*2.7. DNA Extraction*

For the PCR amplification and DNA degradation assays, *Aspergillus* mycelium was grown in 20 mL of potato dextrose broth liquid medium (24 g/L of potato dextrose broth (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, ML, USA)). Fungal mats were gathered by separation through mesh sieves (40 mm), finally washed using sterile deionized, and dropped inside a Whatman filter paper to eliminate extra water. For homogenization, fungal mycelium was milled to acceptable powder in a mortar employing liquid nitrogen. The DNA protocol modified by Bahkali et al. [29] was used to obtain a highly purified DNA amplicon.
