| Literature DB >> 18068845 |
Pauline Mounjouenpou1, Dominique Gueule, Angélique Fontana-Tachon, Bernard Guyot, Pierre Roger Tondje, Joseph-Pierre Guiraud.
Abstract
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the main mycotoxin occurring in cocoa. A study was conducted in Cameroon to assess how filamentous fungi and toxigenesis were affected by the type of cocoa post-harvest treatment (boxes or heaps). The filamentous fungi isolated were almost identical when fermentation was carried out in boxes or heaps, with the presence of abundant black Aspergillus filamentous fungi: A. niger and A. carbonarius. Filamentous fungi were more abundant at the end of the harvesting season. Factors affecting bean integrity (poor handling, deferred processing) resulted in a qualitative and quantitative increase in contamination, when the total number of filamentous fungi could reach a maximum value of 5.5+/-1.4x10(7) CFU g(-1) and black Aspergilli a maximum value of 1.42+/-2.2x10(7) CFU g(-1). A toxigenesis study showed that Aspergillus carbonarius was the main OTA-producing strain isolated. Its maximum production could reach 2.77 microg g(-1) on rice medium. Aspergillus niger strains did not always produce OTA and their toxigenesis was much lower. Fermented dried cocoa from poor quality pods was the most contaminated by OTA: up to 48 ng g(-1).Entities:
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Year: 2007 PMID: 18068845 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2007.11.017
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Int J Food Microbiol ISSN: 0168-1605 Impact factor: 5.277