Fungal and plant metabolites in industrially-processed fruit juices in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

There is scarce data on the mycotoxin profile in retailed fruit juices in Nigeria. Thirty-five industrially-processed fruit juice samples randomly purchased from retailers in Ogun state, Nigeria, were analysed for the presence of > 650 toxic fungal and plant metabolites using a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric method. Only 18 metabolites, including 3-nitropropionic acid, alternariol methylether and emodin, but excluding citrinin, fumonisin B₂, ochratoxin A and patulin, were detected in trace levels in at least one juice sample. Amygdalin, a plant cyanogen, was quantified (2.05–359 µg/L) in 40% of the samples. Although the levels of mycotoxins and toxic plant metabolites found in the juice may be relatively low, daily consumption of juices containing such low levels may contribute to dietary exposures to these natural chemical contaminants in consumers. Fruit juice processors should be encouraged to adhere strictly to good manufacturing practices in order to keep mycotoxins away from the final products.

KEYWORDS:

• Chemical contaminants
• consumer safety
• food processing
• fruit juice

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank Oluwadamilola M. Makinde for assistance during sampling.