Mycoflora and Patulin-producing strains of cereals in North-Western Morocco

Abstract

Cereals are considered a food that is exposed to fungal contamination and mycotoxin production. The present study was conducted to evaluate and identify the patulin-producing fungal flora contaminating the wheat and bar-ley grain in the field, the storage silo, and products of transformation (flour, semolina). Sampling was carried out in the region of Meknes (Morocco) dur-ing the growing season of 2012. The study of macroscopic and microscopic characters enabled to isolate and identify over 140 isolates belonging mainly to the genuses Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Ulocladium, Rhizopus, Mucor and Trichoderma. Of the 51 isolates of Penicilli-um, eight were found to be producer of patulin by TLC and HPLC. Six out of the eight mycotoxigenic isolates were classified and identified as Penicillium expansum. The patulin content varied from one species to another and reached 41.72 μg/mL in one of the Penicillium expansum isolates.