ASSESSMENT OF MYCOTOXIN AND HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION (CADMIUM, LEAD AND COPPER) IN SORGHUM GRAINS GROWN IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN BENIN

To assess the sanitary quality of cereals produced in Benin, the contamination of sorghum grains grown in the central and northern regions by mycotoxins and heavy metals (cadmium, lead, and copper) was evaluated. Prior to the analytical phase, a survey of local farmers was conducted to identify the most widely produced varieties. These included two local varieties, Locale N Dali and Locale Djougou, grown in the North (N Dali, Djougou), as well as two resilient varieties, Soumalemba and Tiandougou Coura, grown in the North-Central regions (Dassa-Glazoue and Savalou-Ouake). To quantify mycotoxins, in particular aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA), within a complex matrix such as sorghum, a hybrid approach was deployed. This method combined an immunoassay (ELISA or immunoaffinity column cleanup, both based on antibody-antigen recognition) with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu) were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis, with means compared using the Student-Newman-Keuls test at a 5% significance level.