Abstract
An investigation was undertaken to obtain data on the occurrence of aflatoxins and the aflatoxin producing potential of Aspergillus flavus strains isolated from dry fruit slices of quinces produced in jammu and Kashmir, India. A total of 147 A. flavus isolates recovered from dr fruit slices were grown in liquid rice flour medium and screened for the production of various aflatoxins by thin layer chromatography. The results showed that 23.14% of the tested isolates were aflatoxigenic, producing aflatoxins B1and B2 in varying amounts. Aflatoxins G1 and G2 were not detected. All 25 of the investigated market samples were also found to be aflatoxin B1 positive and the level of contamination ranged from 96 to 8164 μg/kg of the dry fruit which is quite high in comparison to the permissible level of 30 ppb. As per these results biochemical composition of dry fruit slices of quinces, along with climatic conditions seem to be very favourable for aflatoxin production by the toxigenic A. flavus strains. Therefore,monitoring of aflatoxins in dry fruit slices of quincesis recommended for this region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kurtzman CP, Horn BW, Hesseltine CW. Aspergillus nomius, a new aflatoxin - producing species related to Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus tamarii. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 1987; 53: 147–158.
WHO. Environmental Health Criteria. 11. Mycotoxins World Health Organisation, Geneav, 1979.
IARC. Some naturally occurring substances: Food items and constituents, heterocyclic aromatic amines and mycotoxins. Monograph 56, International Agency for Research on Cancer, France, 1993.
Niyo KA. Mycotoxins: economic and health risks. Publication no. 116. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, 1990.
Krishnamachari KAVR, Bhat RV, Nagarajan V, Tilak TBC. Hepatitis due to aflatoxicosis. An outbreak in western India. Lancet 1975; 1: 1061–1063.
Krishnamachari KAVR, Bhat RV, Nagarajan V, Tilak TBC. Investigations into an outbreak of hepatitis in parts of western India. Ind J Med Res 1975; 63: 1036–1048.
Kandhari J, Payak MM, Mehta SL, Sharma RC. Investigations on microbial toxins in stored maize samples from Rajasthan. Syn Environmental Pollution and Toxicology, Hissar, 1977: 319–326.
Sinha KK, Singh Anjana. Aflatoxin producing potentials of Aspergillus flavus and natural occurrence of aflatoxins in some fruits and vegetables. Nat Acad Sci Letters 1982; 5: 213–214.
Singh Anjana. Mycotoxin contamination in dry fruits and spices. Proc Symp Mycotoxin in food and feed, Bhagalpur, 1983: 55–68.
Bilgrami KS. Mycotoxins in dry fruits and spices. Technical report of UGC project, New Delhi, 1984.
Sinha AK, Prasad G. Monitoring and identification of mycotoxins in marketed bakery bread during monsoon. Ind Phytopath 1994; 47: 164–167.
Reddy AS, Reddy SM. Elaboration of mycotoxins by fungi associated with til. (Sesamum indicum L.). Curr Sci 1983; 52: 613–614.
Nusrath M, Nahdi S. Occurrence of aflatoxins and other mycotoxins in cattle feeds form Hyderabad. Ind Phytopath 1983; 36: 106–109.
Kolhe AS, Verma RJ, Dube HC. Aflatoxin contamination in oil cakes. Ind Phytopath 1994; 47: 270–272.
Chaturvedi K, Chaturvedi SN. Aflatoxins production in various types of contaminated arecanuts and its preparations. J Ind Bot Soc 1995; 74: 317–318.
Neeta rani, Singh S. Natural occurrence of mycoflora and mycocotoxins in some pulse products of human use. J Ind Bot Soc 1996; 75: 2893–285.
Vidhyasekaran P. Role of aflatoxin producing species of Aspergillus on viability of seeds. Proc. Symp Mycotoxin in food and feed, Bhagalpur, 1983: 155–160.
Chohan JS, Mehan VK. Aflatoxins and seed deterioration. In: Bilgrani KS, Vyas KM, eds. Recent advances in the biology of micro organisms, Dehradun: Bisen singh Mahender Pal Singh, 1982: 5784–588.
Muralimohan GU, Reddy CN. Incidence of alflatoxins and Aspergillus flavus in marketed arecenut and soapnut powder in Gulbarga city. Ind Phytopath 1995; 48: 371–373.
Sinha AK. Mycotoxin - health hazard. Yojana 1995; 39: 15–16._
Bhat RV, Ramakrishna Y, Shashidhar RB. Outbreak of mycoroxicosis in Kashmir Valley. Nutrition News 1989: 11.
Soares LMV. Multi-toxin TLC methods for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone and sterigmatocystin in foods. In: Linskens HF, Jackson JF, eds. Plant Toxin Analysis. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1992.
Thomas F, Eppley RM, Truckess MW. Rapid screening method for aflatoxins and zearalenone in corn. J Assoc Off Chem 1975; 58: 114–116.
Stack ME, Pohland AE. Collaborative study of a method for chemical confirmation of the identitiy of aflatoxin. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 1975; 58: 110–113.
Nabney J, Nesbitt BF. A spectrophotometric method for determining the aflatoxing. Analyst 1965; 90: 155–160.
Diener UL, Davis ND. Aflatoxin production by isolates of Aspergillus flavus. Phytopath 1966; 56: 1390–1393.
Klich MA, Pitt JI. Differentiation of Aspergillus flavus from A. parasiticus and other closely related species. Trans Br Mycol Soc 188; 91: 99–108.
Wei D, Jong S. Production of aflatoxins by strains of the Aspergillus flavus group maintained in ATCC. Mycopathologia 1986; 93: 19–24.
Schroeder HW, Carlton WW. Accumulation of only aflatoxin B2 by a strain of Aspergillus flavus. Appl Microbiol 1973; 25: 146–148.
Van Walbeek W, Scott PM, Thatcher FS. Mycotoxins from food borne fungi. Can J Microbiol 1968; 41: 131–137.
Heathcote JG, Hibbert JR. Aflatoxins - Chemical and biological aspets. Amsterdam, Elsevier Scientific Company, 1978.
Mehan VK, Chohan JS. Aflatoxin B1 producing potential of isolates of Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fries from cotton, maize and wheat. Mycopath Mycol Appl 1973; 49: 263–274.
Doster MA, Michailides TJ. Development of Aspergillus molds in litter from pistachio trees. Plant Dis 1994; 78: 393–397.
Wicklow DT. Survival of Aspergillus flavus sclerotia in soil. Tran Brit Mycol Soc 1987; 89: 131–134.
Hesseltine CW, Shotwell OL, Ellis JJ, Stubblefied RD. Aflatoxin formation by Aspergillus flavus. Bacteriol Rev 1966; 30: 795–805.
Sumbali G. Sharma YP. Mycofloar associated with cut dried fruits of quinces (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) from Jammu province. In: Reddy SM, Srivastava HP, Purohit DK, Reddy SR eds. Microbial Biotechnology, Jodhpur: Scientivic Publishers, 1977: 151–155.
American Association of Cereal Chemists. Method 02-01, approved April 1961. Approved Methods of the AACC, American Association of Cereal Chemists, St. Paul, MN, 1962.
Detroy HW, Lillehoj EB, Ciegler A. Aflatoxins and related compounds. In: Ciegler A, Kadis S, Ajl J eds. Microbial Toxins Vol. VI. Fungal Toxins, New York Academic Press, 1971.
Cooper S, Wood G, Chapman W, Williams A. Proc V Int Symp Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins, Vienna, Austria, 1982: 64–67.
Kulkarni JR, Padule DN, Shinde PA, Salunkhe DK. Aflatoxins in dried dates. Curr Res ReptrMahatma Phule Agri Univ 1985; 2: 26–31.
Schade JE, McGreevy K, King Jr. AD, Mackey G, Fuller G. Incidence of aflatoxins in California almonds. Appl. Mirobiol 1975; 29: 58–53.
Steiner WE, Rieker Rh, Battaglia R. Aflatoxin contamination in dried figs: Distribution and association with fluoresence. J Agri Food Chem 1988: 88–91.
Akerstrand K, Moller T. Quality control of dried figs. Var-Foda 1989; 41: 308–317
Ozay G, Alperden F. Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin A contamination of dried figs (Ficus carina L.) form the 1988 crop. Mycoroxin - Research 1991; 7: 85–91.
Sharma YP. Studies on the mycoflora and mycotoxins associated with cut dried fruits of Quinces (Cydonia oblanga Mill.) from Jammu Province (Ph.D. Thesis), University of Jammu, Jammu, India 1997: 162.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sharma, Y.P., Sumbali, G. Incidence of aflatoxin producing strains and aflatoxin contamination in dry fruit slices of quinces (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) from the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. Mycopathologia 148, 103–107 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007155020833
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007155020833