A total of 120 different samples belonging to 24 kinds of spices colle
cted from different places at Assiut Governorate (Egypt) were examined
for the natural occurrence of mycotoxins. TLC analysis of spice extra
cts revealed the presence of aflatoxins (8-35 mu g/kg) in 16 samples o
f anise, black pepper, caraway, black cumin, fennel, peppermint, coria
nder and marjoram, sterigmatocystin (10-23 mu g/kg) in ten samples of
red pepper, caraway, cumin and marjoram and citrinin (8-12 mu g/kg) in
two samples of black cumin, while ochratoxin A and zearalenone could
not be detected.