Assessment of Fungal Diversity Associated with Seeds of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) in Rohilkhand Region

Pearl millets, a diversified species of small-seeded grasses, are cultivated as cereals worldwide due to their numerous practical applications. Their diversified fungal populations present a hazard to the health of humans as well as animals at each step of production management, from pre- to after-harvest handling. The objective of this investigation was to recognize and describe a mycotoxin profile of a variety of millet-associated fungi over a variety of storage durations. Over 3 months, pearl millet products were at random obtained from vendors in three primary marketplaces located in three districts of the Rohilkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The samples were transported to the laboratory in sterile polythene containers. To isolate fungi, millet samples were directly plated on PDA, or potato dextrose agar, that had been treated with chloramphenicol, an antibiotic, to reduce the growth of bacteria. The dishes were examined shortly after from 48 to 72 hours of growth at ambient temperature. The collection included twelve (12) fungal species from ten (10) genera. Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common (25.3%), followed by Aspergillus flavus (23.8%), Aspergillus niger (21.6%), Rhizopus spp. (5.9%), Fusarium spp. (4.3%), Curvularia spp. (3.3%), Alternaria brassicicola (2.8%), Penicillium spp. (2.8%), Mucor mucedo (2.5%), and Acladium conspersum (0.7%). Nigrospora oryzae and Sporendonema spp. had the lowest frequency (0.4%). The pearl millet samples contained four aflatoxins: AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2. The Moradabad district samples had the highest levels of aflatoxin (886 ppb) in the mycotoxin profile measurement. To prevent fungus from infecting millet samples and limit aflatoxin levels, strict storage, hygiene, and preservation methods must be followed.