MYCOBIOTA AND MYCOTOXINS IN HERBAL DRUGS OF INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES

Crude samples of 12 drug plants (constituents of five finished herbal drugs) were examined for their mould profile and the presence of mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, citrinin and zearalenone). The most frequently isolated fungi were species of Aspergillus and Fusarium. Aspergillus spp. were isolated from 54% of the crude drug samples with the highest incidence (52%) on Piper longum fruits. Isolation frequencies of several fungi were related to weather conditions 2 wk prior to analysis. Of 95 strains of Aspergillus flavus, 11 of A. parasiticus, 75 of A. ochraceus and 63 of Fusarium oxysporum screened for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and zearalenone production on synthetic media, 42%, 45% 16% and 26% isolates produced respective mycotoxins. Natural mycotoxin contamination was studied both in crude herbal drugs and their finished commercial products, 43% and 64% of which showed the presence of mycotoxins. Afl-B-1 was the most frequent mycotoxin recorded in almost all the samples beyond the tolerance level fixed by the World Health Organization.