Effects of sodium chloride and relative humidity on growth and sporulation of moulds isolated from cured fish.

A total of 14 moulds were isolated from 84 samples of cured fish obtained from several processing centres and retail shops in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States, Nigeria. Aspergillus niger, A. flavus and A. chevalieri were the most prevalent. With the exception of Basipetospora sp., slight inhibition of mycelial growth and/or sporulation was recorded when isolates were cultured in basal medium containing 5% sodium chloride. The extent of inhibition increased with increasing salt concentrations, and at 25% level all the species had their growth completely inhibited. When fish substrates inoculated with test fungi were kept inside 65% relative humidity (RH) chambers for 21 days, no detectable utilization of the substrates was recorded for any of the fungal species. Whereas only A. chevalieri and A. restrictus utilized the substrates when placed inside 70% RH chambers, all the test moulds recorded detectable utilization (though at varying extents) of same at 80% and 90% RH levels. The latter RH was the most conductive and under it A. niger, Penicillium sp. and the two isolated Scopulariopsis sp. brought about the greatest loss in weight of the substrates.