Identification of Fungi Associated with <i>Irvingia gabonensis</i> (Ogbono) Seeds Spoilage in Benin City, Nigeria

Irvingia gabonensis (Ogbono) is one of the forest tree species of great domestic importance and its postharvest shelve life is affected by various species of fungi. This study is to investigate the effect of various species of fungi that attack Irvingia gabonensis seeds in post-harvest. Ready to us...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: B.O. Okobiebi, J.N. Ezennia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Joint Coordination Centre of the World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Programme (NARP) 2021-10-01
Series:Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
Online Access:https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem/article/view/216628
Description
Summary:Irvingia gabonensis (Ogbono) is one of the forest tree species of great domestic importance and its postharvest shelve life is affected by various species of fungi. This study is to investigate the effect of various species of fungi that attack Irvingia gabonensis seeds in post-harvest. Ready to use cotyledons of Ogbono were obtained from six (6) markets in Benin City (New Benin market, Aduwawa market, Uselu market, Oba market, Ikpoba Hill market, Santana market) Edo State, in sterile transparent polyethylene bags and transported to the laboratory for analyses. The proximate composition of the Ogbono seeds was determined using standard protocols. The pour plate method was used for isolation using a potato Dextrose Agar which was supplemented with streptomycin. The fungi were isolated based on their cultural and microscopic characteristics. The result of the highest and lowest fungal counts were too numerous to count and 3.3 × 103 cfu/g respectively. A total of seven species of fungi were isolated and identified in this study which included Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor sp., Neurospora sp., Penicillium sp., and Rhizopus sp. Aspergillus flavus was the most prevalent fungi with prevalence rate of 48 (90.6%), while Neurospora sp. was the least prevalent fungi with prevalent rate of 04 (18.2%). The presence of these fungi especially Aspergillus species portrays a serious public health implication as regard food poisoning, mycotocosis and food security. Proper handling methods of Ogbono seeds, coupled with good orientation are necessary to ensure the safety of ogbono seeds.
ISSN:2659-1502
2659-1499