Abstract
The study investigated the fungal composition of honey samples collected from six states in Southwestern Nigeria. Eighteen honey samples were screened in each state giving an overall total of 108 samples for the six states. The number of fungal species were determined and the microphotograph of colonial appearance of each was taken with Toshiba camera HD 1080P, 4X Digital Zoom. The morphological appearance of the fungal isolates as seen under the microscope were drawn and described.Seven species of fungi were isolated. The occurrence of the different species varied from one state to another. However, out of the seven species, only one, Trychophyton rubrum is pathogenic, and this is the first record of a pathogenic fungus from honey samples in Nigeria.
Highlights
The best known hive product is honey, which is valued both as a food and as a folk medicine
Seven species of fungi were isolated from honey samples in six states of southwestern Nigeria (Table 1)
Cladosporium wernecki was found in Ekiti, Ondo and Oyo state honey samples
Summary
The best known hive product is honey, which is valued both as a food and as a folk medicine. It is basically nectar from which the bees have evaporated most of the water content. In converting the nectar to honey, the bees have enzymes which serve mainly to break complex sugar molecules down into simple sugar molecules. The greatest nutritional attribute of honey is that it consists of simple sugars, which do not need to be digested but are assimilated directly by the body. This makes honey a quick energy source. Honey has numerous uses and functional applications worldwide such as in food systems, religious and cultural ceremonies as well as in human and veterinary medicine (Cooper et al, 2002; Eileen De Mars, 2003)
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