Browsing by Author "Ayantu Tadesse"

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    Physicochemical Characteristics and Occurrence of Aflatoxin in Groundnut Crude Oil in Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-03) Ayantu Tadesse; Abebe Ayelign
    Arachis hypogaea L., commonly referred to as groundnut or peanut, is a significant annual monoecious legume that is grown for food and profit in many regions of the world, including Ethiopia. Groundnuts are an important crop in terms of nutrition, primarily employed in the manufacture of oil. Nonetheless, research indicates that aflatoxin contamination occurs across the value chain in the majority of Ethiopian groundnut production. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the physicochemical properties of groundnut oil and determine the levels of aflatoxin in groundnut kernels, oil and cake. Five groundnut varieties were collected from Haramaya University (HU) and two groundnut varieties (Bure and Harer) were collected from Addis Ababa (AA) local market. Groundnut oil was extracted using a mechanical press, and its physicochemical properties were assessed using standard techniques. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total aflatoxin (TAF) concentrations were also assessed in the groundnut kernel, oil, and cake from the three groundnut samples (one from HU and two from AA market). The mean physicochemical characteristics of the groundnut oil ranges from; 81.92- 90.64 gI2/100g oil; 0.19- 0.27 mg/KOH/g oil, 189.29- 191.68 mg KOH/g oil ; 0.91- 0.92 kg/m3; 0.25-0.3%; 5 meq peroxide O2/kg oil; 1.46 and 0.97 for iodine value (IV), acid value (AV), saponification value (SV), density, moisture value, peroxide value, refractive index and specific gravity respectively. The mean value of the groundnut oil's physicochemical properties (IV, AV, SV, and density) varied significantly (P < 0.05) among the five verities. AFB1 was detected in all of the samples with levels ranging from 0.3 - 405 μg/kg, and seven out of nine (77.8%) of the samples contained levels above the Ethiopian maximum level (5 μg/kg). TAF was detected with levels ranging from 0.5 - 495 μg/kg, and 7/9 (77.8%) of the samples exceeded the maximum level of the Ethiopian standard (10 μg/kg) for TAFs. The largest concentration was found in the groundnut kernel in both AFB1 and TAF, whereas the lowest concentration was found in the oil. Overall, the groundnut oil from all the groundnut varieties is better for human consumption in terms of the physicochemical characteristics. The level of aflatoxin is decreased significantly through the extraction of groundnut oil. However, further study is required to make the oil free from aflatoxins.