Effect of UV-C followed by storage on the fungal growth and aflatoxins content and storability characteristics of sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds

Amro B Hassan

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12779

Effect of UV-C followed by storage on the fungal growth and aflatoxins content and storability characteristics of sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds

Heliyon. 2023 Jan 2;9(1):e12779. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12779. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Author

Amro B Hassan^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Environment and Natural Resource and Desertification Research Institute (ENDRI), PO Box 6096, National Center for Research, Khartoum, Sudan.
² Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: UV-C has been suggested as an alternative technology in controlling food spoilage by primary and secondary pests. Its effects on the storability characteristics of sesame seeds during storage were evaluated.

Methods: The UV-C (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 kJ m^-2) was applied to explore its Effect on the fungal growth, aflatoxin content, water activity (a_w), colour and free fatty acid content (FFA) of sesame seeds.

Results: Applying the UV-C caused a significant reduction in the fungal growth, a_w, and the lightness (L* value) of sesame seeds in fresh and stored samples. However, significant increases (p < 0.05) in a* and b* values and the FFA of the sesame seeds were observed. Interestingly, the aflatoxins were not detected in the UVC-treated seeds even after storage for 12 months. The Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) analysis indicated that the application of 5.0 kJ m^-2 followed by six months of storage reveals the greatest valid dose for UV-C treatments of sesame seeds.

Conclusion: UV-C treatment potentially shows effective quarantine security as an alternative method to chemical disinfection procedures to prolong the shelf life and improve the storability characteristics of sesame seeds.

Keywords: PLS; Quality; Sesame; Shelf life; Storability; UV-C; Validation.