Deoxynivalenol and fumonisin exposure in children and adults in a family study in rural Tanzania

Abstract

The relationship between child and parent exposure and excretion of deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1), were compared in rural Tanzania. Morning urine samples from matched child-mother-father in 50 families of the Iringa district were collected and analysed for urinary DON and FB1 using LC-MS methods. Maize intake was obtained using a seven-day food frequency questionnaire and a duplicate diet method. The urinary DON geometric means were 15.4, 45.0 and 42.0 ng/ml in children, mothers and fathers, respectively, and the urinary FB1 were 0.62, 1.25 and 1.38 ng/ml, respectively. Children had significantly lower levels of urinary DON and FB1 than their parents (P<0.001 and P=0.009, respectively) but the difference became non-significant when corrected for creatinine concentration. Both DON and FB1 were detected in urine samples from all adults and >96% of the children, respectively and were positively correlated between the child and the mother (P=0.007 and 0.02, respectively). DON or FB1 biomarkers were not correlated with maize intake. Children who were fully weaned had 3-fold higher urinary DON than those on partial breastfeeding (P=0.002). In adults, maize brew (a local produced beer) showed a strong positive correlation with both urinary DON and FB1 levels (P<0.001). The ratio of daily urinary excretion of DON between children and adult, based on assumed urine volume, was 1:2.26, but the excretion of FB1 was similar between children and adults. The study showed that DON and FB1 exposure are prevalent in rural Tanzania. Further study is required to determine the mechanism for the lower excretion of DON in children compared to adults. There is a good correlation between child and mother’s exposure levels to DON and FB1. Increased exposure risk through maize brew in adults is highlighted in this study.