Mycoflora and nutritional value of shelled melon seeds (Citrulus vulgaris Schrad.) in Nigeria.

Thirteen fungi were isolated from mouldy shelled melon seeds. The fungi more frequently isolated included species of Mucor (11.25%), Rhizopus (13.75%), Aspergillus (36.25%), Macrophoma (2.50%), Penicillium (8.75%), Alternaria (5.00%), Fusarium (8.75%), Botrytis (6.25%), Torula (3.75%) and Geotrichum (3.75%). Healthy, shelled melon seeds inoculated with Fusarium solani for 7 or 14 days caused increases in the free fatty acid (f.f.a.) content of the healthy seeds from an initial value of 1.06% to 2.19% after 7 days and 4.23% after 14 days. Similar results were obtained when other fungal isolates were used as inocula but Fusarium solani effected the greatest increase in the f.f.a. content followed by Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum. The fungi also caused decreases in the crude protein from 35.51% to 25.16%, crude fibre from 4.30% to 1.35% and total carbohydrate content from 4.28% to 3.01% of the seeds after 14 days infection. Aflatoxin was detected (0.20 micron/g) in the infected seeds being sold in the markets and also from seeds inoculated with spores (0.40 micron/g) of A/ flavus and 0.50 micron/g) from a mixture of spores of various Aspergillus strains after incubation for 14 days.