Full Length Research Paper
ABSTRACT
Melon cake is a non-fermented, traditionally processed food product obtained from melon seeds, and it is consumed as a snack or added to soup. Melon sauce is obtained during the final step of melon cake processing and it is used with melon cake during soup making. This study focused on evaluating the fate of aflatoxin during traditional melon seed processing into melon cake and sauce as a combined product. Shelled melon seeds were purchased from local markets and traditionally processed into melon cake and sauce. Samples were obtained at each processing step and analysed for aflatoxins by LC-MS/MS. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), AFB2, AFG1 and total aflatoxin (sum of AFB1, AFB2 and AFG1) levels in the starting raw material (melon seeds: 39.5, 3.5, 1.97 and 44.9 µg/kg) were reduced by 95, 82, 85 and 94%, respectively, in the finished product (boiled melon cake and sauce) ready for direct consumption. The traditional process of making melon cake and sauce reduced aflatoxin levels below the regulated limits and may lower aflatoxin exposure among melon consumers.
Key words: Aflatoxin, consumer health, food processing, food safety, melon cake, melon sauce.
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
The authors have not declared any conflict of interests.
REFERENCES
Abia WA, Warth B, Sulyok M, Krska R, Tchana A, Njobeh PB, Turner, PC, Kouanfack C, Eyongetah M, Dutton MF, Moundipa PF (2013). Bio-monitoring of mycotoxin exposure in Cameroon using a urinary multi-biomarker approach. Food and Chemical Toxicology 62:927-934. |
|
Afolabi CG, Ezekiel CN, Kehinde IA, Olaolu AW, Ogunsanya OM (2015). Contamination of groundnut in south-western nigeria by aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxins in relation to processing. Journal of Phytopathology 163:279-286. |
|
Ajuru MG, Okoli BE (2013).The morphological characterization of the melon species in the family Cucurbitaceae Juss., and their utilization in Nigeria. International Journal of Modern Botany 3:15-19. |
|
Akobundu ENT, Cherry JP, Simmons JG (1982). Chemical functional, and nutritional properties of egusi (Colocynthis citrullus L.) seed protein products. Journal of Food Science 47:829-835. |
|
Bankole SA, Adenusi AA, Lawal OS, Adesanya OO (2010). Occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in food products derivable from "egusi" melon seeds consumed in southwestern Nigeria. Food Control 21:974-976. |
|
Bankole SA, Lawal OA, Adebanjo A (2004a). Storage practices and aflatoxin B1 contamination of "egusi" melon seeds in Nigeria. Tropical Science 44:150-153. |
|
Bankole SA, Ogunsanwo BM, Mabekoje OO (2004b). Natural occurrence of moulds and aflatoxin B1 in melon seeds from markets in Nigeria. Food and Chemical Toxicology 42:1309-1314. |
|
Bankole SA, Ogunsanwo BM, Osho A, Adewuyi GO (2006). Fungal contamination and aflatoxin B1 of 'egusi' melon seeds in Nigeria. Food Control 17:814-818. |
|
Bordin K, Sawada MM, Rodrigues CEC, da Fonseca CR, Oliveira CAF (2014). Incidence of aflatoxins in oil seeds and possible transfer to oil: a review. Food Engineering Reviews 6:20-28. |
|
Bullerman LB, Bianchini A (2007) Stability of mycotoxins during food processing. International Journal of Food Microbiology119:140-146. |
|
Ezekiel CN, Sulyok M, Frisvad JC, Somorin YM, Warth B, Houbraken J, Samson RA, Krska R, Odebode AC (2013). Fungal and mycotoxin assessment of dried edible mushroom in Nigeria. International Journal of Food Microbiology162(3):231-236. |
|
Ezekiel CN, Sulyok M, Somorin Y, Odutayo FI, Nwabekee SU, Balogun AT, Krska R (2016). Mould and mycotoxin exposure assessment of melon and bush mango seeds, two common soup thickeners consumed in Nigeria. International Journal of Food Microbiology 237:83-91. |
|
Ezekiel CN, Warth B, Ogara IM, Abia WA, Ezekiel VC, Atehnkeng J, Sulyok M, Turner PC, Tayo GO, Krska R, Bandyopadhyay R (2014). Mycotoxin exposure in rural residents in northern Nigeria: A pilot study using multi-urinary biomarkers. Environment International 66:138-145. |
|
Ferreira FD Kemmelmeier C, Arroteia C C, da Costa CL, Mallmann C A., Janeiro V, Ferreira F M, Mossini SA, Silva EL, Machinski M (2013). Inhibitory effect of the essential oil of Curcuma longa L. and curcumin on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus Link. Food Chemistry 136:789-793. |
|
Gong YY, Cardwell K., Hounsa A, Egal S, Turner PC, Hall AJ, Wild CP. (2002). Dietary aflatoxin exposure and impaired growth in young children from Benin and Togo, West Africa: cross sectional study. British Medical Journal 325:20-21. |
|
Gong YY, Wilson S, Mwatha JK., Routledge MN, Castelino JM, Zhao B, Kimani G, Kariuki HC, Vennervald BJ, Dunne DW, Wild CP (2012).Aflatoxin exposure may contribute to chronic hepatomegaly in Kenyan school children. Environmental Health Perspectives 120:893-896. |
|
Karlovsky P, Suman M, Berthiller F, De Meester J, Eisenbrand G, Perrin I, Oswald IP, Speijers G, Chiodini A, Recker T, Dussort P (2016). Impact of food processing and detoxification treatments on mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxin Research 32:179-205. |
|
Malachová A, Sulyok M, Beltrán, E, Berthiller F, Krska R. (2014). Optimization and validation of a quantitative liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method covering 295 bacterial and fungal metabolites including all regulated mycotoxins in four model food matrices. Journal of Chromatography 1362:145-156. |
|
Matumba L, Van Poucke C, Njumbe Ediage E, Jacobs B, De Saeger S. (2015). Effectiveness of hand sorting, flotation/washing, dehulling and combinations thereof on the decontamination of mycotoxin-contaminated white maize. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A 32:960-969. |
|
Ogunsanwo BM, Faboya O, Idowu O, Ikotun T, Akano DA (1989). The fate of aflatoxins during the production of "Ogiri", a West African fermented melon seed condiment from artificially contaminated seeds. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 33(10):983-988. |
|
Okeke CA, Ezekiel CN, Nwangburuka CC, Sulyok M, Ezeamagu CO, Adeleke RA (2015). Bacterial diversity and mycotoxin reduction during maize fermentation (steeping) for ogi production. Frontiers in Microbiology 6:1402. |
|
Park DL, Lee C, Kim YB (2005) Fate of aflatoxin B1 during the cooking of Korean polished rice. Journal of Food Protection 68:1431-1434. |
|
Park JW, Kim YB (2006) Effect of pressure cooking on aflatoxin B1 in rice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 54:2431-2435. |
|
Somorin Y, Akinyemi A, Bertuzzi T, Pietri A (2016). Co-occurrence of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and citrinin in "egusi" melon (Colocynthis citrullus L.) seeds consumed in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B 9(3):230-235. |
|
Turner PC,Moore SE, Hall AJ, Prentice AM,Wild CP(2003). Modification of immune function through exposure to dietary aflatoxin in Gambian children. Environmental Health Perspectives 111:217-22. |
|
Turner PC, Collinson AC, Cheung YB, Gong YY, Hall AJ,Prentice AM., Wild CP. (2007). Aflatoxin exposure in utero causes growth faltering in Gambian infants. International Journal of Epidemiology 36:1119-1125. |
Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0