Phenotyping of Rot Fungi Associated with Spoilage of Stored Melon Seeds

Despite the dietary and medicinal importance of melon seeds used as food supplements and local therapy for mild infections in humans, melon seeds are vigorously affected by fungal pathogens while in storage. Conventional methods have been used to determine the identity of the pathogens (mostly fungi) responsible for spoilage of melon seeds but not much have been done in local markets within Lagos, Nigeria. Therefore, the current research was aimed at stereotyping postharvest spoilage fungi associated with shelled and unshelled melon seeds stored in major grocery markets within the suburban communities of Lagos State, Nigeria, in other to ascertain the level of biological threats and possibility of impending food poisoning expected to emanate from it (Etaware, 2019). Nine (9) pathogenic fungi were isolated from the diseased melon seeds and five (5) of the fungal strains (Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Rhizopus oryzae and Cladosporium sp.) tested had severe spoilage effects on the inoculated disease-free melon seeds.