Mycoflora of pistachio and peanut kernels from Sari, Iran

Introduction and objective: Fungal contamination of various foodstuffs and agricultural commodities is a major problem in the developing countries; therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the mycoflora of pistachio and peanuts from retailers and dried fruit retail shops of Sari, Iran.

Materials and methods: A total number of 100 peanut and pistachio kernel samples in two consumption forms (dry roasted and raw) were collected from retailers and dried fruit retail shops in Sari city. Samples were analyzed for the presence of fungi by culture on Sabouraud dextrose agar media.

Results: Fungi were detected in almost 70% of the samples. The genus Aspergillus was the most predominant isolate from peanut (70.5%) and pistachio (62.7%) kernel samples. Among the species of Aspergillus, A. flavus was the most frequently isolated species in the collected samples. A. flavus also had the highest contamination mean value in dry roasted and raw form of peanut and pistachio kernels. 

Conclusion: Because of the isolation of high percentage of A. flavus as the main aflatoxins producer in nature we recommend also the need of good storage practices in order to prevent the occurrence of aflatoxins in peanuts and pistachio.