Contamination with mold and yeast, and their toxins is considered one of the most dangerous
hidden pollutants that threaten the health of the consumer. The presence of mycotoxins in
various foods has been recorded, despite their apparent safety for human consumption. So, an
investigation was conducted to evaluate the mycological quality, with special reference to the
presence of toxigenic Aspergillus species, by culture method and aflatoxin producing genes
molecularly in a total of 75 random samples of chicken cuts represented by wing, breast and
thigh (25 of each) that were collected from various groceries and poultry shops located at
Gharbiya governorate, Egypt. Results revealed that breast samples had the highest mycological
counts (2.85 CFU/g). Consequently, isolated strains were subjected for mycological
classification; where results revealed detection of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium,
Rhizopus and Alternaria species in various ratios in the examined samples. Moreover,
Aspergillus species have been found in 36%, 48% and 40% of the examined wing, breast and
thigh samples, respectively. Furthermore, mycological identification of the isolated Aspergillus
strains showed the presence of A. niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. terreus and A. parasiticus
in 16%, 13.3%, 10.6%, 1.3% and 1.3% of the total population of the examined samples.
Molecular detection of some aflatoxin production regulating genes (OmtA, Nor1 and Ver1) in
ten Aspergillus sp. isolates revealed their detection in 8/10 (80%), 8/10 (80%) and 7/10 (70%)
represented by positive bands at molecular weight of 1024 bp, 400 bp and 537 bp, respectively.
Referring to the recorded results, chicken cuts may possess a great silent hazard to the humanbeing under improper good manufacturing practices and inadequate hygienic conditions during
handling and storage.
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