Mycological Strains Associated to the Spoilage of Three Fish Species Smoked With Various Kilns in Douala, Cameroon

Purpose: This study was conducted to provide occurrence on the various mycological strains associated with the spoilage of fish smoked with various kilns in the city of Douala. Material and Methods: Three commonly most consumed fish species (Ethmalosa fimbriata, Sphyraena afra and Gadus morhus) were randomly collected from the Douala sea port market for this purpose. Ten samples of each species were smoked with a Half-barrel, Banda, Altona and an Improved Altona (FN23) kilns respectively and stored for 42 days at room temperature. Fungi isolation and purification were performed on the Chloramphenicol Sabouraud Agar. Identification of isolated strains was done using standard macroscopic and microscopic morphological characters. Data collected were analysed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p < 0.05. Findings: Results showed that the maximum number of moulds in the fish smoked with Half-barrel, Banda and Altona was 61.0±4.5, 56.6±5.2 and 45.6±1.4 respectively in G. morhua, S. afra and E. fimbriata on day 28. The most prevalent isolates were Aspergillus (40%), Penicillium (30%), Fusarium (10%), Absidia (10%) and Cladosporium (10%). For fish smoked with FN23, the maximum was reached on day 35 with 29.6±3.4 moulds in S. afra. With the lowest water activity ranging from 0.52±0.4 in S. afra to 0.57±0.6 in G. morhua, fish smoked with FN23 showed better resistance to fungal contamination with just 3 genera: Aspergillus ; Penicillium and Fusarium (with 2, 1 and 1 isolates respectively). Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Results from this study revealed the significant impact of the type of kiln in the preservation of smoked fish. Proper awareness and regular monitoring of moulds in smoked fish have to be implemented in Douala.