STUDIES ON THE MYCOLOGY AND MYCOTOXINS OF PEANUT AND PEANUT PRODUCTS

Abstract

Peanut is one of the most important leguminous crops in Egypt. It is cultivated in several Governorates but on a relatively large scale in lsmailia making it the top producing Governorate by scoring an average annual production of 23507 Ton. • As in most peanut- producing countries, the crop suffers from deterioration resulting from the attack of saprophytic fungi especially those from the A. flavus group. Such invasion is attributed to the inadequacy of contamination control measures taken during harvesting and I or storage. • It is well known that growth of fungi on peanut is usually associated with the production of aflatoxins, which render its suitability as food or animal feed. These aflatoxins are hazardous secondary metabolites potentially able to cause serious problems in man and animals. Their effect is toxic or carcinogenic or mutagenic . • Complete prevention of contamination is almost impossible due to the susceptibility of plants and to the in-adequacy of harvesting and storage techniques. However, the reduction of contamination might be possible through: selection of resistant varieties, adopting some control measures before and during harvest, applying mechanical sorting, and using well - designed warehouses for storage.