Total Aflatoxin Contamination of Wheat, Groundnut and Their Products Sold in Three Markets within Port-Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Aflatoxins are a group of toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites of fungal origin produced by strains of Aspergillus genera. This study presents an assessment of total aflatoxin contamination of wheat, groundnut and their products marketed within Port Harcourt metropolis. Total aflatoxin concentration was determined in all the samples using AgraQuant aflatoxin ELISA test kit and quantified using the Stat fax ELISA reader. The mean total aflatoxin concentration ranged from 1.73±0.09 μg/kg to 37.23±3.66 μg/kg amongst all samples. Amongst the wheat and wheat products, bread samples from mile one market had the highest value of 1.73±0.09 μg/kg while raw wheatmeal (branded) samples from oil mill market had the lowest value of 0.70±0.06 μg/kg; amongst the groundnut and groundnut product group, defatted groundnut cake (Kuli-kuli) samples from mile one market had the highest value of 37.23±3.66 μg/kg while boiled groundnut samples had the lowest value of 0.80±0.12 μg/kg. With the exception of defatted groundnut cake (kuli-kuli) and groundnut paste, all the other samples analyzed were found to be within the acceptable limits as set by NAFDAC of 10 μg/kg for raw food (yet to be cooked) and 4μg/kg for cooked/ready-to-eat food.

Keywords: aflatoxin; ELISA; carcinogenic; Aspergillus flavus.