dc.description.abstract |
Mursik is traditional fermented milk. Fungi are among the major contaminants of milk
including mycotoxigenic fungi. Mycotoxigenic fungi may grow in mursik and produce
mycotoxins that can cause poisoning to consumers. This study aimed to enumerate fungal
species contaminants including fungi responsible for mycotoxin production and
quantification of the mycotoxins. Microbiological analysis was done on 194 samples from
Soliat Location and 4 samples from commercial outlets where fungal enumeration was
carried out on Potato Dextrose Agar. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to detect
moulds and mycotoxins extracted using Envirologix procedure and quantified using
quicktox kit. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 for descriptive statistics. Yeast
species isolated from mursik samples were: Geotricum candidum 124 (32.56%) as the
predominant strain, Rhodotorula species 19 (4.99%), Sacharomyces cerevisiae 13
(3.41%), Candida parapsilosis 41 (10.76%), Candida albicans 22 (5.77%), Candida
tropicalis 67 (17.59%), Candida glabrata 53 (13.91%) and Candida krusei 21 (5.51%) and
moulds were of Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium genus. Aflatoxin was detected in
196/198 (99.0%) of the samples where levels ranged between 2-12 parts per billion
exceeding the required levels of 0.05ppb. Fumonisin toxin was detected in only 3 (1.5%) of
the samples mean of 0.008ppb and Deoxynivalenol toxin was detected in 1 (0.5%) sample
with the level of 0.001. Both fumonisin and Deoxynivalenol levels were below the standard
levels. Eighty percent of the mursik producers milk their cows in the open and store their
milk and their milk fermenting calabashes at a maize store and/or in the living rooms which
are risk factors for contamination of mursik with mycotoxigenic fungi and other
microorganisms. Microorganisms isolated are responsiple for mycoses and mycotoxins
cause mycotoxicoses. These results will help the authorities to develop measures to tame
the contamination of milk and milk products. |
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