Aflatoxin B1 and total fumonisin contamination and their producing fungi in fresh and stored sorghum grain in East Hararghe, Ethiopia

Natural contamination of sorghum grains by aflatoxin B-1 and total fumonisin and their producing toxigenic fungi has been studied. A total of 90 sorghum grain samples were collected from small-scale farmers' threshing floors and 5-6 months later from underground pits during 2013 harvest from three districts of East Hararghe, Ethiopia. Mycotoxin analysis was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The limits of detection were in the range 0.01-0.03gkg(-1). The results revealed that all sorghum grain samples were contaminated with both Aspergillus and Fusarium species. Aflatoxin B-1 was detected at levels ranging from <LOD to 33.10 mu gkg(-1) grain. There were marked variations in aflatoxin B-1 concentrations between fresh and stored samples, with much higher levels in the latter. Total fumonisin levels varied between 907 and 2041 mu gkg(-1) grain across the samples. Lowest total fumonisin was recorded in freshly harvested sorghum grain samples. Sorghum is a main staple cereal in the studied districts and its consumption per day per person is high. Daily intake of low doses of mycotoxin-contaminated food stuff over a period of time could lead to chronic mycotoxicosis.