Abstract
Molecular identification of some fungi associated with soft dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Saudi Arabia
Highlights
Date fruit is considered one of the most common fruits in the Middle East, especially in the Arabian Peninsula
The results showed that the most dominant isolated fungi were Aspergillus niger (100%) associated with “Sogea”, followed by Aspergillus tubingensis (66%) isolated from “Shalabi Almadinah” (40%), Rhizopus stolonifer (36.3%) associated with “Ajwa”, Talaromyces minioluteus (14.2%) isolated from “Sukkary”, respectively
Two specimens were infected with AFB1 and Ochratoxin A (OTA) at levels of 300 to 390 μg/kg, respectively, and 360 to 450 μg/kg, with three date samples being contaminated with Zearelenone at 500 to 1000 μg/kg
Summary
Date fruit is considered one of the most common fruits in the Middle East, especially in the Arabian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the major dates producing zones in the world, contributing 13% of the total world production. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exerts great effort to maximize dates production and maintain this market share through product quality and safety assurance (Gherbawy et al, 2012). Mycotoxins, especially Aflatoxins (AFs) and OTA, may be found in date fruit (Abdel-Sater and Saber, 1999; Alghalibi and Shater, 2004; Iamanaka et al, 2005). The presence of Aflatoxin-B1 (AFB1), OTA and zearelenone has been reported in Egyptian dates analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) (AbdelSater and Saber, 1999). Two specimens were infected with AFB1 and OTA at levels of 300 to 390 μg/kg, respectively, and 360 to 450 μg/kg, with three date samples being contaminated with Zearelenone at 500 to 1000 μg/kg. The criteria of General Standardization Organization (GSO) Policy (2010) for the Exposure Assessment of Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Food Groups should be consulted when the meaning of certain foods in total exposure to the contaminant is identified
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