European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Ground nut ( Arachis hypogea L.) is one of the most important and widely cultivated oil seed crop. The seeds of ground nut have been found to carry a number of fungi. The most common cause of spoiled ground nut seeds in storage is to due the growth of fungi. Storage fungi infect the seeds as the seeds is transferred into storage and can spread rapidly throughout the bulk under favorable conditions. These fungi grow on the ground nut seeds; they become visible and can kill the seed, and produce undesirable odour, taste and some time the seeds are not suitable for human consumption due to the production of mycotoxic substance by the seed fungi accompanied by change in the chemical nature of the seed. Seed deterioration due to various mycoflora is common feature leading to loss of viability and numerous fungi develop on stored seed (Lalithakumari et al. 1970) Singh (1988) reported that fungi have been a major cause of spoilage and many of them have been found to bring about biochemical deterioration. The germination of seed is also appreciably affected by certain fungi. ( Mishra and Kanaujia (1973) Groundnut seeds infested with Aspergillus flavus showed great loss in protein resulting it into increase in free amino acids. Reduction in protein content of oil seeds was found to be highest due to Fusarium oxysporum followed by Fusarium moniliforme. (Bilgrami et. al. (1976). Present investigation was undertaking to find out the mycoflora associated with seeds of groundnut.