If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractA survey of the market diseases and aflatoxin contamination of tomato fruits was conducted in Sokoto in northwestern Nigeria in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Rotten tomato fruits sold at five different markets in Sokoto town, located at Central market, Kasuwar daji, Mabera, Minanata and Arkilla were heavily contaminated with moulds. Eight different fungi were found associated with the rotten tomato fruits sold in the five different markets. The associated fungi were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceous, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium citrinum and Helminthosporim fulvum, Curvularia lunata and Sclerotium rolfsii. A. flavus and A. niger have the highest rate of occurrence among the isolated fungi, while S. rolfsii was the least encountered. Pathogenicity tests revealed that of all the isolated fungi, A. ochraceous, A. flavus, Sclerotium rolfsii and P. citrinum were highly pathogenic with the first three leading to rapid disintegration of treated fruits in 3-5 days. A. niger was moderately pathogenic, while H. fulvum was least pathogenic on tomato fruits. Aflatoxins were detected from the sampled diseased-marketed tomato fruits and also from the marketed rotten tomato fruits after autoclaving for 15 minutes at 1218C.
This study was carried out in Sokoto Metropolis to isolate and identify fungi associated with the deterioration of sweet orange fruits. A total of one hundred samples of fresh sweet Oranges (Citrus sinensis L) were used. First, a total of seventy samples were obtained from the three selected marketing centres in Sokoto metropolis (Central market, Kasuwar daji and Old market respectively), and transported immediately to mycology laboratory Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto for analysis. The oranges were kept under room temperature and observed after two weeks for spoilage. Each of the orange was cut and the liquid content inoculated on potato Dextrose Agar and incubated at 25 0 c and observed for 3-28 days after which the different colonies obtained were identified using the slide culture technique. The fungal analysis shows that Apergillus fumigatus, Apergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus stolonifer are associated with the spoilt sweet orange fruit (Citrus sinensis) with frequencies of occurrence of 22%, 17 %, 25 % 36% respectively. Fresh sweet orange fruits (thirty samples: ten each from the three markets respectively) were obtained, and the isolated culture for each of the identified fungi specie inoculated on each of the freshly purchased oranges and incubated to check for their spoilage ability. The result shows that R. stolonifer and A. flavus were the most active with rots diameter of 45 mm and 35 mm, respectively. And the least active fungus was A. niger having a rots diameter of 25mm.
A survey of fungi associated with postharvest deterioration of onion bulbs was conducted in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria in 2010. Rotten onion bulbs sold at five different markets: Sokoto central markets, Kasuwa daji, Gawon nama, Arkilla and Mabera were infected with eight species of fungi: Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Alternaria porri, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium citrinum. Of these, A.niger, A.flavus and A.porri were the most frequently isolated fungi. Penicillium citrinum was the least encountered fungus. Pathogenicity tests revealed that all the isolated fungi were pathogenic on onion bulbs however; A. porri, R. stolonifer and P. citrinum were the most pathogenic leading to rapid disintegration of the infected bulbs within 21 days of inoculation. While A. niger was the least pathogenic. The implications of the findings in relation to post harvest handling of onion bulbs and mycotoxin production were discussed.
Aflatoxins (AF) are a group of fungal toxins that contaminate foods and feeds with adverse health impact on human beings and animals. A total of sixty three (63) samples of Groundnut kernels from three (3) Agricultural zones of Sokoto State, were analysed for the presence of Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), G1 (AFG1) and G2 (AFG2) using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The Aflatoxin was detected in 82.5%, the total Aflatoxin concentration ranged between 0.9-646.0 µg/kg. All four types of AF were detected from all samples, out of the total samples analysed 38.10% contained AF levels above the Nigerian (20 µg/kg) limits for AF, while 66.7% samples had AF concentrations above the European Union maximum tolerance level of 2µg/kg for AFB1 and Total Aflatoxin(Tot AF) of 4µg/kg. The result shows that, there were significant (P > 0.05) differences between the samples analysed in the state, as regards to AFB1. The results also revealed that Groundnut kernel in the study area have high frequency of contamination (82.5%). However, awareness on danger of Aflatoxin contamination by all stakeholders is the key in effective management of the problem.Relevant quality control units must be reactivated to assess the quality of the Groundnut kernels from which other products are made.
Many plants accumulate high levels of free proline content (pro) and glycine betaine (GB) in response to abiotic stress, Pro and GB act as an osmoprotectant. Generally, these levels are high than those required to be used in protein synthesis. Salinity inhibition of plant growth is the result of osmotic and ionic effect and different plant species have developed different mechanisms to cope with those effects. In this study, accumulation of osmolytes of twenty tomato genotypes was evaluated in response to salinity stress. The seedlings of each genotype were divided into three groups, Sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolved in irrigation water to make variant concentration of 30 and 60 mg/L of salt concentration using electrical conductivity meter which were used to water the plants. Level of free proline and glycine betaine were measured. Data obtained were subjected to one way analysis of variance using SPSS (20) Statistical Software. Dry mass accumulation decreased with increased salt concentration in all the genotypes. However, the result differ significantly (P< 0.05). The highest dry mass accumulations at control were recorded on Tropimech and Giofranco F. with 6.00 and 5.97. The lowest dry mass accumulations were recorded on plant treated with 60mg/L of salt. Dangainakawa recorded the least accumulation of dry mass on plants treated with 60mg/l of salt with 0.90g followed by Dan Gombe with 1.47g respectively. The highest free proline content of 1.46 µmolg-1was recorded on Dan gainakawa at plant treated with 60 mg/L of NaCl. The lowest proline content was recorded at control on Giofranco F. with 0.17 µmolg-1The highest GB content in all the plants were recorded at plants treated with 60 mg/L. However, the highest GB content (1.67) among the 20 (P<0.05) were recorded at 60 mg/L in Rio Grande followed by Bahaushe with 1.50 µmolg-1. In conclusion, GB and Pro are osmoregulators produced by tomato in response to stress so as to alleviate the consequence effects of salt stress.
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