DETERMINATION OF AFLATOXIN IN RED PEPPER FROM SELECTED DISTRICTS OF AMHARA REGION

Abstract

Red pepper is one of the most widely distributed food plants in the world and its infection by fungi can result mycotoxin contamination during the growing, harvesting, storage, transporting and processing stages. In Ethiopia, it is extensively produced and actually considered as a national spice. However, this cereal crop is vulnerable to degradation by aflatoxins which have adverse health effects on humans and livestock that ingest aflatoxin contaminated food products and feeds. Therefore, this study has been undertaken to determine the level of Aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1 and G2) contamination in red pepper samples collected from selected districts of Amhara region using HPLC technique. A good linearity was obtained from the calibration curve of standard solution aflatoxins in the range of 0.2-20 ppb, with regression coefficient (R2) values of almost > 0.960. Limit of detection and limit of quantification of aflatoxins were in the range of 0.00713- 0.01947 and 0.00236-0.02375, respectively. The results were obtained as follows: the mean concentrations of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in red pepper were found to be in the range 2.51-63.2, 0.96-5.29, 1.71-32.79, 053-2.04 µg/kg, respectively. These values indicate the contamination of red pepper to aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 were different in concentrations. It was found that 55.5% of the red pepper samples were contaminated with aflatoxin and 44.5% samples were not contaminated with aflatoxins. Most contaminated red pepper samples contained AFB1 and AFG1