Review of literature:

Transcription

1 Review of literature: Spices are important group of agricultural commodities, because of their taste and aroma they are widely used to flavour the food preparations, Spices do not have much nutritive value but the importance of Spice in daily diet is due to the fact that they enhance the aroma and flavour of food preparations. There is lot of heterogeneity found with respect to the plant parts used. India is one of the largest producers of Spices and condiments. India is one of the major contributor to the total world trade. The classification of the Spices and medicinal plant samples is mainly based on morphology and the plant part which is used for the purpose. The workers from the different parts of the world worked on mycobiota and mycotoxins analysis of different Spices and other commodities from various parts of the world. Lal and Raizada, (1975) isolated fungi associated with the condiments of daily use they isolated Fourteen species of fungi viz; Circinella mucoroides, C. muscae, Aspergillus candidus, A. fumigatus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. niveus, Aspergillus species. Penicillium frequentans, Alternaria humicola, Curvularia tetramera, Monilia geophila, Fusarium species and Rhizoctonia species have been isolated from five condiments viz. Coriandrum sativum, Cuminum cyminum, Curcuma longa, Foeniculum vulgare and Trigonella foenum-graecum and they also emphasized that condiments are thoroughly dried, exposed to bright sunlight and cleaned before utilization. Khan et al., (1984) Screened occurrence of seed borne mycoflora in broad bean seeds. Bokhary, (1986) surveyed seed mycoflora of Wheat in saudi Arabia Aspergillus Spp., Ulodadium Spp., Alternaria Spp., Curvularia Spp., Penicillium Spp., Dreschlera Spp., and Chaetomium Spp., were isolated. Klich, (1986) assessed filamentous fungi from Delinted, surface-sterilized cotton seeds in the southern USA. the results reveals that the thirty-seven taxa isolated among them Alternaria spp., Colletotrichum gossypii, Fusarium equiseti, and F. pallidoroseum were most commonly present. Infection levels greatly varied between locations and in different years within a location. Changes in infection levels for some of the species were fluctuated by precipitation and temperature variations during the growing season. 12 P a g e

2 Mycotoxicoses are diseases caused by mycotoxins, although they occur more frequently in areas with a hot and humid climate, favourable for the growth of moulds, they can also be found in temperate zones. Exposure to mycotoxins is mostly by ingestion, but also occurs through the dermal and inhalation routes (Peraica et al., 1999). Freire et al., (2000) isolated a wide range of field and storage fungi from black pepper, white pepper and Brazil nut kernels from Amazonia. A total of 42 species were isolated from both peppers. 17 species were isolated from Brazil nut kernels. Basak et al., (2002) Studied prevalence and transmission of seed borne Fungi of Maize Grown in a Farm of Korea, In all six fungi namely Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp. and Ustilago zeae. were found to associated with maize seeds. Prevalence of seedborne fungi also varied. The highest percentages of seed-borne fungi were recorded with Fusarium moniliforme and the lowest in Penicillium sp. Elshafie et al., (2002) Surveyed One hundred and five samples of seven Spices viz. cumin, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, and coriander were purchased from five popular companies in the Sultanate of Oman. The Spices were surveyed for the mycoflora and aflatoxins. Twenty fungal species were isolated in which Aspergillus flavus, A. niger. Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Syncephalastrum racemosum were the most dominant. According to the study clove was found to be the least contaminated, cumin was the most contaminated. El-nagerabi, (2002) screened of seed borne fungi and detection of aflatoxins in Sudanese fenugreek seeds. Mandeel, (2005) screened Seventeen imported raw Spice samples obtained from retail outlets were examined for spoilage mould profile. A total of 665 fungal isolates, representing 14 species, were recovered and identified from dried and ground Spice samples according to the study the most heavily contaminated Spice samples are red chili and black pepper. The most predominant fungal genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Cladosporium and Trichoderma. They also recovered Yeasts; the results reveals that Samples obtained from gunny bags 13 P a g e

3 encounter higher colony counts and contamination frequency than other packing methods. Manonmani et al., (2005) studied rapid assessment of aflatoxigenic fungi in food using an indigenously designed primer pair for the aflatoxin regulatory gene aflr in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Embaby et al., (2006) Seed borne fungi and mycotoxins associated with some legume seeds in Egypt. The variety and galaxy of fungi and their natural beauty occupy prime place in the biological world and India has been the cradle for such fungi. Only a fraction of total fungal wealth has been unexplored by mycologists; still there is need to unravel the hidden wealth. One third of fungal diversity of the globe exists in India. Fungi are not only beautiful but play a significant role in the daily life of human beings (Manoharachary et al., 2005). Krska et al., (2005) discussed latest activities in mycotoxin analysis and the advances of its respective quality assurance. The mycotoxin analyses carried out is mainly based on physicochemical methods. In particular, rapid and easy to use test kits based on immune-analytical principles or artificial macromolecular receptors have made good progress. And even the biosensors and infrared spectroscopic techniques and multi mycotoxin analysis the most promising. Globalisation of the trade in agricultural commodities has contributed significantly to the discussion about potential hazards involved and has increased in particular the awareness of mycotoxins. The best control is the prevention of mycotoxins in the field, which is supported by proper crop rotation and fungicide administration at the right time. Adsorptive compounds can be used for reduction of potency of mycotoxins in general. Alternative strategies such as enzymatic or microbial detoxification, have been used recently for counteracting impacts of certain fungal toxins (Binder et al., 2007). Bokhari, (2007) checked the prevalence and population density of the mycobiota of 50 samples belonging to 10 kinds of Spices viz. anise, black pepper, red pepper, black cumin, peppermint, cardamom, clove, cumin, ginger and marjoram which collected from different places in Jeddah Governorate. 15 genera and 31 species of fungi in addition to one species variety were isolated and identified during this study. The most common genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. 14 P a g e

4 Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites that can be produced in crops and other food commodities both pre and post-harvest (Bryden, 2007). Aflatoxins are potent mycotoxins that cause developmental and immune system suppression, cancer, and death. Aflatoxin contamination occurs when specific fungi in the genus Aspergillus infect crops (Cotty et al., 2007). Moulds and associated mycotoxins are important factors adversely affecting foods produced using contaminated plant products or animal products derived from animals fed on contaminated feeds. Mycotoxins are toxic to humans and animals, which explains the major concern of food and feed industries in preventing them from entering the food chain. Toxin-producing moulds may invade plant material in the field before harvest, during post-harvest handling and storage and during processing into food and feed products. Thus, toxigenic fungi have been roughly classified into two groups (i) Field fungi; (ii) Storage fungi. Prevention strategy for fungal and mycotoxin contamination must be carried out at an integrative level all along the food production chain: Three steps of intervention have been identified before fungal infestation; during the period of fungal invasion and mycotoxin production; when the agricultural product is heavily contaminated (Jouany, 2007). Lasram et al., (2007) studied the occurrence of ochratoxin-a (OTA) and the identification of the Ochratoxigenic microbiota in Tunisian grapes. Magnoli et al., (2007) reviewed the OTA contamination of cereals and cereal derived products of human and animal feeding in South American countries. Mycotoxins likely have existed for as long as crops have been grown but recognition of the true chemical nature of such entities of fungal metabolism was not known until recent times, Evidence of their periodic, historical occurrence exists until the recognition of aflatoxins in the early 1960s. mycotoxins of several kinds were found to be formed during development of crop plants in the field. Among them major mycotoxins are Aflatoxins, Deoxynivalenol, Fumonisins, Zearalenone, T-2 toxin, Ochratoxin and certain Ergot alkaloids (Richard, 2007). Tanackov et al., (2007) investigated the presence of moulds, potential producers of sterigmatocystine, was in 20 samples of Spices viz. cinnamon, caraway, marjoram and clove five species fungi were commonly isolated from the samples: Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus sydowii, Aspergillus ustus, Emericella 15 P a g e

5 nidulans and Eurotium herbariorum. E. herbariorum was found common to Spice samples. Abou Donia, (2008) Investigated the microbial status of some crude herbal materials. A total of 303 samples, representing different types of Spices and medicinal plants were collected from random sources in Egypt. Microbial status of dried herbal materials including an aerobic bacterial count, spore-forming, coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, yeast and mold were Moreover, fungi were found in all of the collected samples. Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium genera were more frequently detected than other genera Alternaria, Absidia spp., Mucor spp., Rhizoctonia and Cladosporium spp. Study concluded that Spices and medicinal plants may be high risk products and therefore, more studies are necessary to find methods of decontamination. Cho et al., (2008) conducted a survey for total Aflatoxins (Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2) on 88 Spices and processed spice products commercialized in Korea. Total Aflatoxins (AFs) are detected in 12 samples including seven red pepper powder, two red pepper pastes, two curry and one ginger product. The contamination levels are lg/kg as aflatoxin B1 and lg/kg as AFs. Dimic et al., (2008) investigated the presence of fungi in cinnamon, marjoram, caraway and clove the most frequent contaminants of Spice samples were the genera viz. Eurotium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Rhizopus, Scopulariopsis and Syncephalastrum. Mycotoxins are metabolites produced by fungi causing acute and chronic adverse effects in humans and animals. Some mycotoxins are genotoxic, immunotoxic, allergenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic (Oancea et al., 2008). Mycotoxin contamination in certain agricultural systems has been a serious concern for human and animal health. Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced mostly as secondary metabolites by fungi that grow on seeds and feed in the field, or in storage. The major mycotoxin producing fungi are species of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium and the important mycotoxins are Aflatoxins, Fumonisins, Ochratoxins, Cyclopiazonic acid, Deoxynivalenol/Nivalenol, Patulin and Zearalenone (Vinod Kumar et al., 2008). 16 P a g e

6 Essono et al., (2009). assessed persistence of toxigenic fungi in homestored cassava chips collected in two locations of southern Cameroon. Three hundred and fortysix isolates of Aflatoxin producing fungi were found to be associated with all samples. A. flavus contaminated more samples in both types of chips, followed by A. nomius, whereas A. parasiticus was rarest. The levels of aflatoxin ranged between 5.2 and 14.5 ppb. The study reveals, distribution of aflatoxin in positive samples depended on 8 parameters including ph, moisture content and storage duration, types of chips and level of contamination by aflatoxin-producing fungi, processing practices and storage facilities. Gautam et al., (2009) analysed Stored samples of crude herbal drugs and processed powders of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellirica, and Terminalia chebula sold in the market of Gwalior, for the incidence of fungi and their related mycotoxins; About 88% of the fruits and powdered samples were found to be contaminated with 1199 isolates of different fungi belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Helminthosporium, Rhizopus, Syncephalastrum, Alternaria, and Curvularaia. About 25% of fruits and 12.5% of powdered samples were found contaminated with different mycotoxins like Aflatoxins, Citrinin, and Sterigmatocystin. Fungal infection and aflatoxin contamination was evaluated on 180 samples of dried vegetables such as okra, hot chilli, tomato, melon seeds, onion and baobab leaves from Benin, a total of 561 fungal isolates identified, Species of Aspergillus were dominant on all marketed dried vegetables the study showed that only okra and hot chilli were naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin B2, at concentrations of 6.0 μg/kg on okra and 3.2 μg/kg on hot pepper (Hell et al., 2009). Herzallah et al., (2009) examined Raw and pasteurised sheep s, cow s and goat s milk, eggs, and beef samples for Aflatoxins AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, AFM1 and AFM2. From different local markets in Jordan. Houssou et al., (2009) studied Natural infection of cowpea by toxigenic fungi and mycotoxin contamination in Benin, About 23 fungal species were identified on cowpea seed samples across zones of which Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium spp. Were common the analytical results indicate that cowpea is less 17 P a g e

7 susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. Lanier et al., (2009) molds and the production of mycotoxins of some storage of oilseed cakes, a total of 34 fungal species identified among them most common once are A. Fumigates, and Aspergillus repens. Razak, (2009) screened Twenty commercial mixed herbal drugs were examined for mycological profile. Aspergillus Species were the predominant fungi found in the drugs. Other fungi harboured in the drugs with less frequency were Paecilomyces species, Eurotium species, Monascus species, Acremonium species, Penicillium species, Cladosporium species, Scopulariopsis species, Phialophora species and Fonseceae species. Mycotoxins are small toxic chemical products formed as secondary metabolites by a few fungal species that readily colonise crops and contaminate them with toxins in the field or after harvest. Due to the variety of structures of these toxins, it is impossible to use one standard technique for analysis. Practical requirements for high-sensitivity analysis and the need for a specialist laboratory setting create challenges for routine analysis (Turner et al., 2009). Ochratoxin- A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by several fungal species from Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. It is widespread in food and feed and its occurrence has been reported in cereals, cereal-derived products, dried fruits and Spices (Zaied et al., 2009). Al-Hazmi, (2010) investigated the presence of Patulin and Ochratoxin A in apple juice in Saudi Arabian market of Jeddah. Hashem et al (2010) examined Fifteen Spices from common markets were examined for their mould profile. A total of 520 fungal isolates, representing 57 species, were recovered and identified from dried and ground Spice samples. The most heavily contaminated Spice samples examined were observed in ginger the most predominant fungal genera encountered were Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Rhizopus. Several potentially mycotoxigenic fungi were isolated from the majority of samples. India, despite being the largest producer of Spices, there is great potential for increasing export of Indian Spices. To realize this potential there must be improvement and enhancement of productivity and quality (Sumanth et al., 2010). 18 P a g e

8 Agarwal et al., (2011) Isolation of seed borne mycoflora of chickpea and its in vitro evaluation by some known bioagents. Ahene et al., (2011) analysed the microbiological quality of two Spices viz. aniseed and rosemary and Spice products viz. maggi onion cube, maggi shrimp cube, royco shrimp cube, royco beef cube have been studied. The species of fungi that were isolated from the raw Spices and Spice products tested belonged to eight genera. (Absidia, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Rhizopus, Penicillium, Neurospora, Eurotium,). Aspergillus species (A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. alutaceus, A. niger, A. sulphureus) were the more predominant species isolated. A. flavus was the most frequently isolated bacteria species isolated from the Spices varied. Aeromonas salmonicida, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter amnigenus, Enterobacter agglomerans, Enterobacter sakazakii, Flavobacterium sp, Chromobacterium violaceum, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Acinetobacter sp, Pseudomonas cepacia, Serratia plymuthica. Aidoo, (2011) screened the mycoflora of 84 samples of baby food commercially available in North Africa was determined. The feeds were screened for mycotoxins Twenty-four fungal isolates were recovered from the samples consisting of 5 Aspergillus spp, 13 Penicillum spp, 5 Mucor spp. and an unidentified species of these, 45.8% of the isolates were found to be mycotoxigenic however only 2.4% of the samples contained aflatoxins (19 to 70 μg kg 1) and the remaining contained undetectable levels of the toxin. Butt et al., (2011) studied seed-borne mycoflora of stored rice grains and its chemical control. Freitas-Silva et al., (2011) studied the prevailing mycobiota of Brazil nuts include fungi that are producers of Aflatoxins, such as Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. Aflatoxins have deleterious effects in consumption considering the global distribution chain, affecting major exporting countries and also emphasized on the social and environmental impact of its production, on the mycobiota contamination of seeds, and on the presence of mycotoxins and related food safety aspects. Panchal et al., (2011) Isolated seed borne fungi of Sorghum Twenty eight fungal species of eighteen genera appeared in the seeds of eight different variety of Sorghum. Rothe et al., (2011) studied on seed mycoflora of some medicinal plants 19 P a g e

9 in Akola district Maharashtra state India, tested by two methods blotter technique and agar plate method by their mycoflora. Total sixteen fungi were recorded on both the medium. Ochratoxin- A is a secondary metabolite produced by filamentous fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium present in a wide variety of foodstuffs. The most relevant OTA-producing species are Penicillium verrucosum, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius due to their prevalence in foodstuffs viz. cereals, grapes, coffee, etc. and the number of strains able to produce OTA (Amezqueta et al., 2012). Zain, (2011) Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of moulds that have adverse effects on humans, animals, and crops that result in illnesses and economic losses. The worldwide contamination of foods and feeds with mycotoxins is a significant problem. Some molds are capable of producing more than one mycotoxin and some mycotoxins are produced by more than one fungal species. Mycotoxins occur more frequently in areas with a hot and humid climate, favourable for the growth of molds, they can also be found in temperate zones. Exposure to mycotoxins is mostly by ingestion, but also occurs by the dermal and inhalation routes. Factors influencing the presence of mycotoxins in foods or feeds include environmental conditions related to storage that can be controlled. Alexa et al., (2012) studied the effect of some natural extracts obtained from grape pomace and grape seeds as compared to a synthetic food, antioxidantbutylated hydroxytoluene, in order to control fungal population and Ochratoxin-A production in naturally contaminated wheat. Baquiao et al., (2012) investigated the Fungal and mycotoxin contamination of field samples of nuts, shells and pods of the Brazil nut collected during different periods in Itacoatiara, State of Amazonas, Brazil; The most prevalent fungal species were Aspergillus flavus in fruit pods and nuts and Fusarium spp. in shells. Penicillium spp. and A. flavus were isolated from soil, and Fusarium spp. and Penicillium spp. from air. The study suggests that soil as the main source of fungal contamination of Brazil nuts. 20 P a g e

10 Ochratoxin -A is an important mycotoxin with potential to reach the human food chain through carry-over of contaminated, mostly cereal-based feed into animal-derived products (Duarte et al., 2012). Hussain et al., (2012) investigated the contamination level of total Aflatoxin in locally available Spices collected from three different locations of Peshawar. Eighteen samples of six different types of Spices such as coriander, cumin seed, powdered red pepper, omum seed, black pepper and turmeric powder were analyzed for aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2. Out of 18, analyzed samples 12 samples were found contaminated with aflatoxin B1. Hajihasani et al., (2012) screened incidence and distribution of seed-borne fungi associated with wheat in Markazi Province, Iran, A total of 15 fungal species including Tilletia laevis, Tilletia tritici, Ustilago tritici, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Microdochium nivale, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Alternaria alternata, Curvularia sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp., Mucor sp. and Rhizopus sp. were identified in three wheat cultivars of Backcross Roshan, Alvand and C Makun et al., (2012) tested incidence and botanical control of seed-borne fungi of cowpea in niger state, Nigeria. Pathak, (2012) screened Seed mycoflora associated with wheat by using different media and reported Seed-borne fungi, viz. Fusarium moniliforme, Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata, Drechslera spp, Alternaria spp. and Penicillium spp., were isolated. Blotter method was found to be the best method for the isolation of mycoflora. Reis et al., (2012) evaluated the presence of fungi and mycotoxins viz. Aflatoxins and Cyclopiazonic acid in Brazil nut samples collected in different states of the Brazilian Amazon region: Acre, Amazonas, Amapa, and Para. A total of 200 husk samples and 200 almond samples were studied. The mycobiota comprised the following fungi almonds Phialemonium spp., Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., Phaeoacremonium spp., and Aspergillus spp, husks samples shows Phialemonium spp., Phaeoacremonium spp., Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., and 21 P a g e

11 Aspergillus spp. the study reveals almonds of the Brazil nut seem to be a good substrate for fungal growth. Spices are often considered as one of the possible sources of meat products contamination with toxigenic moulds. Genera Аspergillus, Eurotium and Penicillium are most frequent xerophilic storage moulds that contaminate Spices. Because Spices are possible source of contamination of the final product and potential producers of mycotoxins the study reveals that it is necessary to introduce mandatory mycotoxins determination in raw material for meat industry, especially Spices (Skrinjar et al., 2012). Non-sanitary conditions during the drying, transport and storage stages in the production of chili could introduce mycotoxin contamination (Jalili et al., 2012). Ochratoxin-A is a mycotoxin that can be found in several food commodities including cereals, wine, coffee, cacao, Spices or dried fruits, resulting in chronic human exposure (Ozden et al., 2012). Zaidi, (2012) studied the effects of fungi on germinability and seedling health on cowpea seeds in total eleven fungal species were isolated from cowpea seeds which were used as inocula, All the tested fungi show a reduction in the germination rate of the cowpea plants, and also different types of disease symptoms including reduction in shoot and root lengths, seed rot, seedling rot, yellowing of leaves, deformation of leaves, etc. Many phytopathogenic fungi penetrate deep into the seeds. Abbas et al., (2013) Studied effect of seed borne mycoflora on the quality of three varieties of Arachis hypogea. Carolina et al., (2013) were analyzed for internal mycoflora, toxin production of isolated fungi from 89 freshly harvested soybean seed samples were collected from five locations in the Northern Pampean Region II, Argentina. The most commonly identified fungal genera were Alternaria, Sclerotinia, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Phomopsis and Fusarium. Alternaria alternata, A.tenuissima, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium citrinum, Fusarium verticillioides and F. semitectum were the predominant toxigenic fungal species. Mycotoxin production was confirmed for several isolates of toxigenic species, including Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, 22 P a g e

12 Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, Fusarium graminearum, F. semitectum and F. verticillioides. Deepavali et al., (2013) studied seed borne mycoflora on maize and its effect on seed germination, During isolation eight fungal species were recovered according to study Agar plate method yielded highest number of fungi as compared to blotter method, Frequency occurrence of Aspergillus niger and A. flavus was very high in all varieties of maize. Khosravi et al., (2013) screened grain borne Mycoflora and Fumonisin B1 from Fresh-Harvested and Stored Rice in Northern Iran Jundishapur. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring Mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aspergillus flavus is common and widespread in nature and is most often found when certain grains are grown under stressful conditions such as draught. The mould occurs in soil, decaying vegetation, hay and grains undergoing microbiological deterioration and invades all types of organic substrates whenever and wherever the conditions are favourable for its growth. Favourable conditions include high moisture content and high temperature (Rajarajan et al., 2013). Singh et al., (2013) evaluated, field and storage fungi from Agra region from Coriander, Foeniculum, Cumin and Brassica seeds their results reveal More than 53 fungi of different group recorded for toxin production. Toma et al., (2013). Investigated the microbial status of some crude herbal materials. A total of 16 samples, representing different types of Spices and medicinal plants were collected from common market in the Erbil city. 10 different fungal genera and 16 species were isolated and identified as Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus spp., Gliocladium sp., Hyalodendron diddeus, Memmoniella sp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., Syncephalastrum sp., Cladosporium lignicolum and Ulocladium botrytis. the high result of aflatoxin and ochratoxin show in Red tea while the low result of Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin show in Garlic. Margaret et al., (2013) Screened of Seed Borne mycoflora of five cultivars of Cicer were studied under blotter paper method. All these varieties were found more susceptible to Fusarium, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Botrys cinerea, Sclerotium rolfisii. Vanesa et al., (2013) determined the occurrence of 23 P a g e

13 Ochratoxin A in coffee beans, ground roasted coffee and soluble coffee, which is imported by Argentina. Food borne disease outbreaks caused by Spices have been on the increase in recent years. Spices are used for flavor, color, aroma, taste and preservation of food and beverages but they are also not free from microbial association; therefore, strict hygienic measures should be observed during the mixing of the spice in order to reduce the microbial load to an acceptable level (Chaudhary et al., 2014). The presence of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and patulin, in fruits and their processed products is of high concern for human health due to their properties to induce severe acute and chronic toxicity at low-dose levels (Yang et al., 2014). 24 P a g e