High-throughput analysis of fungal communities in Myristicae Semen

Myristicae Semen (nutmeg) has been extensively used for a long time because of its pharmaceutical properties and edible values. However, nutmeg is susceptible to fungi and mycotoxin contamination under suitable conditions during growing or post-harvest, thereby posing considerable hazards to consumers and resulting in significant economic losses. In this study, the surface fungi of nutmegs collected from producing areas and commercial markets were investigated for the first time by targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 region using an Illumina MiSeq PE250 platform. Fungal contaminations were detected in all 13 tested samples. Aspergillus was the most prevailing fungi at the genus level with the relative abundance of 4.37%-82.81%, followed by Xerochrysium (0.36%-55.18%), Xeromyces (0.87%-86.38%), Hyphopichia (0.06%-29.14%), and Alternaria (0.03%-52.28%). Meanwhile, 108 fungal taxa were identified at the species level with six potential mycotoxin-producing fungi, such as Aspergillus fumigants, Penicillium steckii, and Penicillium capsulatum. The differences between two groups of fungal communities were monitored. In conclusion, amplicon sequencing features a wide application prospect for fungal community analysis in spices and herbs and provides an early warning for subsequent potential mycotoxin biosynthesis.