Fungal Infections and Aflatoxin Contamination in Maize Grains Collected from West Showa and East Wallega Zones, Ethiopia

Abstract

Mycotoxin affects the world's food crops and creates a large economical loss in the developed and developing countries. Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins that mainly produced by Aspergillus species viz., A. flavus, and A. parasiticus. An aflatoxins contamination of maize grains has exhibiting a serious threat to human and animal health over the past two decades. Toprotect the safety of food commodities, regular monitoring and diagnosis of the presence and amount of non-permissible levels of aflatoxins in food is necessary to take appropriate management measures. Maize grain samples were collected from Ilu Galan and Bako districts of West Shoa and Gobu Sayo district of East Wollega zones of Oromiya; from different grain storage types. About 500 gr of maize grains were sampled from each sampling spot. PDA media was used for isolation of associated maize grains sample associated fungi. Sun-culturing and purification of the associated fungi were done and preserved using agar slant technique. The associated fungal mycoflora were characterized based on morphological and growth sporulation properties. Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) diagnostic kit were used for identification and quantification of aflatoxins. Aspergillus, Fusarium Penicillium and Trichoderma species were identified and characterized. Aflatoxin B1 was identified and quantified from zero to 381.6µg/kg. About 34.4% of the samples were positive to aflatoxin B1 compared to Food and Drug Administration (20µg/kg) and European Union (4µg/kg), respectively. The management of mycotoxigenic fungi, improvement of storage methods, development of resistant maize varieties and awareness creations could be possible solutions

Detection of aflatoxin producing Aspergillus flavus from animal feed in Karnataka, India

“…In contrast, the sample containing more color had lower aflatoxin concentration. In the present study the samples collected from NGAFS7, MLAFS18 showed the aflatoxin concentration of 521.67±2.08 μg/kg, 524.33±4.04 μg/kg, was toxic when compared to other samples, this could be due to the exposure of the grain to favorable temperature and rain which in turn facilitate the growth of aflatoxigenic fungi [ 16 ]. The Aflatoxin concentration of the samples collected from NGAFS3, MYAFS14, MLAFS20, MLAFS21, CHAFS26, CHAFS27 was found to be 315.67±2.51 μg/kg, 308.00±2.64 μg/kg, 313.67±2.51 μg/kg, 319.33±2.08 μg/kg, 315.67±2.51 μg/kg, 310.67±1.52 μg/kg respectively indicates moderately toxic.…”

“…ELISA reader was employed for the quantification of aflatoxin B1. Finally, detected and quantified aflatoxin B1 was used for analysis across each sample, grain and storage types [ 16 ].…”

Fungal Species and Multi-Mycotoxin Associated with Post-Harvest Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Grain in Eastern Ethiopia

“…Furthermore, [ 55 ] reported total fumonisin levels of 25 to 4500 μg/kg in maize samples collected from 20 major maize-growing areas in the country, of which about 7% of the maize samples exceeded the maximum tolerable limit set by the EU in maize (>1000 μg/kg) [ 36 ] and surpassed the levels of fumonisin in the present study detected in sorghum grain. In addition, aflatoxin B 1 was detected in the range of 3.9 to 382 μg/kg in maize grain samples [ 56 ], in which 7.7% of samples had aflatoxin B 1 content higher than the maximum limit (5 μg/kg) set by EU in maize to be used as an ingredient in foodstuffs [ 56 ]. Recently, [ 57 ] detected about 23 metabolites in maize grain samples collected from south and south-west of Ethiopia and reported nivalenol (1052 μg/kg), deoxynivalenol (2158 μg/kg), zearalenone (2447 μg/kg), fumonisin B 2 (2712 μg/kg), and fumonisin B 1 (7069 μg/kg) were abundantly detected.…”

Study protocol to assess aflatoxin M1 health risks versus benefits of dairy consumption in Ethiopian children: an epidemiological trial and risk-benefit analysis

“…In this model, we also control for the estimated macronutrient and micronutrient content and pathogens (vector Civ` ) in the milk sample collected at the baseline from the household in which the child resides. We will also control for the child’s maize consumption (vector Hiv` ), since maize is also likely to be contaminated by aflatoxins in the Ethiopian setting 34–37. The estimated model can be defined as:…”