Author

PUNAM KUMARI SINGH

Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Shimla, India

E-mail-punamksingh@gmail.com

Abstract

Incidence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxin contamination studied in medicinal herbs namely Aegle marmelos, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellerica, T. chebula, and Syzygium cumini collected from Uttrakhand region under field and storage conditions. Natural contamination of mycotoxins in some commonly used herbal drugs Triphala, Chyawanprash, Isabbel, Amla ambari, Amla sada, Dolabi and Isabgol chaff was also evaluated. Mycotoxin producing fungi like A. flavus, A. ochraceus, F. moniliforme and Penicillium citrinum were recorded on all herb samples under study. Aflatoxins were the most common mycotoxins elaborated by different isolates of A. flavus isolated from samples under study. Mycotoxin contamination in fresh and stored samples of medicinal herbs under study showed aflatoxin B as the most common natural contaminant. The concentration of aflatoxin B in the fresh medicinal 1 1 samples was quite high i.e. upto 0.45 μg/g in A. marmelos followed by T. chebula (0.22 μg/g), E. officinalis (0.21 μg/g) and T. belerica (0.12 μg/g). Aflatoxin B was the most common contaminant in most of the herbal drugs. The concentration of Aflatoxin B 1 1 in Triphala was quite high (0.62-1.83μg/g) followed by Isabbel (0.59-1.13 μg/g), Amla ambari (0.52-1.69 μg/g) and Chyawanprash (0.49 – 1.24 μg/g).

Key Words: Mycotoxins, Toxigenic fungi, Medicinal herbs, Herbal drugs

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