Abstract

The production and consumption of artisanal home-brewed sorghum beer (Bil-bil andKpata) is a widespread traditional practice in the northern Sudan-Sahelian zone of Cameroon. Deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisins B₁ (FB₁) in these home-brewed artisanal opaque beer samples extracted by HPLC method, before analysis by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) procedure, showed a wide range of levels. All samples were positive for DON and FB₁. DON levels varies from 140 to 730 ng/ml with a mean of 450 ±90 ng/ml for Bil bil and from 0.0 to 680 ng/ml with a mean of 520±70 ng/ml in Kpata. The recorded levels of fumonisin B₁ varies from 0.0 to 230 ng/ml with a mean of 150±24 ng/ml in Bil-bil and from 0.5 to 340 ng/ml with a mean of 210±10 in Kpata. On the basis of published data for the consumption of artisanal home-brewed sorghum beer (Bil-bil and Kpata) in Cameroon, the fumonisin and deoxynevanol exposure in these regions among the consumers was found to be well above the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake.

Key words: Fumonisins, mycotoxins, North Cameroon, beer, sorghum, Fusarium.