**Acknowledgements**

NIRS system. Here, the fiber-optic probe is immersed in the sample without any previous treatment or manipulation of the samples. Then, NIR spectra are recorded direct from the fiber. This combination of technologies has proved to quantify aflatoxin B1, ocharatoxin A

Aflatoxins have a native luminescence due to their oxygenated pentaherocyclic structure. Thus, most analytical and microbiological methods for detection and quantification of afla‐ toxins are based on this feature. There are a number of microbiological methods that can be used for the direct visual detection of aflatoxin-producing *Aspergillus* strains*.* The aim of these procedures is to increase the production of aflatoxins and elicit at bright blue or bluegreen fluorescent areas surrounding colonies under UV radiation. Complex agar media con‐ taining different additives to increase the production of aflatoxins have been implemented for this purpose. The addition of a methylated derivative of of β-CD plus sodium deoxycho‐ late (NaDC) to yeast extract agar (YES) was found to be suitable for the identification of afla‐ toxigenic *Aspergillus* strains. This was achieved through the visualization of a beige ring surrounding the colonies. When this ring was examined under UV light, it exhibited blue fluorescence. Furthermore, it was observed that aflatoxigenic colonies grown in such envi‐ ronment also emitted room temperature phosphorescence (RTP), when examined in the dark, following excitation with a UV light lamp [61]. The main problem with this technique is related with the disturbance due to the background emission origination from matrix con‐ stituents, this because the emission maxima depends on the solvent and the pH. This prob‐

lematic was addressed and solved by applying two-photon excitation conditions [62].

More than 300 micotoxins are discovered. They are toxic metabolites of a variety of fungi growing in a wide range of food and animal feedstuffs. Of all micotoxins, the aflatoxins are the major concerns as they are mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic and immunosuppres‐ sive compounds. Consumption even at very low concentration may cause serious health problems. For the aforementioned reasons, it is important to develop new methodologies and systems able to quantify the aflatoxins concentrations that satisfy the restrictions pro‐ posed by the organizations in charge of control this compounds. To do this, several techni‐ ques have been employed such as: chromatography, immunological methods, biosensors and others methods. Through the paper can be noticed that almost all techniques need to combine efforts to accomplish precise quantifications. These combinations have depended greatly of technology development during the last years. In the case of chromatography, if the methods of pre-process, derivatization and detections improve their capabilities to ach‐ ieve their functions, it can be developed new systems with higher sensitivity and portability

and total aflatoxins in paprika successfully [60].

**5.3. Fluorescence methods**

306 Aflatoxins - Recent Advances and Future Prospects

**6. Conclusions**

than the so far developed systems.

Authors give thanks to Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), in Mexico, for its financial support through the scholarships with Registration Numbers: 201401 (LMCM), 239421 (AEC), 231946 (CDG), 226888 (AAFJ), 209021 (RFMH).
