Forty-four fungal species belonging to 20 genera were isolated from 30 samples of qat leaves. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus, Alternaria, Penicillium, and Cladosporium followed by Fusarium, Drechslera, Chaetomium, and Mucor. The most prevalent species in above genera were Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A fumigatus, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. citrinum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Fusarium verticillioides. From these fungi, 17 species (39%) related to 7 genera (35%) proved to be true endophytes. Eleven out of 75 isolates were mycotoxigenic. A. alternata produced alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether whereas A. flavus produced aflatoxins B1 and B2. Ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin, citrinin and T-2 toxin were produced by A. ochraceus, A. versicolor, P. citrinum and F. oxysporum, respectively. The presence of such toxigenic fungi associated with qat leaves is considered to be a threat to public health.

Botany Department Faculty of Science University of Assiut Assiut 71516 Egypt

Zobrazit více v PubMed

J Assoc Off Anal Chem. 1979 May;62(3):579-85 PubMed

Br J Addict. 1987 Jan;82(1):47-53 PubMed

Food Addit Contam. 1986 Oct-Dec;3(4):323-30 PubMed

J Basic Microbiol. 1991;31(2):83-9 PubMed

J Ethnopharmacol. 1984 Nov;12(2):115-78 PubMed

Appl Microbiol. 1973 Nov;26(5):757-61 PubMed

East Afr Med J. 1991 Feb;68(2):106-11 PubMed

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1976 Mar;84(2):215-21 PubMed

Poult Sci. 1981 Jun;60(6):1165-74 PubMed

Folia Microbiol (Praha). 1975;20(3):236-45 PubMed

Folia Microbiol (Praha). 1998;43(4):383-91 PubMed