Mycoflora and mycotoxins in Brazilian black pepper, white pepper and Brazil nuts

A wide range of field and storage fungi were isolated from black pepper, wh ite pepper and Brazil nut kernels from Amazonia. A total of 42 species were isolated from both peppers. Aspergillus flavus and A. niger were isolated more frequently from black than from white pepper. Other potential mycotoxi genic species isolated included: A. ochraceus, A. tamarii, A. versicolor, E mericella nidulans and Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. citrinum, P. islandicum and P. glabrum. Species isolated from pepper for th e first time were Acrogenospora sphaerocephala, Cylindrocarpon lichenicola, Lacellinopsis sacchari, Microascus cinereus, Petriella setifera and Sporor miella minima. Seventeen species were isolated from Brazil nut kernels. A. flavus was the dominant species followed by A. niger. P. citrinum and P. gl abrum were the only penicillia isolated. Species isolated for the first tim e included Acremonium curvulum, Cunninghamella elegans, Exophiala sp., Fusa rium oxysporum, Pseudoallescheria boydii, Rhizopus oryzae, Scopulariopsis s p., Thielavia terricola and Trichoderma citrinoviride. Considerably more me tabolites were detected from black than white pepper in qualitative analyse s. Chaetocin, penitrem A, and xanthocillin were identified only from black pepper, and tenuazonic acid was identified from both black and white pepper . Aflatoxin G(2), chaetoglobosin C, and spinulosin were identified from poo r quality brazil nuts. Aflatoxin B-1 and B-2 were also only detected in poo r quality brazil nuts at concentrations of 27.1 mug kg(-1) and 2.1 mug kg(- 1) respectively (total 29.2 mug kg(-1)).