Genetic Characterization of Fungal Biodiversity in Storage Grains: Towards Enhancing Food Safety in Northern Uganda
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Microorganisms
Abstract
Worldwide fungal contamination leads to both quantitative and qualitative grain losses
during crop growth and/or storage. A greater proportion of grains contamination with toxins often
occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, where control measures are limited. We determined fungal diversity
and their toxin production ability in household grains meant for human consumption to highlight
the risk of mycotoxin exposure among people from northern Uganda. The study underlines the
high diversity of fungi that group into 15 genera; many of which are plant pathogens with toxigenic
potential. Fusarium verticillioides was the most common fungal species isolated from household
grains. The study also indicates that northern Uganda is favored by a high proportion of toxigenic
isolates of F. verticillioides, F. andiyazi, and F. proliferatum, which are characterized by a high fumonisins
production capability. The fumonisins production ability was not dependent on the species, grain
types, and haplotype group to which the isolates belong. The contamination of most household
grains with fungi capable of producing a high amount of toxin shows that most people are exposed
to an elevated amount of mycotoxins, which shows the frequent problems with mycotoxins that have
been reported in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
Keywords
Fusarium, Uganda, Fumonisins, Curvularia
Citation
Wokorach, G.; Landschoot, S.; Audenaert, K.; Echodu, R.; Haesaert, G. Genetic Characterization of Fungal Biodiversity in Storage Grains: Towards Enhancing Food Safety in Northern Uganda. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 383. https://doi.org/10.3390/ microorganisms9020383