Fungal flora and aflatoxin contamination of feedstuff samples in Beida Governorate, Libya

Fungi of 19 genera, 30 species, and one variety were isolated from 25 samples of sheep-, cattle- and camel feedstuffs collected from different farms in the Beida Governorate, Libya. Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium were the most common genera in the three substrates tested. TLC was used to establish the identity of aflatoxins in the chloroform extract of all samples and the ability to produce aflatoxins by Aspergillus flavus in a synthetic liquid medium. Twenty samples out of 25 tested were naturally contaminated and 21 isolates of A. flavus out of 30 produced at least one of the following aflatoxins: B1; B1, G1; and B1, B2, G1, G2. This is the first report about the natural occurrence of aflatoxins and aflatoxins and aflatoxin-producers of the genus Aspergillus in Libya.