Mycological quality and aflatoxin residues in some poultry meat in Damanhour City

Abstract EN

A total number of 60 frozen poultry meat samples (20 of each of chicken, duck and quail carcasses) were randomly collected from various meat markets at Damanhour city for mycological examination and aflatoxin residues detection.

The results revealed that the mould counts (mean ± SE) in chicken, duck and quail meats were 2.0 x 103 ± 4.6 x 102 ; 2.3 x 103 ± 6.2 x 102 ; 7.4 x 102 ± 1.6 x 102 mould/g, respectively.

Whilst yeast counts were 3.2 x 104 ± 7.0 x 104 ; 1.4 x 104 ± 3.1 x 103 ; 4.5 x 103 ± 1.6 x 103 cfu/g.

The most common fungi belonged to genera Aspergilli (A.

flavus and A.

niger), Pencillum, Fusarium, Mucor, Cladosporium, Nigrospora, Curivlaria, Geotricum, Aurebasida and Drechlera, while three yeast genera were detected : Candida (C.albicans, C.tropicals), Rodotroulla and Cryptococcus.

Toxicity screening proved that two isolates (25 %) out of eight Asperigillus fungi were toxigenic.

ELISA quantification of aflatoxin revealed that AFB1 was found in four out of the five detected chicken meat samples (20, 20, 10 and 16 μg / kg), while the 5th one has 0.4 μg / kg aflatoxin B2.

Two of duck meat samples were positive to aflatoxins.

The first one has 0.5 μg/kg of aflatoxin G2, the second, however, has 8 μg / kg aflatoxin B1.

Also two of quail meat samples were have aflatoxin residues (10 %), the first one has 15 μg / kg Aflatoxin B1 and the second has 10 μg / kg Aflatoxin G1 and 0.25 μg / kg Aflatoxin G2.

The present study warrants about the need for strict safety measures to coupe the potential hazards via the use of poultry meat as an indispensible protein source that carries with cumulative factors of hepatic failure in a country with a long history of endemic hepatitis.