Mycology (2014) 5, 16-22

C.N. Ezekiel, I.E. Udom, J.C. Frisvad, M.C. Adetunji, J. Houbraken, S.O. Fapohunda, R.A. Samson, O.O. Atanda, M.C. Agi-Otto and O.A. Onashile (2014)
Assessment of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus and other fungi in millet and sesame from Plateau State, Nigeria
Mycology 5 (1), 16-22
Abstract: Sixteen fonio millet and 17 sesame samples were analysed for incidence of moulds, especially aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species, in order to determine the safety of both crops to consumers, and to correlate aflatoxin levels in the crops with levels produced by toxigenic isolates on laboratory medium. Diverse moulds including Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cercospora, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Trichoderma were isolated. Aspergillus was predominantly present in both crops (46–48%), and amongst the potentially aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species, A. flavus recorded the highest incidence (68% in fonio millet; 86% in sesame kernels). All A. parvisclerotigenus isolates produced B and G aflatoxins in culture while B aflatoxins were produced by only 39% and 20% of A. flavus strains isolated from the fonio millet and sesame kernels, respectively. Aflatoxin concentrations in fonio millet correlated inversely (r = -0.55; p = 0.02) with aflatoxin levels produced by toxigenic isolates on laboratory medium, but no correlation was observed in the case of the sesame samples. Both crops, especially sesame, may not be suitable substrates for aflatoxin biosynthesis. This is the first report on A. parvisclerotigenus in sesame.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Jens C. Frisvad

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aspergillus flavus (plant/storage disease)	Sesame (Sesamum indicum)	Nigeria
	Aspergillus flavus (plant/storage disease)	Digitaria (crop)	Nigeria
	Aspergillus tamarii	Sesame (Sesamum indicum)	Nigeria
	Aspergillus tamarii	Digitaria (crop)	Nigeria
	Aspergillus parvisclerotigenus	Sesame (Sesamum indicum)	Nigeria