Table 3.

Pearson correlation coefficients of associations between aflatoxin/precursor levels produced by A. flavus on autoclaved maize kernels from days 3 to 10 of incubation

Analytes (group 1 pathway)a	Pearson correlation		Analytes (group 2 pathway)b	Pearson correlation		Analytes (corresponding metabolites)	Pearson correlation
	r	p value		r	p value		r	p value
ST-OMST	0.046	0.810	DHST-DHOMST	0.015	0.936	ST-DHST	0.781	< 0.001*
OMST-HOMST	0.865	< 0.001*	AFB2-AFM2	0.919	< 0.001*	OMST-DHOMST	0.981	< 0.001*
OMST-ASP	0.863	< 0.001*				AFB1-AFB2	0.984	< 0.001*
HOMST-AFB1	0.977	< 0.001*				AFM1-AFM2	0.916	< 0.001*
ASP-HASP	0.943	< 0.001*
HASP-AFM1	0.987	< 0.001*
AFB1-AFM1	0.996	< 0.001*

*Significant correlation (p < 0.001)

Analytes are divided as follows:

^aGroup 1 aflatoxin pathway: ST, sterigmatocystin; OMST, O-methylsterigmatocystin; HOMST, 11-hydroxy-O-methylsterigmatocystin; ASP, aspertoxin; HASP, 11-hydroxyaspertoxin; AFB₁, aflatoxin B₁; AFM₁, aflatoxin M₁

^bGroup 2 aflatoxin pathway: DHST, dihydrosterigmatocystin; DHOMST, dihydro-O-methylsterigmatocystin; AFB₂, aflatoxin B₂; AFM₂, aflatoxin M₂