The Effects of Nutrients on Fungi and Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanut

Abstract

The effects of nutrients on fungi and aflatoxin contamination were determined in peanut in this study. For this aim, total of 40 peanuts samples from harvest and storage periods were collected from Osmaniye province of Turkey. Aspergillus niger (13,00-28,00%), A. flavus (1,00-8,00%) Fusarium solani (1,00-18,00%), F. oxysporum (1,00-17,00%), F. sambicinum (1,00-9,00%), F. semitectum (1,00-7,00%), Rhizoctonia solani (3,00-18,00%), Macrophomina phaseolina (2,00-24,00%) and Rhizopus stolonifer (16,00-35,00%) were isolated on peanuts taking from harvest and storage. A. parasiticus (1,00%) and Penicillium spp. (6,00-15,00%) were isolated only from the storage. The consequences of mineral analysis were showed that all minerals diminished with storage. In harvest and storage, K and N levels were insufficient while P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn levels were within an agreeable ranges, as well as in storage, generally Ca levels was under the critical level. Total aflatoxin contamination in peanut was performed by HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). Toxin levels were between 0.21 and 22.17 ppb in 40 peanut samples. Aflatoxin content during storage was significantly higher than harvest. The results of this study, the reduce of mineral nutrients were attributed to fungi and aflatoxin contamination in peanut.

Key words: Fungi, Aflatoxin, Nutrient, Peanut, Harvest, Storage

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-2-20