Aflatoxin and Fumonisin Contamination of Sun-Dried Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Chips in Kahama District, Tanzania

Ezekiel Amri^1, and Saning’o Lenoi¹

¹Department of Science and Laboratory Technology, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, P. O. Box 2958, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Cite this paper:
Ezekiel Amri and Saning’o Lenoi. Aflatoxin and Fumonisin Contamination of Sun-Dried Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Chips in Kahama District, Tanzania. Journal of Applied & Environmental Microbiology. 2016; 4(3):55-62. doi: 10.12691/jaem-4-3-2

Abstract

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is one of the major root and tuber crops of the tropics which can be achieved under a wide range of agro-climates and farming systems. The study was undertaken to determine aflatoxins and fumonisins occurrence in sun-dried sweet potato chips sampled from households in Kahama district in Shinyanga region, Tanzania. A total of 80 sun - dried sweet potato samples were evaluated for aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, 1 and 2) and fumonisins (FB1 and FB2) contaminations. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection method was used for analysis. The overall percentage of samples which tested positive for aflatoxins was 36% with contamination in ranges from 10.49 µg/kg) to 75.12 µg/kg. The aflatoxin B₁ (AFBI) contamination was the most prevalent with concentration of 21.23 μg/kg followed by aflatoxin G₁ (AFGI) with concentration of 10.38 μg/kg. Fumonisin B₁ (FB1) was the only type of fumonisin detected and had 97.5% of samples contaminated with values ranging from 29.34 – 628.78 mg/kg (mean 44.69 mg/kg). Fumonisin B₁ was found to be significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with moisture content. The study has revealed that samples had aflatoxins and fumonisins contamination levels above acceptable levels by East Africa standards and Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. Efforts in improving post-harvest methods by addressing handling and processing methods is of prime importance in order to minimize risk of aflatoxins and fumonisins contamination of sweet potato chips.

Keywords:
aflatoxins fumonisins Ipomoea batatas mycotoxin sweet potato chips food security

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Andrade, M., Barker, I., Cole, D., Fuentes, S., Gruneberg, W., Kapinga, R. and Low, J. (2009). Unleashing the potential of sweet potato in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current challenges and way forward. International Potato Center.
[2]	Low, J., Lynam, J., Lemaga, B., Crissman, C., Barker, I., Thiele, G. and Andrade, M. (2009). Sweet potato in Sub-Saharan Africa. In The sweet potato (pp. 359-390). Springer Netherlands.
[3]	FAO (2006). FAOSTAT Database (2005). Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States. http://apps.fao.org/default.jsp
[4]	Tairo, F., Mneney, E. and Kullaya, A. (2008). Morphological and agronomical characterization of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] germplasm collection from Tanzania. African Journal of Plant Science, 2(8):77-85.
[5]	Ewell, P.T. (2002). Sweet potato production in Sub-Saharan Africa: Patterns and key issues. Lima: CIP.
[6]	Ndunguru, J., Kapinga, R., Sseruwagi, P., Sayi, B., Mwanga, R., Tumwegamire, S. and Rugutu, C. (2009). Assessing the sweet potato virus disease and its associated vectors in northwestern Tanzania and central Uganda. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 4(4): 334-343.
[7]	Scott, I. and Maldona, E. (2009). Crop and product digest No. 2 Root crops. 2nd Edition. London: Tropical Development and Research Institute, p380.
[8]	Jonathan, S. G., Abdul-Lateef, M. B., Olawuyi, O.J. and Oyelakin, A.O. (2012). Studies on bio-deterioration, aflatoxin contamination and food values of fermented, dried and stored ipomoea batatas chips. Nature and Science, 10(11): 123-128.
[9]	Purseglove, N.M. (2009). Ripening stages and days after harvest influenced some bioehemieal properties of two Nigerian sweet potato cultivars. Plant Product Research Journal 6: I1 - I9.
[10]	Woolfe, S. (2008). The nutritional value of sweet potato. Chapman and Hall, 2-6 Boundary Row, London p. 597.
[11]	Ellong, E.N., Billard, C. and Adenet, S. (2014). Comparison of Physicochemical, Organoleptic and Nutritional Abilities of Eight Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Varieties. Food and Nutrition Sciences 5(2):196.
[12]	Mmasa, J.J., Msuya, E.E. and Mlambiti, M. (2012). Social Economic Factors Affecting Consumption of Sweet Potato Products: An Empirical Approach. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(8): 96-103.
[13]	Pitt, J.I., Taniwaki, M.H., and Cole, M.B. (2013). Mycotoxin production in major crops as influenced by growing, harvesting, storage and processing, with emphasis on the achievement of Food Safety Objectives. Food Control, 32(1): 205-215.
[14]	Richard, J.L. (2007). Some major mycotoxins and their mycotoxicoses—An overview. International journal of food microbiology, 119(1): 3-10.
[15]	Turner, N.W., Subrahmanyam, S. and Piletsky, S.A. (2009). Analytical methods for determination of mycotoxins: a review. Anal. Chim. Acta 632 (2): 168-80.
[16]	Williams J. H., Philips T. D., Jolly P. E.,Stiles J. K. and Jolly C. M., (2004). Agarwal D. Human aflatoxicosis in developing countrie: a review of toxicology, exposure, potential health consequences, and interventions. American Journcal of Clinical Nutrition; 80: 1106-1122.
[17]	Bankole S. A. and Adebanjo A. (2003). Mycotoxins in food in West Africa: Current situation and possibilities of controlling it. African Journal of Biotechnology 2: 254-263:
[18]	Manjula K., Hell K., Fandohan P., Abass A. and Bandyopadhyay R. (2009). Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination. Toxin Reviews 28(2): 63-69.
[19]	Azizi, I. G., Ghadi, H., and Azarmi, M. (2012). Determination of Aflatoxin B-1 Levels of the Feedstuffs in Traditional and Semi-industrial Cattle Farms in Amol, Northern Iran. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 7(6): 528-534.
[20]	Lewis, L., Onsongo, M., Njapau, H., Schurz-Rogers, H., Luber, G., Kieszak, S. and DeCock, K. (2005). Aflatoxin contamination of commercial maize products during an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis in eastern and central Kenya. Environmental Health Perspectives, 1763-1767.
[21]	Bullerman, L. B., & Bianchini, A. (2007). Stability of mycotoxins during food processing. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 119(1): 140-146.
[22]	Stockmann-Juvala, H., and Savolainen, K. (2008). A review of the toxic effects and mechanisms of action of fumonisin B1. Human & experimental toxicology, 27(11): 799-809.
[23]	Martins ML, Martins HM, Bernardo F (2001). Aflatoxins in spices marketed in Portugal. Food Addit. Contam. 18 (4): 315-9.
[24]	Milani, C., Hevia, A., Foroni, E., Duranti, S., Turroni, F., Lugli, G. A. and Margolles, A. (2013). Assessing the fecal microbiota: an optimized ion torrent 16S rRNA gene-based analysis protocol. PLoS One, 8(7): e68739.
[25]	IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), (2002). Some traditional herbal medicines, somemycotoxins, naphthalene and styrene. IARCMonogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 82:301-366.
[26]	Wild, C.P. and Gong, Y.Y. (2010). Mycotoxins and human disease: a largely ignored global health issue, Carcinogenesis, 31(1):71-82.
[27]	Norhasima, W. W., Abdulamir, A. S., Bakar, F. A., Son, R. and Norhafniza, A. (2009). The health and toxic adverse effects of Fusarium fungal mycotoxin, fumonisins, on human population. American Journal of Infectious Diseases, 5(4): 273-281
[28]	European Commission (2010). Commission Regulation (EC) No. 165/2010 of November 2010 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in food stuffs as regards aflatoxins. Official Journal of the European Union 50: 8-12.
[29]	East African Community (2011a). East African Standards Maize grains 2/2011 of 2011. [https://law.resource.org/pub/eac/ibr/eas.2.2011.html] site visited on 12/05/2016.
[30]	Codex alimentarius commission, (2001). Joint FAO/WHO food standards programe, codex committe on food additives and contaminants. Thirty-third session, Netherlands.
[31]	East African Community. (2011b). Final Draft East African Standards FDEAS No.46/2011 of 2011 specifying requirements and methods of sampling and test for dry common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris Linn) intended for human consumption. [https://law.resource.org/pub/eac/ibr/eas.46.2011.html] site visited on 20/04/2016.
[32]	Do, J.H. and Choi, D.K. (2007). Aflatoxins: detection, toxicity, and biosynthesis. Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering, 12(6): 585-593.
[33]	Bbosa, G. S., Lubega, A., Kyegombe, D. B., Kitya, D., Ogwal-Okeng, J. and Anokbonggo, W. W. (2013). Review of the biological and health effects of aflatoxins on body organs and body systems. INTECH Open Access Publisher.
[34]	Hamid, A.S., Tesfamariam, I.G., Zhang, Y. and Zhang, Z.G. (2013). Aflatoxin B1-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in developing countries: Geographical distribution, mechanism of action and prevention (Review). Oncology letters, 5(4):1087-1092.
[35]	Turner, P.C., Moore, S.E., Hall, A.J., Prentice, A.M., Wild, C.P. (2003). Modification of immune function through exposure to dietary aflatoxin in Gambian children. Environ Health Perspect 111:217-220.
[36]	Kimanya, M. E., De Meulenaer, B., Roberfroid, D., Lachat, C. and Kolsteren, P. (2010). Fumonisin exposure through maize in complementary foods is inversely associated with linear growth of infants in Tanzania. Molecular nutrition & food research, 54(11): 1659-1667.
[37]	Shirima, C.P., Kimanya, M.E., Routledge, M.N., Srey, C., Kinabo, J.L., Humpf, H.U. and Gong, Y.Y. (2015). A prospective study of growth and biomarkers of exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin during early childhood in Tanzania. Environmental health perspectives, 123(2): 173-178.
[38]	Farombi, E.O. (2006). Aflatoxin contamination of foods in developing countries: Implications for hepatocellular carcinoma and chemopreventive strategies. African Journal of Biotechnology 5: 1-14.
[39]	Shephard, G. S. (2008). Impact of mycotoxins on human health in developing countries. Food Additives and contaminants, 25(2): 146-151.
[40]	Kulembeka, H.P., Rugutu, C.K., Kanju, E., Chirimi, B., Rwiza, E. and Amour, R. (2005). The agronomic performance and acceptability of orange fleshed sweetpotato varieties in the lake zone of Tanzania. African Crop Science Journal, 12(3): 229-240.
[41]	FAO, (2004). FAO Statistics. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy; 2004. Available: http:www.apps.fao.org.
[42]	Mmasa J, Msuya E and Mlambiti M. (2013). Performance of various marketing channels for processed sweet potato products: Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development 2:65-76.
[43]	Kaaya, A.N. and Eboku, D. (2010). Mould and aflatoxin contamination of dried cassava chips in Eastern Uganda: association with traditional processing and storage practices. Journal of Biological Sciences, 10(8): 718-729.
[44]	Okungbowa, F.I. and Osagie, M. (2009). Mycoflora of sun-dried sweet potato (Ipomoea Batatas L.) slices in Benin City, Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology 8(14): 3326-3331.
[45]	Abbas, H. K., Cartwright, R. D., Xie, W., and Shier, W.T. (2006). Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of corn (maize, Zea mays) hybrids in Arkansas. Crop Protection, 25(1): 1-9.
[46]	Krnjaja, V., Lević, J., Stanković, S., Petrović, T., Tomić, Z., Mandić, V., and Bijelić, Z. (2013). Moulds and mycotoxins in stored maize grains. Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry, 29(3): 527-536.
[47]	Sahar, N., Arif, S., Iqbal, S., Afzal, Q.U.A., Aman, S., Ara, J. and Ahmed, M. (2015). Moisture content and its impact on aflatoxin levels in ready-to-use red chillies. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B, 8(1):67-72.
[48]	Silayo, V. C. K., Laswai, H. S. and Makungu, P. J. (2015). Improving sweet potato processing and storage performance throug slicing, drying and packaging. Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 6(1). 19-27.
[49]	Leeratanarak, N., Devahastin, S., and Chiewchan, N. (2006). Drying kinetics and quality of potato chips undergoing different drying techniques. Journal of food engineering, 77(3): 635-643.
[50]	Silayo, V. C. K., Laswai, H. S., Mkuchu, J. and J.J.M. (2003). Effect of sun-drying on some quality characteristics of sweet potato chips. African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development, 3(2).
[51]	Nicanuru, C., Laswai, H. S. and Sila, D.N. (2015). Effect of sun-drying on nutrient content of orange fleshed sweet potato tubers in Tanzania. Sky Journal of Food Science Vol. 4(7): 91-101.