Toxigenic microorganisms in medicinal plants used for ritual protection of infants

Plants used as a part of infant protective rituals in some countries of South Eastern Africa and which use has been associated to food poisoning episodes were submitted to a microbiological analysis to investigate potential microbiological hazards. This characterization led to the detection of a high load of moulds and aerobic spore-formers microorganisms. Isolates of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis were observed to contained different toxin-encoding genes, and the production of diarrheal enterotoxin was confirmed in some of them. The production of aflatoxin B1 and cyclopiazonic acid by strains of Aspergillus flavus, and citrinin and penicillic acid by Penicillium citrinum was revealed by HPLC. The toxicity of these isolates was also showed by the Artemia salina lethality test. The results indicate the presence of microorganisms with toxigenic potential in plants used as folk medicine in South Eastern Africa. The traditional use of these preparations should be carefully reconsidered due to the microbiological risks associated with their ingestion.