Occurrence of mycoflora in staple grains on retail outlets in Kaduna and Nasarawa States of Nigeria.

Mycoflora and toxins from mould when found in grains can be harmful and even deadly when consumed by man. This work was designed to ascertain the presence and extent of growth of mycoflora in staple grains in Kaduna and Nasarawa States of Nigeria. Methods: The staple grains (local variety) consisting of maize (Zee mays), beans (Cowpeas-Vigna simensis), groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) and yam (Diascorea spp) were obtained from selected six Local Government Areas of the two States. Sampling was done twice; in dry and rainy seasons. Mycoflora isolation and identification were done by standard techniques. Results: In rainy season, there was significant difference (p<0.001) in the mean of Aspergillus flavus and the rest fungi isolates in Kaduna and Nasarawa States. Also in dry season, there was significantly different (p<0.001) in the mean of Aspergillus flavus and the rest fungi isolates in both Kaduna and Nasarawa States. Equally in both Kaduna and Nasarawa States, there was significant difference (p<0.05) in the mean of fungi isolates in the four staple grains, with the mycoflora isolates in maize being the highest in the two States compared to the rest of the grains during rainy and dry seasons. Rainy and dry seasons comparison of the mean fungi isolates from the four grains samples shows no significant difference (p>0.05) in fungi isolates amongst the grains in both Kaduna and Nasarawa States. Conclusion: The occurrence of Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium spp., Phoma spp., Fusarium moniliforme, A fumigates, A niger, Penicillium funiculosum and other toxigenic mycoflora in grains clearly shows the urgency for increased surveillance particularly as it constitutes great danger when consumed by humans.