Genomic Studies of Curvularia Verruculosa and Penicillium Citrinum in Contaminated Commercially Processed Soymilk in Wukari: First Report

Soymilk has a rich nutritional profile and in its traditionally processed form, p    rovides a favourable growth niche for fungi that cause visible and non-visible defects thereby decreasing its shelf life resulting in significant food waste that translate to huge economic losses. Fungal spoilage of food products is a constant source of worry to researchers who have sought ways of preventing and/or limiting fungal growth because they produce disease-causing mycotoxins. In this regard, twelve tainted soymilk products sold in Wukari were collected from six locations in six sample areas called Wards and identified microbiologically. Comparatively, sterilized and unsterilized soymilk samples were prepared in the laboratory as controls. The average total fungal count in the contaminated soymilk ranged from 0.7x107-1.7x107cfu/ml while that of the control was 0.7x107cfu/ml. The occurrence of Penicillium spp. was highest (66.7%) while other fungi were recovered equally (6.67%). The recovery was more in Puje (53.3%) than in Hospital (46.7%) ward. The genomic basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) confirmed the pure isolates of fungi that were presumed to be Penicillium spp. as Curvularia verruculosa and Penicillium citrinum with percentage identification of 100%. Using the ITS sequencing technology to genetically identify fungi isolates proves to be a faster method in characterizing food ecosystems by identifying isolates at the species level. This current study demonstrates the presence of C. verruculosa and P. citrinum in contaminated ready-to-drink soymilk. In so doing, it provides foundational information useful in developing effective management strategies that will improve soymilk quality during production, protect the health of consumers, reduce economic losses and ensure food safety in traditionally processed food products.