What is the Difference Between Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus Flavus

The key difference between Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus is that Aspergillus niger is a species of the genus Aspergillus that produces potent mycotoxins called ochratoxin A while Aspergillus flavus is a species of the genus Aspergillus that produces potent mycotoxins called aflatoxin B1.

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus are two species that belong to the genus Aspergillus. Aspergillus is a very popular fungal genus consisting of several hundred mold species found in various climates worldwide. This genus was first found in 1729 by an Italian biologist named Pier Antonio Micheli. Some species of Aspergillus are known to cause fungal diseases, while others are of commercial importance.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Aspergillus Niger
3. What is Aspergillus Flavus
4. Similarities – Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus Flavus
5. Aspergillus Niger vs Aspergillus Flavus in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Aspergillus Niger vs Aspergillus Flavus

What is Aspergillus Niger?

Aspergillus niger is a fungus found in soils, seeds, plant litter, plant rhizospheres, dried fruits, and nuts. Aspergillus niger is ubiquitously found in soil and is commonly reported in indoor environments. Sometimes, black mold can be confused with Stachybotrys. It is one of the most common species of the genus Aspergillus.

Aspergillus Niger vs Aspergillus Flavus - Side by Side Comparison

Figure 01: Aspergillus niger

Pathogenicity of Aspergillus niger is reported both in plants as well as in humans. This fungus causes a common postharvest disease in onions and can also cause disease in peanuts and in grapes. However, A. niger is less likely to cause human diseases than some other Aspergillus species. In rare instances, A. niger can cause a serious lung infection known as aspergillosis. Moreover, A. niger is one of the most common species that cause otomycosis or fungal ear infections. Fungal ear infections can cause pain, temporary hearing loss, and damage to the air canal and tympanic membrane. Furthermore, various strains of A. niger are used in the industrial preparation of citric acid and gluconic acid. Many useful enzymes such as glucoamylase and glucose oxidase also are produced using industrial fermentation of A. niger. In addition, A. niger is also involved in the production of magnetic isotopes containing variants of biological macromolecules for NMR analysis and in the design of glucose biosensors.

What is Aspergillus Flavus?

Aspergillus flavus is a fungal species belonging to the genus Aspergillus that is commonly colonizing in groundnuts, spices, oil seeds, and in dried fruits. It is a saprotrophic and pathogenic fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution. Aspergillus flavus is a fungal pathogen that causes Aspergillus ear and kernel rot. It causes severe losses in corn, peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. In humans, A. flavus causes chronic granulomatous, sinusitis, keratitis, cutaneous aspergillosis, wound infections, and osteomyelitis, following trauma and inoculation.

Aspergillus Niger vs Aspergillus Flavus in Tabular Form

Figure 02: Aspergillus flavus

Industrially, A. flavus strain AF36, which is noncarcinogenic and aflatoxin-free, is used in pesticides as an active ingredient. AF36 is a fungal antagonist and is applied as a biocontrol commercially to cotton and corn, which reduces aflatoxin exposure by other fungi.

What are the Similarities Between Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus Flavus?

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus are two species belonging to the genus Aspergillus.
Both species are ubiquitously found in the soil.
They are pathogenic to plants and humans.
Both species can be controlled by pesticides and specific antifungal medications.
They both have industrial usage.

What is the Difference Between Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus Flavus?

Aspergillus niger is a species of the genus Aspergillus that produces potent mycotoxins called ochratoxin A while Aspergillus flavus is a species of the genus Aspergillus that produces potent mycotoxins called aflatoxin B1. Thus, this is the key difference between Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Furthermore, Aspergillus niger is a black mold, while Aspergillus flavus is a yellow mold.

The below infographic presents the differences between Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Aspergillus Niger vs Aspergillus Flavus

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus are two species belonging to the genus Aspergillus and were first described in 1729 by an Italian biologist named Pier Antonio Micheli. Both species are pathogenic to plants as well as humans. Aspergillus niger is a species that produces potent mycotoxins called ochratoxin A while Aspergillus flavus is a species that produces potent mycotoxins called aflatoxin B1. So, this summarizes the difference between Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus.

Reference:

1. Hinton-Sheley, Phoebe. “What Is Aspergillus Niger?” News, 11 Sept. 2018.
2. “Aspergillus Flavus.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Aspergillus niger SEM” By Mogana Das Murtey and Patchamuthu Ramasamy – (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Aspergillus flavus” By Medmyco – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia