Susceptibility of Date Fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) to Aflatoxin Production

✍ Scribed by Ahmed, Imad A; Ahmed, Abdul Wahab K; Robinson, Richard K

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 186 KB
• Volume: 74
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-5142
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0010(199705)74:1<64::aid-jsfa774>3.0.co;2-x

✦ Synopsis

Segments of fruits from 12 varieties of date (Phoenix dactylifera) and three stages of maturation were inoculated with a toxigenic strain of Aspergillus parasiticus. During growth at 28¡C for 10 days, 8 varieties supported appreciable aÑatoxin production at the Khalal stageÈthe most popular stage for direct human consumption, with a maximum value in excess of 300 kg g~1 of fruit. Marked di †erences in susceptibility to infection and/or aÑatoxin production were observed between varieties and/or stage of maturation. It was concluded that toxigenic aspergilli could proliferate on any date fruits that su †ered mechanical damage in the Ðeld or during harvesting, and hence that such fruits should be considered as likely to be unÐt for human or animal consumption.