Isolation and Identification of Fungi in Raw Wet Sago Starch from Sarawak

Muhammad Khairil Syamri, Bakeri (2025) Isolation and Identification of Fungi in Raw Wet Sago Starch from Sarawak. Masters thesis, UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK.

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Abstract

Sago starch is a type of carbohydrate source which, extracted from the pith of Metroxylon sagu (true sago palm) and is a traditional staple food for some Sarawak communities. Fungi are widely distributed in the agricultural settings, and certain strains are known for causing infections that can affect the producers’ crops and the consumers’ health. Due to limited research conducted, the current food safety status of raw wet sago starch, remains undetermined and may pose significant risks. The aim of this research was to isolate and identify fungal species present in sago starch. The screening of fungi was conducted by using the serial dilution technique to isolate the fungi present in fifty (n=50) samples of sago starch. Identification of fungi was done by molecular analysis through species-specific PCR which targeted the ITS region. The results of all sago starch samples exceeded limit established by the Malaysian Standard for edible sago starch and complied for the International Commission for Microbiological Specification of Foods, with the highest count was 2.1 × 104 CFU/g, the lowest count was 1.3 × 102 CFU/g, and the mean count was 8.6 × 103 CFU/g. There were 45 isolated fungi derived from 10 genus, namely Aspergillus spp., Candida sp., Ceratocystic sp., Paecilomyces spp., Penicillium spp., Peniophora sp., Perenniporia sp., Phaeacremonium sp., Pleurostoma spp., and Trichoderma spp. that were detected from the samples. Based on the molecular identification, a total of eighteen (n=18) fungal species were identified, including Ceratocystic paradoxa, Trichoderma pleuroti, Trichoderma harzianum, Penicillium rolfsii, Penicillium brasilianum, Penicillium sumatraense, Penicillium verruculosum, Penicillium citrinum, Phaeoacremonium sp., Pleurostoma richardsiae, Aspergillus sydowii, Aspergillus caesiellus, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium citrinum, Paecilomyces variotii, Paecilomyces niveus, Peniophora malaiensis, Candida blattae,and Perenniporia tephropora. In conclusion, all fifty raw wet sago starch samples collected and purchased from wet market from different districts and regions in Sarawak such as Mukah, Dalat, Matu, Pusa, Betong, Bintulu, Marudi, Miri, Sibu and Selangau were contaminated with fungi as it did exceed the permissible limits for human consumption. The outcomes from this study provided a baseline on level of fungi contamination in sago starch for future risk and mitigation assessment planning and established detailed knowledge of the food safety status in sago starch production from Sarawak, which will form a foundation for future studies.

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