EVALUATION OF ASPERGILLUS NIGER CONTAMINATION AND OCCURRENCE OF CITRININ IN RED CHILLI (CAPSICUM ANNUUM) SAMPLES

Numerous Ascomycete fungi produce toxic, low-molecular-weight secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins. Mycotoxin contamination poses a global challenge to food safety, and growing regulatory expectations regarding the presence of mycotoxins in various products have spurred increased research into detecting these toxins in food and animal feed. Mycotoxin contamination has been reported in many significant spices, including chillies. However, most research has focused on aflatoxins as primary contaminants, highlighting the need to investigate other lesser-studied mycotoxins, such as citrinin and patulin. Consequently, the current study aimed to screen for fungal contamination in locally available red chilli varieties and detect the presence of mycotoxins. Random samples of red chilli were collected to isolate and identify the fungi responsible for producing mycotoxins. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were employed to analyze the extracted mycotoxins qualitatively. Morphological and molecular characterization through 18S rRNA sequencing of the isolated samples confirmed the presence of Aspergillus niger in red chilli. HPLC and FTIR analyses of the red chilli samples confirmed the occurrence of citrinin. Very few studies have reported the production of Citrinin by A. niger in red chilli. Further research is necessary to conduct quantitative analyses and assess the effects of citrinin on human health.