Prevalence of Fusarium mycotoxins in cassava and yam products from some selected Nigerian markets

Fusarium mycotoxins were determined by a multi-mycotoxin liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method in cassava (garri and lafun) and yam (amala) products collected from some selected Nigerian markets. Of the 94 samples analysed, 71% were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin at an incidence rate of 54% (garri), 72% (lafun), and 82% (amala). Deoxynivalenol which ranged between 35 and 99 μg/kg was the most prevalent Fusarium mycotoxin in garri with an incidence rate of 38%, while the dominant mycotoxin in lafun (61%, range = 30-392 μg/kg) and amala (68%, range = 29-155 μg/kg) was fumonisin B2. Other mycotoxins detected from the food products included fumonisin B1 and B3, zearalenone, 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside, T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, and fusarenon-X. The consumption of these contaminated products may be a possible route of exposure to a cocktail of Fusarium mycotoxins and can cause potential synergistic health effects on the Nigerian population.