Mycological Survey and Total Aflatoxin Analyze in Silage from Qaemshahr City (Northern Iran)

Abstract

In this study, 42 samples of silage were collected in Qaemshahr city in Iran during fall 2011. Samples were tested by competitive ELISA for total aflatoxins. Seven samples (16.7%) (Mean±se:1.24) from 42 silage samples were positive with total aflatoxin (1.1-27.3 ppb) in Nov., Dec. and Oct. The highest contamination was observed in Oct., three samples (21.4%) from 14 samples were contaminated with total aflatoxin by 22.2 ppb, 25.6 and 27.3 ppb. The culture results of samples showed that the most toxinigenic fungi among 57 colonies were Aspergillus sp. with fifteen (% 31.5), Fusarium sp. With thirteen (% 22.8), Alternaria spp. With twelve (21.05%), Penicillium spp. with nine (%15.78) and Acremonium sp. with five (8.77%) and also the most nontoxigenic fungi were cladosporium spp. with fifteen (% 37.5), Rhizopus spp. with nine (% 22.5), Mucor spp. with six (15%), yeast with six (15%) and Scopulariopsis spp. with four (10%) colonies isolated in culture medium among 40 colonies of nontoxigenic fungi.