الفهرس 
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Abstract
Meat and meat products (processed meat) are considered a balanced diet. They are very good sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants etc. Meat and meat products provide excellent growth media for a variety of microflora (bacteria, yeasts and molds). The occurrence of fungi and mycotoxins in processed meat products has become of increasing interest because of the widespread use of these types of processed meat as fast food in the world today. So the current study investigated the aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxins associated processed meat products i.e. Basterma, Beef Burger, Luncheon meat and Sausage collected from different companies in Egypt that may be harmful to humans. Also, the objective of this work is to study the efficiency of natural plant extracts i.e. Euphorbia cotinifolia L., Euphorbia tirucalli L. and Rhus coriaria L. as antifungal substrates and study the safety and efficiency of such plant extracts as antioxidant agents in experimental animals.
Results in this study presented that:-
1- Mycological examination of four processed meat samples i.e. Basterma, Beef Burger, Luncheon meat and Sausage (12 companies for each ) on two different media ( Potato dextrose agar (PDA) and Saboraud dextrose agar (SDA)) resulted that Basterma samples had the highest mean total fungal count, which recorded 674 fungal colonies /10g (660 and 688 fungal colonies on PDA and SDA media respectively), followed by luncheon meat samples which recorded 302 fungal colonies /10g (272 and 332 , respectively). The mean total fungal count of sausage samples was 111 fungal colonies /10g (106 and 116, respectively). Beef burger samples had the least mean fungal count, which recorded 39 fungal colonies /10g (31 and 47, respectively).
2- All mycoflora isolated from tested processed meat samples results that, nine fungal genera were isolated and identified as Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Geotrichum, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Phoma and Trichoderma (9 genera including 11 species in case of PDA medium and 8 genera including 12 species in case of SDA medium).
3- Aflatoxins were detected in tested processed meat products i. e. Basterma, Beef Burger, Luncheon meat and Sausage. Data indicated that, higher aflatoxins contamination was found in basterma companies than other samples. Aflatoxins were produced by aflatoxigenic fungi isolated from seven basterma companies No. 1, 4, 5,7,8,9 and 10 followed by each of beef burger and sausage samples in which aflatoxins were produced by aflatoxigenic fungi isolated from six companies No.1, 5, 7, 8, 11 and 12 of beef burger samples and from six companies No. 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 12 of sausage samples, while aflatoxins were produced by aflatoxigenic fungi isolated from four companies of luncheon meat samples No. 2, 5, 8 and 11.
4- Determination of Aflatoxins resulted that, higher Aflatoxin quantity was 8.620 (ng/g) was produced by Aspergillus parasiticus (isolate No 12) isolated from basterma company No. 8, while Isolate No 13 of A. parasiticus from company No. 9 produced less aflatoxins quantity which recorded 0.730 ng/g. In beef burger samples, isolate No 5 of A. parasiticus isolated from beef burger company No .11 produced the highest aflatoxin quantity which recorded 1.060 ng/g , while A. flavus (isolate No 1) from company No. 1 produced the least aflatoxins quantity (0.060 ng/g) . In luncheon meat sample, A. parasiticus (isolate No 7) isolated from luncheon company No (11) produced the highest aflatoxin quantity which recorded 3.810 ng/g, while isolate No 2 of A. flavus from company No. 5 produced less aflatoxins quantity which recorded 0.080 ng/g . On the other hand, in sausage samples, isolate No 5 of Aspergillus parasiticus isolated from sausage company No. 9 produced the highest aflatoxin quantity which recorded 0.240 ng/g, while Isolate No 6 of A. parasiticus from company No. 12 produced less aflatoxins quantity (0.100 ng/g) .
5-Determination of total phenolic content for tested E. cotinifolia L., E. tirucalli L., and R.coriaria L. ethanolic extracts resulted that , Higher total phenolic content was recorded in R. coriaria L. extract (18.53 mg GAE/g ) (Gallic acid equiv.), followed by E.cotinifolia L. extract (2.00 mg GAE /g ), and E. tirucalli L. extract (1.99 mg GAE/g) while higher total flavonoid content was found in R.coriaria L. extract (2.49 mg CE/g) (Catechine equiv.), followed by E. cotinifolia L. extract 0.88 (mg CE/g), and E. tirucalli L. extract (0.70 mg CE/g). So that, Higher antioxidant activity was recorded with R. coriaria L. extract (13.00 mg TE/g (Trolox equiv.)), followed by E. cotinifolia L. extract which gave 2.36 mg TE/g, while E. tirucalli L. extract record 2.32 mg TE/gas.
6- HPLC analysis of the tested extracts show that, the higher quantity of gallic acid was recorded with R. coriaria L. extract 439.63 µg/g, followed by E. tirucalli L. 287.68 µg/g and E. cotinifolia L. was 160.44 µg/g. Protocatechuic acid was highly recorded in E. tirucalli L. extract (64.95 µg/g), followed by E. cotinifolia L. extract (18.56 µg/g), while R. coriaria L. extract gave 6.21 µg/g. Higher chlorogenic acid with R. coriaria L. extract was 47.91 µg/g, followed by E. cotinifolia L. (7.36 µg/g), while E. tirucalli L. was free. E. cotinifolia L. gave higher caffeic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, coumarin and cinnamic acid as 83.38, 8.51, 70.10, 3.36, 3.01 and 0.83 µg/g respectively followed by E. tirucalli L. extract (20.34, 2.90, 13.53, 1.30, 1.48 and 0.41 µg/g respectively), while R. coriaria L. extract was free. Vanillic acid was higher recorded in E. tirucalli L. extract (14.57 µg/g), followed by E. cotinifolia L. extract (6.41 µg/g), but it not found in R. coriaria L. extract. Higher rosmarinic acid was recorded with E. tirucalli L. extract (9.20 µg/g), followed by R. coriaria L. extract (1.38 µg/g), while not found in E. cotinifolia L. extract.
7- Testing of E. cotinifolia L., E. tirucalli L. and R. coriaria L. extracts on the mycelial dry weight of the tested aflatoxigenic fungi i. e. A. flavus and A. parasiticus presented that, all plant extracts were found to reduce significantly (P < 0.05) the mycelial dry weight with the three concentrations used comparing with untreated control. Also, data revealed that, by increasing the concentration of the plant extract, the reduction percentage of the mycelial dry weight increases, this means that the inhibitory effect of the plant extract increases.
8- Testing of Euphorbia cotinifolia L., Euphorbia tirucalli L. and Rhus coriaria L. on spore viability (germination) of A. flavus and A. parasiticus presented that, plant extracts were found to reduce significantly (P < 0.05) spore germination (viability) as well as increase significantly (P < 0.05) reduction percent of the tested aflatoxigenic fungi compared with untreated control. Also, data revealed that, by increasing the concentration of the plant extract, the reduction percent of spore germination increases, this means that the inhibitory effect of the plant extract increases.
9- Testing of all plant extracts (E. cotinifolia L., E. tirucalli L. and R. coriaria) at three different concentration (1, 3 and 5 % ) on aflatoxins production resulted that, completely reduction of aflatoxins (AFB1 & AFB2) production (not detected) was recorded when treated A. flavus by E. tirucalli L. and R. coriaria L. extracts with all concentrations used. E. cotinifolia L. extract was found to decrease AFB1 production with 90.07, 98.72 and 100% reduction at 1, 3 and 5 % conc. respectively, while AFB2 production was reduced with 100% reduction at all concentrations used. E. cotinifolia L. extract was found to reduce total AFs and gave 90.66 and 98.79% reduction at 1 & 3% conc. respectively. Completely inhibition of total AFs production was recorded with E. cotinifolia L. at 5% conc.
10- Effect of aflatoxins (AFs) and some plant extracts i.e. Euphorbia cotinifolia L., E.tirucalli L. and Rhus coriaria L. (100 ml /kg BW) on body weight (g) of rat groups resulted that, animals received AFs contaminated diet (0.7 mg/kg diet) was the lowest body weight with 13.33 % decreasing in body weight, while, animals which fed on AFs contaminated diet and orally received E. cotinifolia L. , E. tirucalli L. or R. coriaria L. extract groups were found to be enhanced significantly (P < 0.05) all body weights and appear comparable to the control.
11- Effect of aflatoxins (AFs) and some plant extracts i.e. Euphorbia cotinifolia L., E.tirucalli L. or Rhus coriaria L. (100 ml /kg BW) on biochemical parameters showed that, animals group received AFs contaminated diet (0.7 mg/kg diet) group showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase the biochemical parameters levels compared with untreated control, while biochemical changes in serum caused by aflatoxins were enhanced by using each of the tested plant extracts.
12- Histopathological examination of liver and kidney showing that, liver and kidney of animals received AFs contaminated diet (0.7 mg/kg diet) group had negatively changed and appeared as destructed hepatic and renal architecture compared with control group. Liver and kidney tissues for all animals received Euphorbia cotinifolia L. or E. tirucalli L. or R. coriaria L. extract (100 ml /kg BW) groups appeared comparable to control group and showing the normal hepatic and renal architecture. On the other hand, liver and kidney tissues of animals which fed on AFs contaminated diet and orally received E. cotinifolia L. or E.tirucalli L. or R. coriaria L. extract were found to be enhanced.