The situation of Aspergillus and Penicillium contamination in traditional medicinal herbs sold at several establishments in urban Hai Phong in 2024.

Abstract

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 390 samples of traditional medicinal herbs from three business establishments in urban Hai Phong with the objective of describing the prevalence of Aspergillus and Penicillium contamination in traditional medicinal herbs sold at urban Hai Phong establishments in 2024. The study findings revealed the overall fungal contamination rate in Sabouraud and DG18 environments at 63.8% and 79.7%, respectively. The contamination rates of Aspergillus and Penicillium in traditional medicinal herbs in the Sabouraud environment were 34.5% and 8.5%, and in the DG18 environment were 65.4% and 12.8%, respectively. The Aspergillus genus was the most dominant, with a prevalence ranging from 79.1% to 82.0%, followed by the Penicillium genus with rates ranging from 6.8% to 12.7%. The co-contamination rates of both Aspergillus and Penicillium ranged from 8.2% to 11.2%. Traditional Southern herbs exhibited higher fungal contamination rates compared to Northern herbs. Flowers and fruits were the most susceptible parts to Aspergillus contamination (89.7%), while roots and tubers had higher Penicillium contamination rates (28.6%). The findings underscore the need for improved processing and storage techniques to ensure the safety and quality of traditional medicinal herbs.