Isolation and Identification of Deleterious Fungi Associated with Stored Grains and Cattle Feedstuff of Potohar Region of Pakistan

The growth of fungus in grains and feed is favored by improper humidity and temperature during storage contributing to loss of grain quality, infections among animals and humans and production of mycotoxins. Therefore, the current study was aimed to isolate and identify fungal species among stored grains and feedstuff of Potohar region of Pakistan. For fungal screening, ten different samples were collected from storage houses situated in different cities. These samples included wheat and corn grains from Taxila, Gujar Khan and Chakwal cities, while cattle feed samples were collected from Attock city. The investigation confirmed the presence of Rhizopus arrhizus in wheat from two different localities in Taxila and cattle feed, respectively, Aspergillus foetidus and Achaetomium globosum in wheat from Gujar Khan and Taxila, and Mucor indicus in maize from Chakwal. The most predominant fungal species was Rhizopus arrhizus. Here we are reporting the prevalence of pathogenic and toxigenic fungal species in stored grains and cattle feed of Potohar region for the first time. Inadequate storage conditions can lead to uncontrolled multiplication of fungus, so this study will assist in optimizing the storage conditions to curb its growth for assurance of healthy food for humans and animals.