Prevalence of mycotic contamination in locally produced nuts across commercial markets in Saladin Governorate, Iraq | ||||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 17 June 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.374060.2678 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Marwan Salim Hameed 
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| Department of Biology , College of pure sciences , Tikrit University , Iraq | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of fungal contamination in locally produced nuts from the commercial markets of the Saladin Governorate in Iraq. Methods: The study's samples comprised 75 nuts, each weighing 521 grams, sourced from three separate cities: Saladin, Diyala, and Baghdad. Samples were chosen from five distinct varieties: walnuts, cashews, pistachios, sweet almonds, and hazelnuts, with five samples each. Samples were acquired from marketplaces in Saladin Province. Potato Dextrose Agar was employed to isolate and purify the fungi in nuts. Characterizing fungal colonies involves macroscopic and microscopic analyses to identify species. Results: Outcomes revealed that 45 of the 75 samples had fungal contamination, with 50 distinct fungal isolates detected, including Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium expansum, with respective prevalence rates of 36%, 14%, 6%, 34%, 8%, and 2% for each isolate. Aspergillus Niger and Rhizopus stolonifer exhibited the highest frequency and occurrence percentages, whereas Penicillium expansum was the lowest. Saladin samples showed significantly higher fungal contamination (p<0.05), followed by samples from Diyala and Baghdad. Moreover, the most nuts types porn to fungal contamination were walnuts and pistachios, while the lower one was sweet almonds. Conclusion: The study underscores critical food safety risks, demonstrating that fungal contamination shortens shelf life and involves mold species coexisting with mycotoxin-producing fungi. These contaminants threaten public health by potentially causing acute toxicity, immunosuppression, and long-term carcinogenic effects, necessitating stricter quality control measures. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| nuts; walnuts; fungal contamination; Saladin Governorate | ||||
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Statistics Article View: 46 |
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