Mycological survey for potential aflatoxin and ochratoxin producers and their toxicological properties in harvested Brazilian black pepper.
A mycological survey was carried out on 115 samples of whole dried black pepper seeds, from two main production regions of Brazil (Pará and Espírito Santo). A high incidence of contamination was verified in both regions when 99.1% of the samples showed filamentous fungi contamination. A total of 497 species of nine different genera were isolated (Aspergillus, Eurotium, Rhizopus, Penicillium, Curvularia, Cladosporium, Absidia, Emericella and Paecilomyces). The genus Aspergillus was the predominant (53.5%) followed by species from the Eurotium genus (24.5%). Eurotium chevalieri (16.4%) was the most predominant species followed by A. flavus (14.6%) present on 55 samples of black pepper (47.8%) analysed. Twenty-five samples (21.7%) were contaminated with aflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus. In relation to the types of aflatoxins produced by mycotoxigenic strains, it was observed that 25 strains (44.6%) of 56 isolated of A. flavus produced aflatoxins. From 12 samples, A. ochraceus species were isolated in low frequency (3.5%). Two strains of A. ochraceus from 16 isolated were producers of ochratoxin A. With respect to the aflatoxins and ochratoxin A natural contamination, none of the samples presented detectable levels of these mycotoxins using thin-layer chromatographic analysis.
Gatti
M J
MJ
Departamento de Biologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Fraga
M E
ME
Magnoli
C
C
Dalcero
A M
AM
da Rocha Rosa
C A
CA
D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001938:Brazil; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods; D003470:Culture Media; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D029222:Piper nigrum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
D000348:Aflatoxins; D003470:Culture Media; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A