INVESTIGATION FOR AFLATOXIN B1 , FUMONISIN B1 AND TOXIN PRODUCTING FUNGI IN MAIZE GRAIN

Abstract

The study was carried out to investigate the presence of aflatoxin B1, fumonisin B1 and associated fungi on corn seeds during fall season in AL-Anbar province. Eight samples were collected from different sites of province, two samples from each of Ramadi, Saqlawiya and AL-Qaim city and one sample from Heet and Hadetha. Thin layer chromatography separation technique was used for mycotoxin detecting in samples. The results showed that many fungi were associated with corn seeds in tested samples and were variated in genus, existence and percentage. Results showed that the highest mean of contamination was by Aspergillus Sp in samples ramadi (1) and (3) reached to 43% and 41% respectively followed by sample Hadetha (8) with 40% while the lowest means were recorded in saqlawiya sample (5) and heet (6) with a percentage of 33% for both. Fusarium species came in second sequence of existence ratio in the samples, with highest mean in AL-Qaim samples (4) and (7) being 41% and 40% respectively. The lowest percentage was in ramadi sample (1)which was 23%. The penicillium species came in the third in the sequence of fungi contaminated corn seeds by highest and lowest percentage in AL-Qaim sample (4) and heet which were 42% and 15% respectively. Thin layer chromatography analytical results for aflatoxin B1 detection showed that many of positive samples indicated for aflatoxin levels were higher than allowable levels for poison coexistante that 100% percentage of contamination in heet sample (6) and AL-Qaim (4) by 160 and 110 µg/g respectively, followed by 75% of contamination in ramadi sample (1) and AL-Qaim (7) by 95, 85 µg/g respectively. Then saqlawiya samples (2) and (5) with 50% of contamination reached to 145, 200 µg/ g respectively. The lowest contamination and concentrate of toxin was found in hadetha sample (8) with 25% and 50 µg/ g respectively. Result of analytic also indicated that fumonisin B1 reached to 25% in ramadi samples (1), (3), saqlawiya (5) and 50% in saqlawiya (2), heet (6 ) samples and 100% in AL-Qaim sample (7) contamination with different levels of fumonisin B1 were revealed by flourescence density.