Assessment of Mycotoxins in Edible Tree Borne Oil Seeds (TBOS)

Abstract

<p>Assessment of mycoflora and mycotoxins associated with Tree Borne Oil Seeds (TBOS) namely <em>Buchanania lanzan </em>Spreng<em>. </em>(chironji)<em>, Juglans regia </em>Linn<em>. </em>(walnut)<em>, Prunus armeniaca </em>Linn. (apricot) and<em> Shorea robusta </em>Gaertn<em>. </em>(sal) indicates<em> Aspergillus flavus, A. niger </em>and<em> Penicillium citrinum</em> as the most frequently occurring fungi. Significant variation in pattern of mycoflora incidence was observed in fresh & stored samples. Mycotoxin producing fungi<em> </em>were screened under laboratory conditions for their ability to produce mycotoxins. The percentage toxigenicity was higher in the isolates of <em>A. flavus</em> in comparison to other mycotoxigenic fungi. In <em>B. lanzan, </em>twenty six percent isolates of <em>A. flavus</em> were toxigenic and produced up to 26 µg/ml aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub> in the liquid media followed by <em>J. regia </em>(19 µg/ml), <em>P.armeniaca</em> (4µg/ml) and <em>S. robusta </em>3.5 µg/ml). Stored samples exhibited high concentration of aflatoxin B1 when analysed for natural occurrence of mycotoxins. Level of aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub> recorded in <em>P. armeniaca,</em> <em>S. robusta, J. regia </em>and <em>B. lanzan </em>was<em> </em>up to<em> </em>0.98 µg/g,<em> </em>0.91 µg/g, 0.54 µg/g and<em> </em>0.48 µg/g respectively. The level of other mycotoxins citrinin, ochratoxin and zearalenone were comparatively low. Analysis of oil extracted from fungal infected stored samples showed presence of aflatoxins in natural occurrence. Incidence of aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub> was higher in apricot oil (up to 0.32 µg/g), up to 0.28 µg/g in chironji and walnut oil whereas in sal butter up to 0.23 µg/g. TBOS under study exhibited significant reduction in the oil seeds under study exhibited oil content during fungal infection, however, reduction was more prominent in case of <em>A. flavus</em> in all cases.</p>