ABSTRACT
Since the 1920s, when the medical community first made public its nutritional advantages, cow's milk has been an essential part of the human diet, particularly for developing infants who rely on it as their main source of nutrition. Aflatoxin occurrence and fungal contamination in milk and dairy products, however, have grown to be significant issues. This study used molecular techniques to isolate and identify aflatoxigenic molds in raw cow milk and its locally processed products. Sixteen samples of locally processed milk products and raw cow milk were collected from two markets in Benin City, Edo state: Aduwawa and Oluku. Using the pour plate method, all samples were serially diluted and inoculated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Using molecular and cultural methods, pure cultures were obtained and fungal isolates were identified. Each isolate's aflatoxin-coding gene (aflD) was identified through the use of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. An electronic pH meter (PH-98108) was used to measure each sample's pH, and the AOAC method was used to determine each sample's moisture content. There was a range of 0.10±0.00 to 0.90±0.10×10³ Cfu/ml in the fungal counts. Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium sp., Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium sp., Rhizopus nigricans, and Curvularia lunata are among the fungi that were isolated during this investigation. Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus niger were the most common fungi (23%) and the least common (8%), respectively, were Penicillium digitatum, Rhizopus nigricans, and Curvalaria lunata. The samples' mean pH values varied between 4.20±0.10 and 6.30±0.10, and their moisture content varied between 7.00±1.00 and 22.00±2.00%. The molecular characterization results showed that the aflD gene was present in every Aspergillus species. This study found that raw cow milk and its locally processed products sold in Benin City contain aflatoxigenic molds like Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. Controlling this contamination and strictly maintaining hygienic standards are therefore necessary.
