Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PREVALENCE OF MYCOFLORA AND MYCOTOXINS IN SOME STORAGE SEEDS

S. Mohan and M. Vijay Antony

Abstract

Growth of commonly occurring filamentous fungi in foods may result in production of mycotoxins, which can cause a variety of ill effects in humans and animals. In the present investigation, a wide range of field and storage fungi, totaling 12 species, were isolated from seeds of paddy, black gram, green gram, green pea, sunflower, ellu and groundnut with Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium were the predominant genera. Among 4 types of mycotoxins assayed, aflatoxins B1, B2, G, and G, were recorded in considerable quantity in groundnut. Ochratoxin A, zearalenone, citrinin and penicillic acid were also detected in all samples examined.