Aspergillus population diversity and its role in aflatoxin contamination of cashew nuts from coastal Kenya.

ABSTRACT: Cashew nuts are among the main cash crops in coastal Kenya, due in large part to their high nutritional value. Unfortunately, they also make them highly susceptible to mold contamination, resulting in biodeterioration of the nutritional value and potential contamination with toxic secondary metabolites, such as aflatoxins, that cause them to be rejected for sale at the market. We determined the population diversity of the Aspergillus species and their role in aflatoxin contamination in cashew nuts in selected coastal regions of Kenya. Fifty raw cashew nut samples were collected from post-harvest storage facilities across three counties in Kenya's coastal region and examined for moisture content and the presence of Aspergillus fungi. About 63 presumptive isolates were recovered from the cas

SUBMITTER: Musangi CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10810534 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature