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Browsing CW-School of Pure and Applied Sciences by Author "Amata, L. R."
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Item Incidence of fusarium species in sorghum and finger millet from western Kenya(2012) Mafurah, J. J.; Monda, E. O.; Amata, L. R.Sorghu (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) and maize (Zea mays L.) comprise the major components of human diet in Africa. Other crops such as wheat, groundnuts, pulses(cowpeas and beans) and bananas are also important food crops but to a lesser extent. The objective of this study was to identifying Fusarium species associated with sorghum and finger millet grains in Western Kenya. There were 19 morphologically distinct Fusarium species isolated from sorghum and finger millet grains. These included; Fusarium compactum, F. equiseti, F.thapsinum, F. verticillioides, F. longipes, F. andiyazi, F. nygamai, F. pseudonygamai, F. brevicatenulatum, F. chlamydosporum, F. heterosporum, F. napiforme, F. graminearum, F. pseudograminearum, F. oxysporum, F.solani, F. subglutinans, F. semitectum and F. proliferatum. Fusarium compactum (14.40%) and F. equiseti (9.60%) were the mostisolatedspecies in all the districts in both grains while F. thapsinum and F. verticillioides were isolated in sorghum varieties from all the districts. The overall incidence of Fusarium species was 29.66% and 4.87% in sorghum and finger milletrespectively. Nyamira district had the highest incidences (62.23%) and Kakamega had the lowest (11.12%). Wagiita variety of sorghum had the highest incidences (28.92%) while Esila had no infection. All finger millet varieties had a low incidence of Fusarium of less than 8%. The Fusarium species isolated from sorghum in this study coincide with those isolated from other countries but finger millet had fewer Fusarium species than in other countries and this could be due to the traditional varieties sampled that have chemicals and a hard seed coat which prevents fungal penetration. The presence of fumonisin producing species like F. verticillioides and F. thapsinum could pose cancer related problems to the people consuming these grains.Item Levels of fumonisin b1 and aflatoxin b1 in sorghum and finger millet in western Kenya(2012) Mafurah, J. J.; Monda, E. O.; Amata, L. R.Sorghum and finger millet grains were collected from ten randomly selected farms in five locations in Nyamira, Kakamega, Busia and Teso districts. . Fumonisin B1 and Aflatoxin analyses were done using ELISA methods. The levels of fumonisin B1 detected in sorghum grains (48.81μg/g) were higher than those in finger millet grains (1.13μg/g). Sorghum from Nyamira district had the highest fumonisin B1 levels at 76.63μg/g while low levels were detected in Busia district at17.59μg/g. Sorghum varieties, Ochuti at 129.92μg/g and Wagiita 128.68 at μg/g, had the highest fumonisin B1 levels while no fumonisin B1 was detected in varieties KARI Mtama-1 and Esila. Variety Ikhumba had low levels at detection limits (1.75μg/g). Some finger millet varieties had the lowest levels of fumonisin B1 which were at the detection limit levels of 1.75μg/g each while some had no fumonisin B1 detected. The aflatoxin B1in sorghum from Busia and Teso districts had levels below the detection limit of 2ppb while no aflatoxin B1 was done for finger millet grains as no Aspergillus species had been isolated from the grains. From theresults, finger millet grains are safe for consumption but sorghum might cause mycotoxicoses. Some of the fumonisin levels found in this study coincide with levels associated with risks to humans and animals reported in other countries. There is need for continued surveillance of fumonisin B1 and aflatoxin B1 levels in Western Kenya in sorghum and finer millet grains as it may vary from year to year.