Reduction of Aflatoxin contamination in coconut oil using concentrated solar radiation

Abstract

Global demand for edible coconut oil has a rapid growth due to its health benefits. However, the susceptibility to carcinogenic mold contamination, aflatoxin, poses a significant global health concern. Concentrated solar radiation was used in this study as a new initiative to investigate the more efficient elimination of aflatoxin in coconut oil. Samples were collected from the Colombo district, Sri Lanka, as branded (n = 3) and unbranded (n = 5). The initial aflatoxin content was determined using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC-FLD) system with AflaStarTM FIT immunoaffinity columns. They were exposed to concentrated solar radiation for 10 (T-1), 20 (T-2), and 30 (T-3) minutes respectively, using a parabolic proto-type solar concentrator. The remaining aflatoxin content was re-determined after each treatment. Following each treatment (T-1, T-2 and T-3), the maximum allowed total Aflatoxin and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) content of all coconut oil samples were lower than the set European Union (EU) limits (4.2 µg/kg) with a mean total Aflatoxin reduction of 94.00 ± 6.48 %, 98.67 ± 2.80 %, 100.00 ± 0.00 % respectively. T-1 and T-2 treatments at mean concentrated solar radiation levels (W/m2) of 971 ± 29 and 945 ± 65.4 were recognized as the most efficient at removing total and AFB1 aflatoxin tainted in coconut oil at higher levels.