ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH ROT Lycopersicum esculentum (TOMATOES) SOLD IN NASARAWA TOWN

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH ROT Lycopersicum esculentum (TOMATOES) SOLD IN NASARAWA TOWN

ABSTRACT

Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato) has a high-water content which predisposes it to spoilage by microoganisms that can pose significant health threats to consumers. The study aimed to determine the various fungi associated with tomatoes sold in some site in Tammah village Nasarawa town Nasarawa State. A total of four (4) tomatoes were sampled at randomly and analyzed. Cut portions of the spoilt tomato were placed into 9ml distilled water and a five fold (10⁵) serial dilution were made. A pour plate method was use and inoculated into potatoes dextrose Agar and incubated in drawer for five (5) days at 29⁰C. mean total fungal counts from the tomato fruits ranges from 1.60 x 10⁵ to 4.20 x 10⁵ colony forming units. Five (5) species of fungi were isolated; Candida tropicalis, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium solani and Saccaromyces cerevisiae.   Candida tropicalis were the predominant fungi isolated. Site A has the highest fungi isolated. Contamination might have been caused by poor sanitation, improper handling or transportation from the farms to the market, hence care must be taken when handling and using deteriorated tomatoes to avoid infection from these organisms.

CHAPTER ONE

1.                                                    INTRODUCTION

Tomato (Lycopersium esculentum) fruits is a very nutritious vegetable crop which are consumed globally in processed forms (stews, soups, sauce) or eaten raw with other vegetable as salad. Ripe tomato fruits contains lycopene and good source of vitamin A, B, and C well as other minerals (Dimphna, 2016, Elsayed and Edrees 2014). Tomato fruits have been reported to contain 4.3% carbohydrate, 1% protein, 0.6% fiber, 0.1% fat and high moisture content of 94% and the very rich in vitamin, minerals and others phyto chemicals such as carotenoids, lycopene, phenolic compounds and flavonoids which are known antioxidants (Sravanthi and Gaugathar 2015, Wogu and Uase 2014).

The deterioration and contamination of tomato fruits by microorganism could start from the field during harvesting or transportation, processing and handling of the procedures. Moreover, high moisture content in tomatoes contribute to spoilage by fungi (Beuchart, 1995, and Onvoirah, Andorji, 2015)

The report of Ghosh (Ghosh, 2009). On microorganism responsible for tomato spoilage indicated that fungi were the major spoilage organism’sfor tomato fruits. Different fungal species have been implicated in the spoilage or deterioration tomato fruits, including aspergillus niger, aspergillus flavus; (Ibrahim, Musa, Sani, Aliero, and Yusuf 2011, Sanyablu 2016).

Aspergillus nhoaniasabsidia species trichoolema species alteneria. attentataeusarium. (Whosh, 2009. Akinmusive 2011, Wani 2011) these organisms could be public health concerns due to the fact that some of them are associated with toxin production whichresult to serious health problems when consumed in food items. Aspergillus flavus produces aflatoxin which cause hepato cellular car cinoma both in animals and humans. (Magnussen and Parsi 2013. Ogodo and Ugbogu, 2016).

Tomato fruits deteriorate easily after harvest and during storage which results to postharvest loses most of these loses are reported to be as a result of spoilage due to environmental conditions like high temperature. (Idah, Ajisegiri and Yisa 2007, Sajad Jamaluddin, and Abid, 2017).

However, in many parts of Nigeria, especially the south east and south west, commercial food vendors and restaurants in addition to supposedly poor urban dwellers use physically damaged or deteriorated tomato fruits for their cooking intentionally. This is due to the factthat this type of impaired tomatoesis cheaper than fresh intact ones. Moreover, it is generally believed that the physical damage of the fruits does not affect their nutritional values.

1.1       Significance of the Study

This study discovers that potential pathogenic fungi, which could. Contribute to butbreak of fungal infections and mycotoxicosis, are present in the deteriorated tomatoes fruits in this study will help the researchers to explore the possible environmental factors that favours the growth and multiplication of these microbes. Thus, way of mitigating these factors and reduce possible outbreak of infections resulting from the consumption, of deteriorated tomatoes as cheap vegetable c4ould be achieved.

1.2       Aim and Objective

Aim

The aim of the study is to determine the mycological assessment of deteriorated Lycopersium esçulentum fruits (tomato) sold in Tammah market Nasarawa

Specific Objective

1. To isolate fungi associated in the spoilage of Lycopersicum esculentum fruits (tomato)
2. To identify and characterize the fungi species associated with Lycopersicum esculentum fruits (tomato)