynthesis and genetic engineering of lignin. *Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences*, 17, 125-197.

[9] Baum, J. A. (2007). Control of coleopteran insect pests through RNA interference. *Na‐*

[10] Bejarano, E. R., & Lichtenstein, C. P. (1994). Expression of TGMV antisense RNA in transgenic tobacco inhibits replication of BCTV but not ACMV geminiviruses. *Plant*

[11] Bendahmane, M., & Gronenborn, B. (1997). Engineering resistance against tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) using antisense RNA. *Plant Molecular Biology*, 33,

[12] Briddon, R. W., & Stanley, J. (2006). Subviral agents associated with plant single-

[13] Brown, D. W., Yu, J. H., Kel, Kar. H., Fernandes, M., Nesbitt, T. C., Keller, N. P., Adams, T. H., & Leonard, T. J. (1996). Twenty five coagulated transcripts define Ster‐ igmatocystin gene cluster in Aspergillusnidulans. *Proceeding of National Academy of*

[14] Center for Disease Control (CDC). (2004). *Outbreak of aflatoxin poisoning- Eastern and Central provinces, Kenya, January-July.Morbility and Mortality Weekly Report*, 53,

break, Kenya, 2004. *Environment Health Perspectives*, 113, 1779-1783.

823-826.

2341-2352.

510-520.

351-357.

790-792.

*culture*, 83, 13-18.

*6-10August 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii*.

*ture Biotechnology*, 25, 1322-1326.

*Molecular Biology*, 24, 241-248.

*Science USA.*, 93, 1418-1422.

stranded DNA viruses. *Virology*, 344, 198-210.
