MICROBIAL LOAD AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH SWEET PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.) DURING STORAGE
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Date
2022
Journal Title
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Publisher
Institute of Biology, Bucharest
Abstract
Peppers are perishable and characterized with a short shelf life. Poor storage methods contribute immensely to their deterioration, leading to a great postharvest loss. This study is therefore aimed at isolation and characterization of fungi causing spoilage in sweet pepper during storage. Some healthy samples of Capsicum annuum fruits were collected from Lasoju farm located in Asa LGA of Kwara State, Nigeria in sterile polyethylene bags and transported to the laboratory. The fruits were kept in the refrigerator, at ambient condition and in an evaporative cooling system. The fruits were observed for spoilage at the end of the second and third week after storage. The spoiled samples were sterilized, cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar, incubated at 25°C for 3–28 days. Thereafter, the different fungal colonies resulted were sub-cultured to obtain pure cultures of each of them. It was revealed that polythene bag as storage material for Capsicum annuum promoted increase in microbial load, while the pure fungal isolates were identified morphologically and molecularly as Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus and Rhizopus oryzae. Therefore, the fresh fruits need to be properly handled and stored in order to eliminate or minimize fungal contamination.
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Keywords
Aspergillus spp., Capsicum annuum, incubation, Rhizopus oryzea, storage conditions.
Citation
Garuba, T., Lawal, B.Y., Lateef, A.A. & Olahan, G.S. (2022). Microbial load and molecular characterization of fungi associated with sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) during storage. Romanian Journal of Biology – Plant Biology. 67(1–2): 7 – 18