Contamination of Armenian Red Pepper by Microfungi and Aflatoxin B1
Scientific Proceedings of Vanadzor State University Natural and Exact Sciences (ISSN 2738-2915)
2023 vol 2
Contamination of Armenian Red Pepper by Microfungi and Aflatoxin B1
Karine Grigoryan
Varduhi Hovsepyan
Summary
Key words: paprika, hot red pepper, filamentous fungi, aflatoxin B1, strains, contamination
The aim of this study was to investigate the contamination of ground red pepper with mycotoxigenic fungi.During 2019-2020 we have analyzed 45 samples taken from different regions of the republic. 13 species of filamentous fungi, belongingto five genera were isolated from ground pepper. Such spices asAspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus var. griseobrunes, A. ochraceus, Penicillium lanosumи Absidia corymbiferawere most frequently isolated from red pepper samples on Czapek-Dox agar medium. A chromatographic analysis of 17 samples of ground red pepper was carried out for the presence of aflatoxin B1. As a result, Aflatoxin B1 had beendetected in 9 samples. Aflatoxin concentrations in paprika and hot red pepper ranged from 10 to 50 μg/kg.The aflatoxin content in red pepper samples did not depend on its pungency. Other mycotoxins have not been identified during the present study.These findings indicate the risk possibility of human exposure to mycotoxins through the consumption of dry rep pepper.
https://doi.org/10.58726/27382923-ne2023.2-19