ABSTRACT

Fungi are major spoilage agents of cereals and other foodstuffs before and during storage. Studies were conducted to determine the fungal pathogens of stored rice (Oryza saliva), maize (Zea mays), and millet (Penniselum thyphodes) and the effect of fungal spoilage on the proximate and vitamin composition. Samples of deteriorated rice, maize and millet grains were sourced from Ubani market and investigated for fungal growth at plant pathology laboratory in the department of Plant Science and Biotechnology. Isolation of fungi from the grains was carried out on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and water agar (WA). The grains were surface sterilized onto WA and incubated for 3 days at room temperature (25 ± 2°c) on the laboratory bench. Emerging fungal growth were transferred to PDA and subsequently sub cultured to obtain pure cultures. The pure cultures were identified and subjected to pathogenicity test. The results showed that Aspergilus, rhizopus, Penicillium, Mucor and Fusarium were spoilage pathogens of the grains. Proximate and vitamin analyses were carried out on the infected and healthy grains. Results of the proximate analysis showed that carbohydrate, fibre, ash and moisture content are significantly higher (LSD: 0.05) in the healthy samples than the infected samples. The carbohydrate and fibre content ofthe healthy samples ranged from 80.39 ± 39 to 69.80± 0.08 and 0.97 ± 0.14 to 2.41 ± 0.03 respectively. While that ofthe infected samples ranged from 79.63 ± 0.09 to 69.55 ± 0.09 and 0.46 ± 0.02 to 1.99 ±0.14. The infected samples had higher protein values which ranged from 11.79 ± 0.09 to 15.52 ± 0.10. While the healthy samples ranged from 10.82 ± 0.05 to 15.29 ± 0.09. The infected samples had higher protein content because advanced fungal deterioration increases protein content mathematically. Results of the vitamin analysis showed that the healthy samples had very high vitamin C than any other vitamin. The value of vitamin C of the healthy samples ranged from 28.15 ± 0.05 to 0.29 ± 0.01 while that of the infected samples ranged from 3.28 ± 0.10 to 5.16 ± 0.20