The effects of various storing temperatures in suppressing Aspergillus flavus and mycotoxin contaminations in hermetically packed dried nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt) seed

Abstract

Hendra Adi Prasetia a,* , Lenny Panjaitan a , Bambang Hesti Susilo a , Slamet Budiawan a , Budhi Suherman a , Nurul Dwi Handayani a , Mutia Riefka Fauziaty a , Salbiah a , Okky Setyawati Dharmaputra b , Dian Herawati c , Santi Ambarwati b , Antarjo Dikin d

a Applied Research Institute of Agricultural Quarantine, Indonesia Agricultural Quarantine Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Jl. Raya Kampung Utan – Setu, Ds. Mekarwangi, Kec. Cikarang Barat Kab, Bekasi, 17520, Jawa Barat, Indonesia b SEAMEO BIOTROP, Jl. Raya Tajur Km 6, Bogor, 16134, Jawa Barat, Indonesia c SEAFAST Center IPB University, Jl. Ulin No. 1 Kampus IPB Dramaga, Kab, Bogor, 16680, Jawa Barat, Indonesia d Center of Plant Quarantine and Biosafety, Indonesia Agricultural Quarantine Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Jl. Harsono RM No. 3, Ragunan, Jakarta Selatan, 12560, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia

Nutmeg seeds from Indonesia are an important agricultural commodity with various culinary and medicinal uses. However, they often face issues with fungal and aflatoxin contaminations, leading to increased border rejections. To address those issues, a study was conducted to minimize the risk of contamination by adjusting storage temperatures for whole nutmeg seeds without shells. The research involved storing nutmeg seeds at different temperatures (16, 22, and 28 ◦C) over three periods (0, 30, and 60 days) using hermetically sealed packaging to control Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin contamination. The findings revealed that storing the seeds at 16 ◦C resulted in optimal moisture content (5–6%) and minimal weight loss (below 4%), preventing significant physical attribute degradation. This approach also effectively controlled mold growth (the least colony diameter = 14–20 mm), and subsequently kept aflatoxin B1 (0.8–4.3 μg/kg), total aflatoxin (1.5–4.5 μg/kg), and ochratoxin A (0.6–1.1 μg/kg) contaminations below the allowable limit for up to 60 days. These findings are significant as they provide a viable solution for long-distance distribution, thereby reducing the risk of border rejections and increasing market value in the nutmeg industry.

Keywords: Nutmeg Lower temperature Relative humidity Stored period Less loss