Fifty-five species and two varieties appertaing to 23 genera were collected and identified from 4 samples of dried fig and 3 dried samples of each of apricot, plum and raisin. Forty-nine species and two varieties belonging to 20 genera were isolated on 1% glUCOSe-CZAPEK'S while 31 species and one variety belonging to 16 genera were isolated on 40% SUCrOSe-CZAPEK'S agar medium at 28 & 2 "C. Penicillium, Aspergillus and cladosporium were the common genera on the two types of media used. Alternaria and Pleospora were common on 1% ghCOSe-CZAPEK'S agar only while the genus of Eurotium was isolated with high occurrence on 40% Sucrose-CzAPEK's agar. The common species on the two types of media used were Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus niger and c/adosporium cladosporioides. On I % ghcose-CzAPEK's agar, P . auruntiogriseum, A . ,fumigatus, A . flavus, Alternaria tenuissima and Pleospora herbarum were isolated with high occurrence while A . versicolor, A . wentii, Eurotium amstelodami and E. chevalieri were common on 40% sucrose-CZAPEK'S agar.
The different dried fruit samples were assayed for the natural occurrence of aflatoxins B,, B,, GI & G,, citrinin, ochratoxins, patulin, sterigmatocystin, diacetoxyscirpenol, T-2 toxin and zearalenone by thin layer chromatographic analysis. Ochratoxin A was detected in all samples tested of apricot (50-110 pg/kg), fig (60-120 pg/kg) and plum (210-280 pg/kg). The other mycotoxins under investigation were not detected. All samples examined of raisin proved to be mycotoxin free.
Many of the moulds capable of producing mycotoxins are also frequent contaminants of agricultural commodities (seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables . . . etc.). Moulds which are of importance in commodities because of potential mycotoxin production include members of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria and Cladosporium.
These organisms are capable for growing on a variety of substrates and under a diversity of conditions of moisture, p H and temperature. Thus, most types of seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables are susceptible to fungal invasion before and during harvest, transport or storage. If mould growth occurs, there is always the concomitant possibility of mycotoxin production.
Fungi that invade agricultural commodities can be divided into three groups . These include: (a) field fungi, which invade commodity in the field before harvest and include species of Alternaria, Fusarium and Cladosporium; (b) storage fungi, which predominate in the commodities during post-harvest and storage and consist primarily of Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp.; and (c) advanced decay fungi, such as Fusarium and Chaetomium, which grow after considerable deterioration has occured.
Although the natural occurrence of mycotoxins and fungal contamination of many agricultural commodities in Egypt were intensively studied in this laboratory (EL-KADY et , 1991, 1988, MAZEN et al. 1990 and many others) none of these studies concentrated on the mycoflora or mycotoxin of dried fruits. Therefore, this work was mainly planned to determine the mycoflora and mycotoxins of some samples of dried apricot, fig, plum and raisin.