Control of aflatoxigenic mould and aflatoxins in melon seeds using Aframomum danielli indigenous plant

Studies were carried out to determine the potential of using Aframomum danielli treatments to control aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in samples of melon seeds from Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, Sokoto, Enugu and Agulu towns of Nigeria. The samples were treated with various percentages of A. danielli powder ranging from 1-10%. Aflatoxins were extracted from melon seeds with acetonitrile:water, cleaned up using mycosep columns, derivatized with a cobra cell and quantified using HPLC with fluorescence detector. All the samples were found to be contaminated with aflatoxins in the range 3.25-98.47 µg kg^-1 and aflatoxigenic mould was detected in all the samples. Reduction (in %) in aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins using A. danielli were observed in samples from Kaduna (75.58-84.22), Sokoto (80.54-97.46), Lagos (25.82-80.54), Oyo (21.98-65.98), Enugu (41.08-83.07), and Anambra (24.84-61.65) States. Aflatoxigenic mould was also reduced in the treated samples. Treating melon seeds with A. daniellia natural plant before storage will, therefore, reduce the risk of aflatoxin contamination at the postharvest stage.