Isolation and Characterization of Fungal Species from Spoilt Fruits in Utako Market, Abuja, Nigeria

Background and Objective: Fruits are subjected to natural contamination by many different kinds of micro-organisms, including pathogens such as fungi. This research was carried out to investigate the types of fungal flora associated with the spoilage of fruits at Utako market, Abuja, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: One hundred fruits comprising of 70 spoilt ones and 30 healthy ones were collected from the market and transported to the laboratory. Thin sections of the rotten fruits were obtained using a sterile blade and inoculated onto PDA media and incubation was carried out at 27EC for 5 days. Results: The result obtained indicated the presence of 7 different fungal species: Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor mucedo and Alternaria sp. However, Aspergillus niger was the most predominant species while Alternaria sp. was the least common. However, the pathenogenicity of Rhizopus stolonifer was higher than that of the remaining fungal species isolated, while that of Alternaria sp. was the least. Conclusion: It was concluded that, seven fungal species were found to be responsible for the deterioration of fruits in Utako market. Some of these isolated fungal species produce toxins that could cause severe food poisoning and other potential health hazards.