New toxin from Aspergillus flavus.

Two nonaflatoxin-producing isolates of Aspergillus flavus produced a new nonfluorescent nitrogen-containing metabolite that was highly toxic to 1-day-old cockerels. The oral mean lethal dose of toxin was 19 mg/kg. Chemical and physical data obtained on the purified toxin demonstrated that it was not one of the previously reported metabolites of A. flavus. The common name "flavutoxin" has been assigned to the toxin.