| dc.description.abstract | Peanut kernels of Homabay Local, Valencia Red, ICGV-SM 12991 and ICGV-SM 99568 cultivars were stored
for six months in jute, polypropylene and polyethylene bags to assess the effect of storage bags, temperature and
R.H. on fungal population and aflatoxin contamination. Moisture content (M.C.), fungal population and aflatoxin
levels were determined before storage and after every 30 days during storage. Isolates of Aspergillus flavus and
A. parasiticus were assayed for production of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2. The correlation between MC,
population of A. flavus and A. parasiticus and aflatoxin levels in peanuts was also determined. Six fungal
pathogens were commonly isolated from the peanut samples and occurred as follows in decreasing order:
Penicillium spp. (106.6 CFU/g), A. flavus L-strain (4.8 CFU/g), A. flavus S-strain (2.9 CFU/g), A. niger (2.6
CFU/g), A. parasiticus (1.7 CFU/g) and A. tamarii (0.2 CFU/g). The overall population of A. flavus L-strain was
66% higher than that of A. flavus S-strain. Ninety one percent of A. flavus and A. parasiticus isolates produced at
least one of the four aflatoxin types assayed, with 36% producing aflatoxin B1. Total aflatoxin levels ranged
from 0 - 47.8 μg/kg with samples stored in polyethylene and jute bags being the most and least contaminated,
respectively. Eighty nine percent and 97% of the peanut samples met the EU (≤ 4 μg/kg) and Kenyan (≤ 10
μg/kg) regulatory standards for total aflatoxin, respectively. Peanuts should be adequately dried to safe moisture
level and immediately packaged in a container - preferably jute bags - which will not promote critical increases
in fungal population and aflatoxin contamination. | en_US |
