Occurrence of Aspergillus and Penicillium Species, Accumulation of Fungal Secondary Metabolites, and qPCR Detection of Potential Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus Species in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Seeds from Different Farming Systems

The European chickpea market raises concerns about health risks for consumers due to contamination by mycotoxins. Contamination levels can vary depending on the farming system, and rapid and reliable screening tools are desirable. In this study, marketed chickpea seed samples from organic and non-organic farming systems were analyzed for fungal and mycotoxin contamination. Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most frequently identified mycotoxigenic genera. Significant differences in fungal detection were observed among the three isolation methods used, whose combined application is proposed to enhance detection efficiency. The number of Aspergillus and Penicillium colonies was significantly higher in the organic samples. Molecular analysis identified different species within each genus, including several not previously reported in chickpea, as well as potentially aflatoxigenic species such as A. flavus/oryzae and A. parasiticus. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed aflatoxin production only by A. parasiticus, which was present in low amounts. However, the presence of potentially aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species suggests that chickpeas should be monitored to detect their safety and subsequently protect consumer health. A qPCR protocol targeting the omt-1 gene, involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis, proved to be a promising rapid tool for detecting potentially aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species.