Aflatoxin B1 Contamination Research Articles

Aflatoxin B1 contamination of feedstuff on a dairy farm in Northern Peru and aflatoxin M1 concentrations in raw milk

Research regarding aflatoxin contamination levels in Peru is limited, although aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) require surveillance because of their toxicity. European regulations state that the harmonised maximum level (ML) is 5 μg/kg for AFB1 in feedstuffs and 0.05 μg/kg for AFM1 in milk. Our study aimed to determine the annual variation levels of AFB1 in ingredients used in feedstuffs for dairy cows and those of AFM1 in milk at a typical intensive dairy farm in Northern Peru. For 1 year, milk (n=529) and feedstuff samples (n=235) were collected and aflatoxin levels were determined using a lateral flow immunoassay. We found that 16% of milk samples had AFM1 contamination above the ML. AFM1 level was significantly higher (P<0.05) in December (end of spring) than that in all other months. Throughout the year, the most used feedstuffs were maize, soybean meal and whole soybean. Among the maize samples (n=77), 2.59% had an AFB1 level above the ML, whereas 45% had an AFB1 level below the ML. On the other hand, neither the soybean meal (n=69) nor whole soybean samples (n=64) had an AFB1 level above the ML, 46.4 and 20%, respectively. In 50% (n=10) of cottonseed meal samples, AFB1 level was above the ML; in 20% of wheat middling samples, it was above the ML. Cottonseed and wheat middling samples were used for 2 and 5 months, respectively. AFB1 level in feedstuff showed a significant difference in December (P<0.05) compared with other months, specifically for maize and soybean meal. As the AFM1 level in milk results from AFB1 contaminated feedstuff, our results emphasise the need to implement specific quality measures to reduce contamination.

Assessing the Levisticum officinale Koch. essential oil as a novel preservative for stored chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) with emphasis on probable mechanism of action.

The present study was undertaken to explore the inhibitory effect of Levisticum officinale Koch. essential oil (LoffEO) on the growth and aflatoxin B1 secretion by Aspergillus flavus (AF-LHP-SH1, aflatoxigenic strain) causing deterioration of stored chia seeds (Salvia hispanica). The chemical profile analysis of LoffEO by GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of α-terpinyl acetate (26.03 %) as a major component followed by terpineol <1- > (24.03 %) and citronellal (24.03 %). Results on antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activity indicated that LoffEO at 2.0 and 1.75 μL/mL caused complete inhibition of growth and aflatoxin B1 production, respectively. Antifungal toxicity of LoffEO was strongly correlated with the inhibition of ergosterol content, leakage of cellular ions, and disintegration of membrane permeability. Reduction in cellular methylglyoxal by LoffEO indicated a novel antiaflatoxigenic mechanism of action. The LoffEO showed moderate free radical quenching activity in DPPH assay (IC50 = 26.10 μL/mL) and exhibited remarkable inhibitory efficacy against lipid peroxidation of chia seeds. In addition, LoffEO presented strong in situ antiaflatoxigenic efficacy, and exhibited non-phytotoxic nature, acceptable sensory characteristics, and favorable safety profile (LD50 = 19786.59 μL/kg), which recommends its practical utilization as a novel and safe preservative to improve the shelf life of stored chia seeds from fungal infestation and aflatoxin B1 contamination.

Contamination With Fumonisin B and Deoxynivalenol Is a Threat to Egg Safety and Contributes to Gizzard Ulcerations of Newborn Chickens.

Fumonisin B (FB) and other fumonisins, deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN) are mycotoxins (secondary metabolites of fungi) present at high levels of contamination in poultry diets and threatening the sustainability of the poultry industry and egg safety for consumers. However, residual mycotoxins in breeder eggs and their effects on chicken progeny and gizzard ulcerations remain unclear. To unveil mycotoxin contaminations from daily diets to breeder eggs, 293 poultry feed samples were collected from three large-scale poultry provinces across Northern China to Southern China. Average levels of 1,628 ± 4.36 μg/kg of FB1, 593 ± 11.16 μg/kg of DON, 69 ± 9.21 μg/kg of ZEN, 52 ± 7.33 μg/kg of OTA, and 24 ± 5.85 μg/kg of AFB1 were found in feedstuffs and poultry diets using commercial ELISA kits. In terms of residual mycotoxins in breeder eggs, FB1 and DON contaminations dominated residues in egg albumen and yolk samples. Out of 221 breeder eggs, the average residual of FB1 in albumen were 320.6 ± 10.12 μg/kg (Hebei), 420.2 ± 10.98 μg/kg (Guangdong), and 549.4 ± 10.27 (Guangxi). Moreover, higher residual of DONs were determined in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces compared to Hebei province. ZEN, ochratoxins A (OTA), and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination at low levels were found in the above samples collected from afronmentioned three provinces. Based on residual mycotoxins in breeder eggs, SPF embryonated eggs aged 11 days were inoculated into albumen with different doses of FB1, FB2 or DON, or a combination of FB1 and DON, or a combination of FB1 with FB2 and FB3. A lower hatching rate was observed in the chicken progenies with the combination of 24 μg of FB1 and 0.1 μg of DON compared to other treatments. Moreover, typical gizzard ulcerations with hemorrhagic lungs were observed in the progeny of breeder eggs post-inoculation of 24 μg of FB1 and synergetic inoculation of FB1 and DON. Finally, residual FB mycotoxins were detected in the gizzards and in the lungs of the progenies. Based on the above evidence, feed-borne FB1 and DON are dominant mycotoxins in breeder eggs and threatening food security using breeder eggs as a Trojan horse. More importantly, the residual of FB1 alone and in combination with of DON contamination are associated with low hatching rate and gizzard ulcerations in chicken progenies, hampering sustainable development perspectives of the poultry industry.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in feeds in China during 2018\u20132020

BackgroundThe current study was conducted to investigate the individual and combined occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) in feeds from various Provinces of China during 2018 to 2020. A total of 3,507 feed samples, including 2,090 feed ingredients and 1,417 complete feed samples, were collected from different areas of China for mycotoxins analysis.ResultsThe individual contamination of AFB1, DON and ZEN were present in more than 81.9%, 96.4% and 96.9% of feed samples, respectively, with average concentration ranges of AFB1 between 1.2–27.4 μg/kg, DON between 458.0–1,925.4 μg/kg and ZEN between 48.1–326.8 μg/kg. Notably, 0.9%, 0.5% and 0.1% of feed ingredients, and 1.2–12.8%, 0.9–2.9% and 0–8.9% of complete feeds for pigs, poultry and ruminants with AFB1, ZEN and DON that exceeded China’s safety standards, respectively. Moreover, more than 81.5% of feed ingredients and 95.7% of complete feeds were co-contaminated with various combinations of these mycotoxins.ConclusionThis study indicates that the feeds in China were universally contaminated with AFB1, DON and ZEN during the past 3 years. These findings highlight the significance of monitoring mycotoxin contaminant levels in the domestic animal feed, and the importance of carrying out feed administration and remediation strategies for mycotoxin control.

Modification of the effects of aflatoxin B1 on the glutathione system and its regulatory genes by zeolite.

The purpose of the present study was to use oxidative stress markers for investigating the effect of zeolite (315 mg/kg of complete feed) in the case of aflatoxin B1 contamination (92 μg/kg complete feed). In a 21-day feeding trial with broiler chickens, oxidative stress parameters such as conjugated dienes, conjugated trienes, malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase activity were not changed significantly by supplementation with this mycotoxin absorbent. The relative gene expression of transcription factors KEAP1 and NRF2 was not modified by the absorbent either. Still, the expression of GSS, GSR and GPX4 genes increased significantly due to the aluminosilicate supplementation. The results suggest that zeolite reduced lipid peroxidation in the blood plasma but not in the red blood cell haemolysate or the kidney. The relative expression of the genes encoding the glutathione redox system also changed as a result of zeolite supplementation, but these changes were not found at the protein level.

Nanoencapsulated Petroselinum crispum essential oil: Characterization and practical efficacy against fungal and aflatoxin contamination of stored chia seeds

The present study explores the practical efficacy of chitosan (CS) nanoemulsion loaded with Petroselinum crispum essential oil (CS-PEO). Since, nanoencapsulation of EO is an emerging field in food science, the PEO was encapsulated into CS nanoemulsion and investigated their efficacy against fungal, aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) contamination and lipid peroxidation of stored Salvia hispanica (chia seeds). The GC/MS analysis of PEO confirmed the presence of carvacrol (48.45%) as the major component. The successful encapsulation of PEO was confirmed through FTIR, XRD, and SEM analysis. During in vitro investigation, CS-PEO completely inhibited the growth of Aspergillus flavus (AF-LHP-SH1) as well as eleven other storage fungi at 1.0 μL/mL and AfB1 production at 0.75 μL/mL. The reduction of cellular ergosterol followed by subsequent release of cellular constituents confirmed plasma membrane as possible target for antifungal mode of action of CS-PEO. The inhibition of methylglyoxal shed light on novel antiaflatoxigenic mode of action. Further, CS-PEO showed remarkable antioxidant activity with IC50 value equivalent to 14.24 μL/mL as measured through DPPH assay. During in situ investigation, CS-PEO completely inhibited the production of AfB1 and lipid peroxidation in treated chia seeds for one year of storage, and exhibited satisfactory safety profile (LD50 = 26, 830 μL/kg body weight) in mammalian model (mice). Based on overall results, it can be concluded that CS-PEO could be recommended for industrial scale application in the management of fungal and aflatoxin mediated loss of stored chia seeds.

Identification of aflatoxin B1 in peanut using near-infrared spectroscopy combined with naive Bayes classifier

Peanuts are easily contaminated by a variety of mycotoxins during growth, transportation, and storage, of which aflatoxin B1 is the most common. Aflatoxin B1 is one of the most toxic carcinogens known, and it can cause liver damage to varying degrees after ingestion. To explore the feasibility of detecting aflatoxin B1 contamination in peanuts by near-infrared spectroscopy, 115 peanut samples with aflatoxin B1 content in the range of 2.44 to 223.76 μg/kg were prepared. The near-infrared spectroscopy data of the peanut sample in the 940–1660 nm band was obtained, and the naive Bayes qualitative discrimination model based on the whole band was established. To improve accuracy and reduce dimensions, simplified models were built using characteristic wavelengths screened by Successive Projection Algorithm and Elimination of Uninformative Variables. The built model is verified internally and externally by omitting cross-validation. In comparison, the second derivative Savitzky–Golay Elimination of Uninformative Variables normal kernel density estimation naive Bayes model reached the optimum discriminant accuracy, with the comprehensive overall accuracy of validation set and prediction set were over 91.00%, areas under receiver operating characteristic curves was over 0.90. The results showed that the accuracy of the quantitative determination of aflatoxin B1 in peanuts by near-infrared spectroscopy was high, with a boundary of 20 μg/kg. This method is suitable for the qualitative determination of peanut aflatoxin B1.

Climatic conditions and farm practices affected the prevalence of Aspergillus section Flavi on different types of dairy goat's feed

The present work aimed to determine the prevalence of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi on different types of dairy goat's feed samples obtained from four dairy goat's farms around the central region of Peninsular Malaysia, and to examine the effects of climatic conditions (temperature, relative humidity) of the dairy goat's farms, and their feeding and storage practices on the fungal prevalence of different types of dairy goat's feed. A total of 60 goat's feed samples were obtained, and their proximate composition and water activity were determined, following which they were cultivated on DRBC and AFPA for total fungal load and Aspergillus section Flavi load determination, respectively. Fungal isolates were identified morphologically, and toxigenicity potentials of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates were determined using CCA. The temperature and relative humidity data of all farms were obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Department. The total fungal loads (on DRBC) of the goat's feed samples were log 0.767 to 7.071 CFU/g which included the common feed contaminants such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. The Aspergillus section Flavi loads (on AFPA) were log 0.667 to 3.206 CFU/g. Farm A yielded the highest number of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates as well as the highest number of aflatoxigenic isolates. It was found that climatic conditions and different practices between farms positively influenced the fungal prevalence on goat's feed samples based on the Pearson correlation analysis. The prevalence of mycotoxigenic isolates on goat's feed warrants for urgent intervention to ensure that goats are being fed with nutritionally adequate and safe feed. The presence of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi isolates indicates the risk of aflatoxin B1 contamination on the goat's feed, aflatoxicosis development in the goats, and aflatoxin M1 bio-transformation in the goat's milk. This is a potential threat to the flourishing goat's milk industry in Malaysia.

Anethum graveolens Essential Oil Encapsulation in Chitosan Nanomatrix: Investigations on In Vitro Release Behavior, Organoleptic Attributes, and Efficacy as Potential Delivery Vehicles Against Biodeterioration of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The study deals with first time report on encapsulation of chemically characterized Anethum graveolens essential oil within chitosan nanomatrix (Nm-AGEO) using ionic gelation technique to enhance the antimicrobial, antiaflatoxigenic, antioxidant, and in situ efficacy against stored rice biodeterioration. GC-MS analysis of AGEO revealed dill apiol (33.79%), carvone (27.19%), and limonene (13.76%) as major components. Nm-AGEO characterization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed successful encapsulation of AGEO within chitosan as an encapsulant. Biphasic and sustained release pattern reflected controlled volatilization of bioactives, helpful in shelf-life extension of stored food commodities. Nm-AGEO caused significant impairment in fungal ergosterol biosynthesis and enhanced leakage of vital ions indicating destabilization in plasma membrane integrity. Inhibition of methylglyoxal (aflatoxin inducer) biosynthesis by Nm-AGEO confirmed novel antiaflatoxigenic mechanism of action, suggesting its future exploitation for development of aflatoxin-resistant rice varieties through green transgenics. Nm-AGEO induced impairment in antioxidant defense enzymes (SOD, CAT) and non-enzymatic defense biomolecules GSH and GSSG revealing biochemical mechanism of action. In silico modeling of carvone and limonene with Omt-A and Ver-1 genes suggested molecular mechanism of aflatoxin inhibition. Treatment of rice samples with Nm-AGEO caused significant protection from aflatoxin B1 contamination and lipid peroxidation without altering organoleptic properties. Moreover, favorable safety profile for mammalian system and non-phytotoxic nature of chitosan-fabricated AGEO nanoemulsion-based delivery system recommend attention of food industries for its formulation as potential green preservative.

Topography effect on Aspergillus flavus occurrence and aflatoxin B1 contamination associated with peanut.

Aflatoxin B1 is a strong carcinogenic and toxic fungal toxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and other Aspergillus species, and can seriously threaten the health of consumers and the safety and quality of agricultural products. Aspergillus in agricultural products are closely related to topography and symbiotic microbes. It is not fully clear that how topography affects the assembly process of A. flavus and symbiotic fungi on plant. In this study, we analyzed the structure and assembly process of fungi on the peanut. We also performed the metatranscriptome analysis, identified the functional genes and metabolic pathways enriched in both A. flavus and its symbiotic fungi. In our experiment, terrain and soil properties could significantly affect the gene expression of microbiome, A. flavus abundance and infection ability to peanuts. Meanwhile, the Permanova correlation analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were strongly correlated with the soil physicochemical factors. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis identified the main metabolites associated with A. flavus and aflatoxin B1, the results proved that the terrain significantly affected the microorganisms associated with peanut pods to produce a variety of metabolites. In conclusion, our results indicate that topography can significantly influence the assembly process of A. flavus and microorganisms, the activation of functional genes and metabolic pathways, the enrichment of aflatoxin-producing fungi.

Fabrication, Characterization, and Antifungal Assessment of Jasmine Essential Oil-Loaded Chitosan Nanomatrix Against Aspergillus flavus in Food System

The present study investigated the antifungal and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) inhibitory efficacy of Jasmine essential oil-loaded in the chitosan nanoparticle (JEO-NP) with probable antifungal and anti-aflatoxin B1 mode of action against Aspergillus flavus. The prepared JEO-NP was characterized through FTIR and XRD. The maximum percent encapsulation efficiency (75.51% w/w) and loading capacity (5.65% w/w) were found at the 1:1 ratio of chitosan: JEO. The results of thermogravimetric analysis exhibited an increase in thermal stability of JEO-NP compared to the free JEO. The antifungal and AFB1 inhibitory concentration of JEO-NP was found to be 2.5 μL/mL against A. flavus, which was lower than free form JEO (3.0 μL/mL). Biochemical and in silico approaches revealed the antifungal mechanisms of action of JEO-NP were related to the inhibition in ergosterol biosynthesis, leakage of vital ions (Ca+2, Mg+2, and K+), impairment in carbon substrate utilization, and functioning of the AFB1 regulatory genes (ver-1 and omt A (in silico)) of A. flavus. JEO-NP exhibited free radical scavenging activity through DPPH assay (IC50 1.31 μL/mL). The in situ results showed that JEO-NP significantly protects the maize seed samples from A. flavus growth, AFB1 contamination and also preserved its nutritional quality. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling revealed the JEO major components are non-mutagenic, non-hepatotoxic, non-carcinogenic, non-tumorigenic, biodegradable nature, and predicted toxicity (LD50 mg/kg rat) were ranged 3107.01 to 3960.22 mg/kg. The findings revealed that the nanoencapsulation technique could be used to enhance the antifungal efficacy of plant essential oil in the food system.

Laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy for detection of Aflatoxin B1 contamination in peanut oil

The Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination in peanut oil is harmful and widespread. In this study, a laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIF) system was developed for rapid and non-invasive screening of four varieties of peanut oils contaminated with different levels of AFB1. Discriminant analysis was conducted to classify the four varieties of peanut oils into acceptable (AFB1 < 20 μg kg−1) and contaminated (AFB1 ≥ 20 μg kg−1) levels. The results of single-step modelling, which directly classify the whole 540 peanut oils into acceptable and contaminated levels, could achieve an accuracy of 95% and 93% for calibration and validation sets respectively. Considering the fluorescence spectra could easily be influenced by the difference of physicochemical properties of different varieties of peanut oils, two-steps modelling method was conducted. In the first step, the total 540 peanut oils were classified into four varieties with all accuracy of 100% based on 600–800 nm, by using LDA algorithm. In the second step, the AFB1 contamination levels of each variety were discriminated. The classification accuracy was increased by at least 5% by conducting two-steps modelling. The results of quantitative analysis showed that for single variety, PLSR based on 400–600 nm could achieve accurate quantitative prediction. The feasibility of LIF technique for the rapid and nondestructive detection of AFB1 contamination in different varieties of edible oils was proved in this study. Further research will focus on the detection of naturally infected oils.

Evaluation of the Effect of Aloe vera Extract on Aflatoxin B1 in Chicken Breast Muscle

Background & Aims of the Study: Among aflatoxins, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is more toxic and dangerous. The presence of AFB1 in poultry feed is one of the most critical health and economic problems in the poultry industry. The critical concern caused by AFB1 contamination in the poultry industry is the transfer of toxins from the poultry feed to its products, such as meat, eggs, and edible parts. Thus, developing scientific strategies for controlling aflatoxin in poultry nutrition and protecting public health is very important. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Aloe vera extract in reducing the harmful effects of AFB1.Materials & MethodsIn this study, broilers were selected and divided into three groups. Group 1 is the negative control group, received a basal diet. Group 2 is the positive control group, received a diet supplemented with AFB1. Group 3 was administered AFB1 and 100 ppm Aloe vera powder mixed in their diet. At the end of the experiment (Day 28), the birds were humanely euthanized, and their breast meat samples were collected. The toxin residue in muscles was measured by a commercial AFB1 detection kit.ResultsNo toxin was detected in the negative control group. In the third group, the residual amount of toxin was decreased by treating Aloe vera, but this difference was not significant. Significant differences are likely to be observed at higher doses.ConclusionSupplementation of the diet containing AFB1 with Aloe vera extract effectively reduced the adverse effects of AFB1 and could be a helpful solution for the aflatoxicosis problem.

Application of Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction to Determine Aflatoxin B1 in Tomato Paste Samples

Background: Aflatoxin B1 is a secondary toxic metabolite produced by several aspergillus species. This study was conducted to determine the presence of aflatoxin in tomato paste samples. Methods: A total of 30 tomato pastes were analyzed for Aflatoxin B1 contamination via HPLC-FLD. Analyte extraction was done by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. Results: The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.14 and 0.44 µg/kg, respectively. The recovery rates ranged from 91 to 94%. The findings showed all samples were contaminated with Aflatoxin B1 and the average concentration was 1.1 ± 0.02 µg/kg. The amount of aflatoxin B1 in 6 samples was higher than the limit set by the European Union. Conclusion: The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of tomato paste samples with quantitative results. The main advantages of the developed method include its simplicity in operation, rapid achievement of a very high sample, and low cost.

Determination of Aflatoxin B1 Contamination in Wheat and Rice Flour Collected from Iranian Market Using Simple and Reliable HPLC Method

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), as the most toxic mycotoxin, has a large variety of toxic effects to human and animals. To evaluate incidence of AFB1 in wheat flour and rice flour sold in Iranian markets, 40 samples including 16 wheat flour samples and 24 rice flour samples were collected from commercial brands commonly marketed in Iran and analyzed for their AFB1 content using post-column photochemical derivatization and HPLC. The mobile phase consisting of water, methanol and acetonitrile mixture (53:28:19, v/v/v). The sample preparation was done with simple extraction with acetonitrile and water (80/20, v/v) accompany with immunoaffinity column cleanup. Our results indicated a good recovery (minimal 90% in wheat flour and 97 % in rice flour) in spike range 0.2-8 µg.kg-1 with RSDs lower than 5%. The results showed both high incidence and high levels of AFB1 in rice flour samples compared to wheat flour. AFB1 was detected in 18.5% with maximum level of 0.26 µg.kg-1. AFB1 was found in 100% of rice samples with a mean and maximum level of 4.09±2.565 µg.kg-1 and 10.16 µg.kg-1, respectively. The results indicate that although the level of AFB1 in wheat flour is not comparatively critical point regarding quality of wheat flour, high incidence and high contamination level of AFB1 in rice flour samples could make serious health problems for Iranian consumers.

Classification of aflatoxin B1 naturally contaminated peanut using visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging by integrating spectral and texture features

The aim of this study is to carry out a non-destructive, hyperspectral imaging-based method to discriminate between normal and naturally aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contaminated peanuts. Two varieties of peanut were imaged under a hyperspectral imaging system in the spectral range from 400 to 1000 nm. The reference AFB1 levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbentassay(ELISA) method, then the peanuts were divided into two categories according to the threshold of 20 ppb. The spectral, color and texture features were extracted and integrated to discriminate AFB1 contaminated from normal peanuts. Different pretreatment methods were conducted on the full spectra, the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) results indicated that firstly Savitzky-Golay smoothing (SGS) then standard normal transformation (SNV) could achieve the best discrimination with an accuracy of 90% and 92% for calibration and validation sets respectively. The LDA results of feature integration proved that the optimized spectral features combined with the texture features realized the best classification, with an accuracy of 91% and 94% for calibration and validation sets respectively. Finally, the performance of partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM) was compared with the LDA, the SVM with RBF kernel revealed the best results with an accuracy of 93% and 94% for calibration and validation sets respectively. This study presented the potential of hyperspectral imaging in direct AFB1 contamination classification of peanut, and demonstrated that the combination of texture and spectra features could improve the modelling results.

Assessment of nanoencapsulated Cananga odorata essential oil in chitosan nanopolymer as a green approach to boost the antifungal, antioxidant and in situ efficacy

In this study, a comparative efficacy of Cananga odorata EO (CoEO) and its nanoencapsulated formulation into chitosan nanoemulsion (CoEO-CsNe) against a toxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus (AF-M-K5) were investigated for the first time in order to determine its efficacy in preservation of stored food from fungal, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination and lipid peroxidation. GC and GC–MS analysis of CoEO revealed the presence of linalool (24.56%) and benzyl acetate (22.43%) as the major components. CoEO was encapsulated into chitosan nanoemulsion (CsNe) through ionic-gelation technique and characterized by High Resolution-Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The CoEO-CsNe during in vitro investigation against A. flavus completely inhibited the growth and AFB1 production at 1.0 μL/mL and 0.75 μL/mL, respectively. Additionally, CoEO-CsNe showed improved antioxidant activity against DPPH• and ABTS•+ with IC50 value 0.93 and 0.72 μL/mL, respectively. Further, CoEO-CsNe suppressed fungal growth, AFB1 secretion and lipid peroxidation in Arachis hypogea L. during in situ investigation without causing any adverse effect on seed germination. Overall results demonstrated that the CoEO-CsNe has potential of being utilized as a suitable plant based antifungal agent to improve the shelf-life of stored food against AFB1 and lipid peroxidation mediated biodeterioration.

Determination of aflatoxin B1 concentration in poultry feed in the poultry farms of Sanandaj using ELISA method

Background and Aim: Aflatoxin B1 is a common contaminant of poultry feed and has the highest rate of acute and chronic toxicity among all mycotoxins. Over the past decade, studies have well established the negative effects of aflatoxin B1 on the health of poultry. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the maximum concentration of aflatoxin B1 in poultry feed. Materials and Methods: In this study, in order to determine the aflatoxin B1 concentration in poultry feed, 45 samples were collected via a simple random method during autumn 2018 and winter 2019, and then the concentration of this contaminant was measured by the ELISA method. Results: The experimental results showed that the contamination range in the positive samples was between 6.44 and 34.18 µg/Kg. Moreover, the mean concentration of aflatoxin in contaminated samples was 5.10 µg/Kg. The concentration of contaminant in 46.66% of the samples exceeded the standard limit. Due to higher temperatures and suitable environmental conditions for the growth of fungi, the samples prepared in autumn were more contaminated than those prepared in winter. Conclusion: The level of aflatoxin B1 contamination in poultry feed in Sanandaj is high. In order to prevent the entry of this toxin into the human food cycle regular survey and monitoring of poultry feed by health institutions are necessary

HPLC Analysis of Aflatoxin B1 Contamination of Local and Foreign Brands of Cigarette Tobacco Popularly Consumed in Niger State North-Central Nigeria

Under favorable growth conditions, fungi produced aflatoxins. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) categorized as a carcinogen is the most toxic and subject of regulation in foods and feeds in many countries. AFB1 contamination has been reported in a wide range of products including cigarette tobacco due to improper processing and storage conditions. This research aim at determining the concentration load of AFB1 mycotoxin in brands of cigarette tobacco commonly consumed in Lapai and Minna metropolis of Niger State Nigeria. Thirty-six (36) brands of cigarette tobacco were purchased in open markets in Minna and Lapai towns of Niger state, Nigeria. Residual AFB1 was extracted from the sample using standard procedures. HPLC analysis was used for the mycotoxin quantification. The result showed that all cigarette samples produces AFB1 with a concentration of 302 µg/mL and 18 µg/mL as the highest and lowest AFB1 concentration respectively for the local – Nigeria brands compared to 166 µg/mL and 8 µg/mL AFB1 concentration observed for the foreign brands. The findings from this study provide sufficient levels of contamination to pose significant health hazard for the consumer of the tobacco. Careful processing and storage is therefore advocated to eliminate or reduce the mycotoxin contamination of the cigarette brands.

Prevalence of aflatoxin b1 in some common poultry feed ingredients and optimum inclusion levels of mycofix binder as feed additive on performance of broiler chickens chickens

A preliminary study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) contamination and common moulds growing in some selected poultry feed raw materials in Zaria. Five different feed raw materials:Maize (MZ), soybean cake (SBC), groundnut cake (GNC), brewers dried grain (BDG) and maize offal (M/O), were collected from four feed mills and the open market. The common moulds isolated from the samples were Mucor spp., Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Penicillum spp., Curvularia spp. and Rhizopus spp. AfB1 contamination showed that maize and soya bean cake were less than the 20 parts per billion (ppb) permissible limits for AfB1 in poultry feed ingredients, while BDG, M/O and GNC were 40, 60 and 80 % respectively above 20 ppb permissible limits. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the response of broiler chickens to Mycofix a toxin binder. Three hundred and thirty Ross, 1-day old broiler chicks were assigned to five dietary treatments, each with three replicates of 22 chicks per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Treatment 1 was the control diet without Mycofix while treatments 2, 3, 4 and 5 had Mycofix included at 100, 200, 300 and 400 g /100kg diet, respectively at both starter and finisher phases. Experimental diets and water were given to the birds ad libitum during eight weeks of the feeding trial. Data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using General Linear Model procedure of SAS and significant differences among treatment means were compared using Dunnette test of significance. Results of the starter phase showed that birds fed 400 g/100kg Mycofix diet had the best final body weight (902.67g), weight gain (839.67g) and average daily weight gain (29.98g). Birds fed 200 g /100 kg Mycofix had the lowest feed conversion ratio of 1.6 and the least cost per kilogram gain(₦138.52).At the finisher phase birds on 400 g/100kg Mycofix diet had the best final weight (2345.3g), weight gain (1403.3g), average daily gain (50.1g), feed conversion ratio (2.1) and least feed cost per kilogram gain (₦167.20). It may be concluded that addition of Mycofix to diets of broiler chickens at 400g/ 100kg at both starter and finisher phases of the study improved performance significantly and gave the least cost of production.