Investigation of Fungi Associated with the Spoilage of <i>Chrysophyllum Albidum</i> (G.Don) Fruits.

Abstract

Chrysophyllum albidum (African star apple) fruit is among the well known indigenous fruit trees in the tropical rainforest zone of the Western region of Africa. The fruits are much cherished by both the young and the old and are of huge commercial interest in Nigeria. The fruits often deteriorate within a very short period and become spoilt as a result of fungi attacks. The study therefore carried out the survey of fungi attacks on C. albidum and investigates the etiology of post harvest deterioration. Fresh fruits were procured from purposively selected markets in Ogun State for microbial analysis. Descriptive and cross tabulation analysis were used to analyze the data and these include: percentages, frequency distribution and cross tabulation. The results of this study showed that five fungal genera were associated with African star apple fruits. The fungi found on the surface of the fruits were Fusarium solani, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium citrinum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Rhizopus spp. Fusarium solani was the most abundant and prevalent in almost all the localities. The incidence of the occurrence of fungi found associated with highest percentage of Lasiodiplodia theobromae (40.37%) and Fusarium solani (26.23%) respectively. The least occurrence of all the fungal isolates is Aspergillus flavus. Aspergillus niger, Penicillum citrinum and Aspergillus fumigatus. They all were found to be pathogenic to C.albidum fruits and responsible for their spoilage. Therefore the use of local preservatives (plant extracts) like Afromomum danielli, Afromomum melegueta and chemical disinfectants like paraozone, sodium chloride and sodium benzoate at mild dosages were recommended to reduce the losses due to storage moulds. Early harvesting of the fruits, prevention of over ripening and keeping the fruits dry and cool at all time should be ensured.

Keywords: Chrysophyllum albidum, fungi attacks, etiology, microbial analysis, preservatives