Biotechnological Potential for Fructooligosaccharides Production and Molecular Characterization of <i>Aspergillus oryzae</i> DIA-ITDAM

The study aimed to assess the capacity of the <i>Aspergillus oryzae</i> DIA-ITDAM strain to produce fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in sugarcane juice, its molecular and morphological characteristics, and its potential to produce aflatoxins. <i>A. oryzae</i> DIA-ITDAM produced 23.94 g/L of FOS after 48 hours of fermentation, including 1-kestose, nystose, and fructofuranosylnystose, along with one unidentified FOS. Molecular characterization, including sequencing of the amplified fragments of the 5.8S rRNA region and the <i>tub2</i> gene, showed similarity to both <i>A. oryzae</i> and <i>A. flavus</i> species. These species were differentiated by analyzing single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which revealed differences at four positions in the <i>cyp51A</i> gene sequences, confirming the strain as <i>A. oryzae</i>. Importantly, no aflatoxins were detected in either the submerged fermentation of sugarcane juice or the solid fermentation of peanuts. This study represents a significant step towards the safe use of <i>A. oryzae</i> DIA-ITDAM in the biotechnological production of FOS as food ingredients.