Detection of Toxigenic Fungi Associated Some Dried Fruits

Abstract

Contamination of agricultural and food products by some fungal species that producemycotoxins can result in unsafe food and feed. Since dried fruits are good sources of sugarsand other nutrients, they are susceptible to mold contamination and consequent mycotoxinproduction. The occurrence of toxigenic fungi in dried apricots, figs, and grapes wassurveyed in this study. Fungal frequency and their ability to produce mycotoxin werestudied. The obtained results presented that, the isolation of fungi from dried Apricots, Figs,and Grapes yielded 308 fungal isolates. Total fungal count isolated from dried apricot fruitsamples yielded 128 fungal isolates equal to 41.6% followed by dried grape samples whichgave 106 fungal isolates (34.4%) and dried fig fruit samples resulted in 74 fungal isolatesequal to 24.0%. On the other hand, five fungal genera were identified from dried apricotfruits as Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Rhizopus, where Aspergillusniger had the highest fungal frequency (50.78%). Four fungal genera were identified fromdried fig fruits as Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Rhizopus. Higher fungalfrequency was recorded with A. niger (29.73%), while six fungal genera were identifiedwith dried grape samples as Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Rhizopus, andTrichoderma, where A. niger had the highest fungal frequency (49.06%). Test ofmycotoxins production presented that, ten A parasiticus isolates from dried apricot fruitsamples were aflatoxins producers. Eight Aspergillus isolates (A. flavus and A. parasiticus)from dried figs fruit samples produced aflatoxins, and six A parasiticus isolates from driedgrape samples were positive producer of aflatoxins, whereas all Aspergillus niger,Fusarium sp., and Penicillium sp. isolates from dried fruit samples were negative producerof mycotoxins. It could be concluded that toxigenic fungi can attack the dried fruits andcause their deterioration.