Abstract

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Sorghum bicolor L. Moench (Guinea corn) is a cereal that is widely planted and consumed as staple in Nigeria. Mycotoxin contamination of this grain can present public health concerns to consumers especially children, where it can be fatal. This study investigated the use of fermentation as a biocontrol strategy to mitigate mycotoxins present in Sorghum bicolor grains. A total of 3 0 samples of sorghum were purchased from 3 selected markets in Abeokuta metropolis and pooled into 3 composites per market. Each pooled sample w as divided into 2 parts. One part was allowed to ferment spontaneously for 96 hours while the other part was left unfermented. These were screened for the presence of fungi using isolation method, and fungal metabolites using LC MS/MS analytical method. T he fungal species identified in non fermented sorghum were Aspergillus niger, A spergillus . flavus , Aspergillus turbingensis , and Fusarium coffeatum , while those in fermented sorghum were Pichia kudriavzii and Candida parapsilosis. Aflatoxin B1 and B2 were detected in the non fermented grains with concentration of 41.6 µg/kg 0.02 (SE) and 5.77 µ g/kg +/ 0.01 (SE) respectively, both above E U recommended limit s . In the fermented grains, AFB1 and AFB2 were drastically reduced to 5.7 7 µ g/kg and 1.54 µ g/kg respectively. High amounts of fusaric acid (421 µ g/kg) were also recorded in the fermented grains. The presence of fusaric acid in the fermented grains in high amounts could be of public health concern though moderately toxic to anim als. The reduction in AFB1 and AFB2 content in the fermented samples indicates that fermentation can be employed as a biocontrol strategy for the mitigation of mycotoxins in cereal based foods.

Keywords: Fermentation, LC-MS/MS, mycotoxins, public health, Soghum bicolor