Total aflatoxin level and fungi contamination of maize and maize products

Abstract

Samples of maize and maize products purchased from selected markets in parts of Kaduna State, Nigeria were analyzed for total aflatoxin and fungi contamination using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and mycological procedures. The mean aflatoxin concentration of the maize and maize products obtained from this study shows that one hundred and fifty two (82.70%) of the maize products had aflatoxin contamination above the tolerance level of 20ppb stipulated by World Health Organization).The old maize had a mean aflatoxin level of 177ppb while the new maize had a mean aflatoxin level of 102ppb.The mean aflatoxin level in maize flour was 174ppb while the maize bran had a mean aflatoxin level of 213ppb. Significant differences exists between the mean aflatoxin contaminations of old maize, fresh maize, maize flour and maize bran. Five fungal genera namely: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus,, Fusarium and Botrytis were isolated. Aspergillus was the most predominant genera isolated (62%).Among the Aspergillus, three species namely A. niger, A. tamari, and A. flavus were identified. The high level of aflatoxin in maize and maize products highlights the health problem associated with the consumption of these products with the toxin that could lead to adverse health effects such as liver, cervical, breast or oesophageal cancer.