Mycobiota and Mycotoxins Contaminating Rice Grains in El-Minia, Governorate, Egypt

Moharram A. M¹, Yasser M. M*², Sayed M. A², Omar O. A³ and Idres M. M. M²  

¹Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Egypt.

²Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Egypt.

³Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, Egypt.

Corresponding Author E-mail: manal_yaser2006@yahoo.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2734

ABSTRACT: The mycological analysis of 51 samples of rice grains collected from different localities in El-Minia Governorate revealed the isolation of 54 species of fungi belonging to 21 genera. Most common mycobiota (genera) were Aspergillus and Penicillium being isolated from 96.07% and 54.9% of samples contributing 63.08% and 21.89% of total fungal counts. The prevalent species were represented by Aspergillus flavus, A. candidus, A. niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. islandicum especially on Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar medium (DRBC). These species in addition to some osmophilic fungi including A. chevalieri, A. montevidensis, A. rubrum were also common when Dichloran Glycerol agar (DG18) was used for the culturing of rice samples. About 12.5% of samples analysed for natural occurrence of mycotoxins were contaminated either with Aflatoxin – B1 (100-200 µg/ kg), ochratoxin –A (50-100 µg/ kg) or sterigmatocystin (10-20 µg/ kg). The majority of fungal strains tested for their mycotoxin production in liquid cultures were able to produce variable levels of aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin G1 , Ochratoxin –A , terrein , gliotoxin and fumagillin

KEYWORDS: Aflatoxin B1; B2 and G1; Mycotoxins; Rice

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