ABSTRACT

Aflatoxins are natural toxigenic metabolites frequently found in groundnut, millet and cereal products. Asperigillus species are mainly responsible for aflatoxin buildup and contamination of groundnut products. The main objective is to detect aflatoxin-producing moulds in groundnut commonly sold in Ndoru Market Umuahia,Abia state four (4) groundnut samples were bought from four different sales point in Ndoru Market from which (4) organisms were isolated using spread plate techniques and belong to 2 genera and 4 species. Asperigillus flavus,Asperigillus spp, Penicillium spp. The percentage of occurrence is Asperigillus flavus was found in (47%), Asperigillus spp (47%), and Penicillium spp (25%), Penicillium spp (4%).However the highest prevalence of occurrence was seen in A.flavus. Aflatoxin production by isolated fungi was subsequently evaluated using the thin layer chromatography technique and viewed under UV light. Two isolates Asperigillus flavus, Asperigillus spp of Asperigillus genera produced green fluorescence as detected in the culture filtrates while the remaining two isolates Penicillium sp of produced no fluorescence. The green fluorescent colouration emitted under UV light which indicates the ability to produce aflatoxin by aflatoxigenic strains was not observed from any of the tested non-aflatoxigenic isolates. The findings from this study indicates that groundnut obtained from the two (2) out of the four (4) different sales point were contaminated by aflatoxigenic fungi responsible for producing aflatoxin which could be unsafe as food or feed ingredients and it is recommended to use varieties resistant to toxigenic fungi.