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. 2023 Jan 4;15(1):39.
doi: 10.3390/toxins15010039.

Effects of Storage Duration and Structures on Sesame Seed Germination, Mold Growth, and Mycotoxin Accumulation

Samuel Alemayehu  1 , Fetien Abay Abera  2 , Kiros Meles Ayimut  2 , Ross Darnell  3 , Rizana Mahroof  4 , Jagger Harvey  5 , Bhadriraju Subramanyam  6
Affiliations

Effects of Storage Duration and Structures on Sesame Seed Germination, Mold Growth, and Mycotoxin Accumulation

Samuel Alemayehu et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

Sesame is an important oil crop for the Ethiopian economy. However, the lack of adequate storage facilities results in significant losses of sesame seeds. This study was designed to compare the effects of storage conditions and the subsequent impact on sesame seed germination, mold growth, and mycotoxin accumulation over the storage period. The efficacy of two hermetic bags (1. Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags and 2. Super GrainPro (SGP) bags) was directly compared to sesame storage in polypropylene (PP bags) and Jute bags. Storage conditions (oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature, moisture content and relative humidity) of samples were analyzed in the laboratory in three replicates. Results showed that the oxygen concentrations dropped to 6.9% (±0.02) in PICS bags and 8.7% (±0.06) in SGP bags at the end of 6 months of storage. In non-hermetic bags Jute and PP), oxygen levels were close to atmospheric levels at 2-, 4-, and 6-month storage periods. In non-hermetic bags throughout storage, the amount of seed infection by mold constantly increased, and seed germination decreased. Sesame seeds stored in hermetic bags had 89.7% (±0.58) to 88.3% (±2.89) germination rates versus 61.67% (±2.08) for non-hermetic storage bags over the 6-month seed storage period. All mycotoxin levels increased over the same storage period, whereas comparative levels were much lower in hermetic bags after six months. Sesame seeds stored in both hermetic bags had the lowest level of tested mycotoxins, and levels among the SGP and PICS bags were not significantly different from one another. This study provides strong evidence indicating that hermetic storage structures such as PICS and SGP significantly affect temperature, humidity, moisture content, CO2 and oxygen levels resulting in the lowering of fungal growth and mycotoxin accumulation and effectively preserving stored sesame without relying on synthetic pesticides in Ethiopia.

Keywords: Ethiopia; fungal growth; germination; hermetic bags; moisture content; mycotoxin; sesame seed.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare that the above information about my private interests is correct to the best of my knowledge, and I am aware of my responsibilities to take reasonable steps to avoid any real or apparent conflict of interest in connection with my public service. Authors contributed to the article’s conception and design, as well as its analysis and interpretation of data; drafting the article or critically revising it for important intellectual content; and final approval; Darnell contributed to statistical analysis and manuscript review, including final approval. This manuscript has not been submitted to or is currently being reviewed by any other journal or publishing venue. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Temperature, moisture, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels of sesame are stored in different storage structures over storage months. The line represents the means of the variables for each treatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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