Assessment of mycotoxin producing fungi isolated from dried tomatoes chips sold in Keffi, Nigeria

Abstract

Mycotoxins are low-molecular-weight natural products. That is produced as secondary metabolites by filamentous fungi. Assessment of mycotoxin producing fungi isolated from dried tomatoes chips sold in Keffi, Nigeria. Fungi species were isolated using standard microbiological methods. Sixty (60) dry tomatoes were purchased from 5 different shops in Keffi market. The percentage occurrence of fungi was 73.3 %. The highest fungi were isolated from new market 13(86.6%) and the lowest was from Angwan Waje 9(60.0 %). The fungi species isolated were A. niger, A. melleus, F. culmorum, Penicillium sp and Cladosporium cladosporioides. The highest percentage of fungi isolated from Angwan Lambu was A. niger and A. flavus (20.0 %). From Angwan Waje the highest was A. fumigates and A. flavus (20.0%) and least were F. culmorum and C. cladosporioides (6.6 %). The highest recorded in new market were Penicillium sp and A. melleus (20.0%) and the lowest was Penicillium Citrinum (6.6%).Out of 6 Fusarium culmorum screened for mycotoxin production 4 produce fumonisins toxin. Of 3 Penicillium screened for mycotoxin production 1 produced patulin and 2 produced cyclopiazonic acid. Out of 5 Aspergillus fumigatus screened for toxin production only 1 cyclopiazonic acid. Different mycotoxin were produced by different fungi species isolated from the study area.