title: A mini-survey of moulds and mycotoxins in locally grown and imported wheat grains in Nigeria.
abstract: A preliminary survey involving limited sample size was conducted to determine the spectrum of moulds and mycotoxins in wheat grains from flour mills and local markets in Nigeria. Fourteen wheat samples were analyzed for moulds using standard mycological methods and for toxic fungal metabolites using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method. Fusarium (range of incidence 12.5-61.7%) dominated in the wheat grains though species of Aspergillus (range of incidence 2.24-3.86%) were also recovered from the samples. The identified fungal species were Aspergillus flavus (7.7%), Aspergillus niger clade (2.6%), Fusarium avenaceum (10.9%), Fusarium culmorum (22.4%) and Fusarium graminearum (56.4%). A total of 54 microbial metabolites were detected in the samples at concentration ranging between 0.01 μg/kg for macrosporin and 2560 μg/kg for deoxynivalenol. Among the four mycotoxins addressed by regulations in the European Union (EU) found in the samples, deoxynivalenol (incidence 100%) dominated in the samples and its levels exceeded the maximum acceptable EU limit (750 μg/kg) in 36% of the samples. This report underscores the need for more robust surveys with larger sample sizes and across several agro-ecologies in the country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Protection, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ayotokunbo O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Egbontan
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Protection, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. afolabicg@funaab.edu.ng.
authors.forename: Clement G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Afolabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pure and Applied Botany, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Iyabode A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Kehinde
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Protection, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ololade A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Enikuomehin
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Chibundu N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ezekiel
authors.affiliation: Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz-Str. 20, A-3430, Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sulyok
authors.affiliation: Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz-Str. 20, A-3430, Tulln, Austria.|Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Warth
authors.affiliation: Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz-Str. 20, A-3430, Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krska
mesh_terms: D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D009549:Nigeria; D011042:Poisons / Q000032:analysis*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D009183:Mycotoxins; D011042:Poisons
keywords: Deoxynivalenol; Fusarium; Mycotoxins; Nigeria; Triticum aestivum