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Identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium species associated with raisins in some areas of East Azerbaijan province
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Fatemeh Mohammadi    , Mahdi Davari * , Parisa Ganjpour , Maryam Yousefi , Mahin Pouresmaeil , Hedieh Berenjizade |
| Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran. , mdavari@uma.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (367 Views) |
Raisins pose a significant challenge to food safety due to their susceptibility to contamination by mycotoxigenic fungi. This research was conducted to achieve species-level identification within the Aspergillus and Penicillium genera and to characterize the fungal community composition of processed raisins from packaging facilities in Bonab, Maragheh, and Ajabshir counties, East Azerbaijan province, Iran. One hundred and two samples were collected from 17 aforementioned facilities and local orchards. Fungal isolation was performed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA). Preliminary identification was based on morphological criteria, with final confirmation obtained through sequencing of the β-tubulin gene region and phylogenetic analysis. Among all samples, 86 (84.3%) exhibited fungal contamination. From a total of 198 purified isolates, 95 (47.9%) belonged to the genus Aspergillus and 75 (37.9%) to the genus Penicillium. Among the Aspergillus isolates, Aspergillus tubingensis was identified as the dominant species. Also, Talaromces atroroseus was detrmined as raisin mycoflora that has reprted in Iran previously but based on available literature, Penicillium rubens is reported from raisin samples in Iran for first time. The infection amount and fungal community of raisins underscore the imperative for continuous monitoring and effective post-harvest management to mitigate mycotoxin contamination risks in this strategic product. |
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| Keywords: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Molecular identification, Mycotoxin, Food safety, β-tubulin. |
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Full-Text [PDF 736 kb]
(36 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Biosafety
Received: 2025/11/7 | Accepted: 2026/01/17 | Published: 2026/01/17
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