Toxicological study of fungi isolated from starches intended for human consumption

Abstract

A total of 310 fungal strains isolated from starches intended for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals were tested to determine their toxicity to Brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.) larvae and Bacillus megaterium NRRL 1 366. Of them, 82 proved toxic for both biotests, 173 (82 + 91) toxic for at least one of the tests. The system based on the use of Brine shrimp larvae proved to be the more sensitive of the two assayed. Results are stated also for the different species of each genus.

Xerophiles and other fungi associated with cereal baby foods locally produced in Uganda

“…It was recovered in moderate frequency and most heavily contaminating Kayebe and Baby soya (products of maize and soya beans). This is in agreement with the findings of Suarez et al (1981), who recovered A. niger from starches intended for human consumption, where rice and maize were among these starches. Also, Sanchis et al (1982) fond that A. niger caused severe deterioration to corn and sorghum.…”

“…The highest levels of contamination with penicillia were recorded in maize flour-containing products (Kayebe and Baby soya), and Mwebaza rice porridge and the least was found in Mukuza (Tabs 2 and 3). The above findings agree with earlier observation where Penicillium was among the most common genera recovered from corn snacks (Zohri et al 1995) and starches (Suarez et al 1981). Similarly, corn was found to be highly contaminated with Penicillium species, while rice was found to be penicillia free (Munimbazi, Bullerman 1996).…”

“…In contrast to our finding, whereby Mukuza (a product of sorghum) had a low contamination level with Penicillium species, Diener et al (1981) found Penicillium to be among the most dominant genera on sorghum. P. citrinum (2.58% and 3.5%) and P. oxalicum (2.64% and 3.5% of the total CFU on DG18 and DRBC respectively), the most common species in the present study, have been reported earlier to occur on starches (Suarez et al 1981), and barley (Abdel-Kader et al 1979). P. oxalicum was also one of the chief species isolated from unstored corn kernels (Mislivic, Tuite 1970) and in preharvest corn from Valencia, Spain (Jimenez et al 1985).…”

“…2). Penicillium and Aspergillus were reported earlier as the most commonly isolated genera on starches (potatoes, rice, maize and wheat) intended for human consumption (Suarez et al 1981), on wheat, maize, sorghum and barley in Egypt (Moubasher et al 1972;El-Maghraby 1989). In a study on baby foods imported into Uganda, the most common fungal genera were found to be similar to those reported in the current study from the local foods, however, species of Aspergillus and Penicillium were more dominant in locally produced foods, while species of Cladosporium and Fusarium were more common in imported ones (Ismail et al 2008).…”

“…P. viridicatum, a well known nephrotoxigenic species (Frisvad 1983) and P. corylophilum were also isolated though in low frequency, respectively on DRBC and DG18, constituting 0.5% and 4.82% of the total CFU. P. viridicatum was earlier recovered from starches intended for human consumption (Suarez et al 1981). Carlton et al (1968) found that P. viridicatum, P. oxalicum and P. multicolor Grig.-Manoil.…”