Occurrence Of Aflatoxin B1 Research Articles

A two-year study on the occurrence and concentration of mycotoxins in corn varieties with different endosperm textures.

Mycotoxin monitoring in cereal grains has great importance in the food and feed industries. This study evaluated mycotoxin contamination in corns with different endosperm textures in 2 years of cultivation. Samples of dent, semi-dent, flint and semi-flint corns from field experiments were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Occurrences of fumonisins B1 (FB1 ) and B2 (FB2 ) in 2020 were 45.72% (mean 270 μg kg-1 ) and 35.89% (94.97 μg kg-1 ), respectively, and 68.98% (446 μg kg-1 ) and 45.83% (152 μg kg-1 ) in 2021. Occurrence of aflatoxin B1 was 11.96% (0.16 μg kg-1 ) in 2020 and 11.11% (0.13 μg kg-1 ) in 2021. In 2020, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenona (ZEA) presented occurrences of 1.28% and 1.70%, with means of 4.08 and 2.45 μg kg-1 , respectively. In 2021, results were 8.33% (31.00 μg kg-1 ) for DON and 8.79% (4.38 μg kg-1 ) for ZEA. Citrinin, diacetoxyscirpenol and fusarenon-X did not occur in 2020 but presented 1.66%, 0.83%, and 2.50% positive rates in 2021, respectively. In 2020, flint corn presented the lowest concentration of FB1 whereas dent corn presented the highest concentration of FB1 and FB2 (P < 0.05). In 2021, dent corn presented the highest means of FB1 , FB2 and diacetoxyscirpenol (P < 0.05). Dent and semi-dent presented the highest concentration of nivalenol (P < 0.05). The endosperm texture influenced mycotoxin contamination in corn grains, especially FB1 and FB2 , which had the highest concentration in dent corn in the 2 years of this study. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

First report on the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in coffee marketed in eastern Algeria

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to assess the occurrence of aflatoxins in thefoodstuffs most consumed by the population in Algeria. To determine theaflatoxin B1 (AFB1) levels of coffee samples marketed in Constantine province(Algeria), 43 samples of green and roasted coffee were purchased from localmarkets and coffee shops. The occurrence and concentration range of AFB1 wereinvestigated by a highly sensitive microtitre plate Enzyme-Linked ImmunosorbentAssay (ELISA) method. The detection and quantification limits were 0.2ng g−1and 0.5ng g−1, respectively. The results showed that all the coffeesamples were contaminated with AFB1 in the range of 1.004 ng g−1to 1.167 ng g−1. The highest range was observed in Beans-roastedcoffee samples. The authors recommend that surveys of mycotoxins in coffee, aswell as other agricultural products, should be continued. Restrictive regulationsmust be applied to ensure the protection of consumers.

Public health risk associated with the co-occurrence of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A in spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon.

Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A are mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi that attack crops on field and storage. Both mycotoxins present a risk on public health since aflatoxin B1 is a hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic agent while ochratoxin A can be nephrotoxic. Those mycotoxins can be found in several food items including spices, herbs, and nuts. In Lebanon, few studies address aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A contamination in spices, herbs, and nuts. So, the aim of this study is to investigate the concentrations of those two mycotoxins particularly in spices and herbs and the concentration of aflatoxin B1 in nuts, and to determine the dietary exposure of the Lebanese population and their possible attribution to liver cancer and renal damage. In this work, a total of 198 samples of spices, herbs, and nuts were collected from different sites. Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A were quantified using immune-affinity columns. A food frequency questionnaire was used to quantify the consumption of spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon. Exposure to aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A was calculated accordingly and liver and kidney cancer risks were evaluated. Aflatoxin B1 was respectively found in 100, 20.4, and 98.6% of the spices, herbs, and nuts samples, while ochratoxin A was found in 100 and 44.4% of spices and herbs, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 was found at mean concentration of 0.97, 0.27, and 0.40 μg/kg in spices, herbs, and nuts, respectively while ochratoxin A was found at mean concentrations of 38.8 and 1.81 μg/kg in spices and herbs, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 occurrence was shown to be associated in this study with 0.017 additional cancer cases per 100,000 persons per year, and ochratoxin A weekly exposure was shown to be 5.04 ng/kg bw less than the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake of 100 ng/kg bw which indicates low risk of renal damage from spices and herbs consumption. The consumption of spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon could lead to an increase in health risks associated with aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A, specifically spices. The reported occurrence may be directly related to poor storage conditions.

Efficient and safe detoxification of aflatoxin B1 in peanut oil by synergistic modification of montmorillonite with histidine and acid

The safety problems associated with the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in edible oils pose a serious threat to human health. In this research, the adsorbents of montmorillonite (MMT) modified with histidine under acidic conditions were prepared for AFB1 detoxification from peanut oil. To this goal, the characteristic of montmorillonite (MMT) modified with histidine at pH 4 (HMMT-4), 2 (HMMT-2), and 1 (HMMT-1) were analyzed by SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, XRD, FT-IR, and TGA. Meanwhile, the adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics of HMMTs for AFB1 in peanut oil were investigated. The results showed that HMMT-1 was an excellent adsorbent for AFB1 detoxification from peanut oil due to the graft of histidine into the interlayer of MMT under acidic conditions, which increased the surface area and changed the appearance of MMT. The adsorption process of AFB1 by HMMTs was mainly chemical adsorption, which belonged to endothermic reaction. Notably, the adsorbent of HMMT-1 not only effectively removed AFB1 and pigment from peanut oil but also had no significant effect on the nutrients content in peanut oil. Therefore, HMMT-1 has the characteristics of safety, high efficiency, economy, and practicality and could be used as a novel promising adsorbent for AFB1 detoxification from vegetable oil.

Recent Progress on Techniques in the Detection of Aflatoxin B1 in Edible Oil: A Mini Review.

Contamination of agricultural products and foods by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is becoming a serious global problem, and the presence of AFB1 in edible oil is frequent and has become inevitable, especially in underdeveloped countries and regions. As AFB1 results from a possible degradation of aflatoxins and the interaction of the resulting toxic compound with food components, it could cause chronic disease or severe cancers, increasing morbidity and mortality. Therefore, rapid and reliable detection methods are essential for checking AFB1 occurrence in foodstuffs to ensure food safety. Recently, new biosensor technologies have become a research hotspot due to their characteristics of speed and accuracy. This review describes various technologies such as chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, ELISA techniques, and biosensing techniques, along with their advantages and weaknesses, for AFB1 control in edible oil and provides new insight into AFB1 detection for future work. Although compared with other technologies, biosensor technology involves the cross integration of multiple technologies, such as spectral technology and new nano materials, and has great potential, some challenges regarding their stability, cost, etc., need further studies.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin B1 in Fresh and Boiled Liver Broiler Chickens in Zaria, Nigeria

There is an increasing concern for the contamination of poultry products with Aspergillus strains, responsible for the aflatoxin production. Therefore, the persistence of aflatoxin B1 was analyzed in 60 fresh liver divided into two-part one remains fresh and the other part boiled from live bird markets in Zaria, Nigeria, using indirect competitive enzyme link immunosorbent Assay (iELISA). A total of 66.7% of fresh liver and 16.7% of boiled liver were found to be contaminated with aflatoxin B1 above maximum detection limits. The levels of aflatoxin B1 contamination varied in decreasing order as follows: Sabon Gari, Zaria city, Dan Magaji and Tudun wada had aflatoxin level of 66.40 µg/kg, 41.45 µg/kg, 35.25 µg/kg and 29.80 µg/kg, respectively in fresh liver samples. The highest level of aflatoxin B1 in boiled liver was 29.02 µg/kg in Sabon Gari. The persistence of boiling aflatoxin B1 was significant (P &lt; 0.05) in the liver of broilers. The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in the liver of slaughtered broilers is dangerous and may adversely affect human health. It was concluded that the high level of AFB1 in birds sold in live-bird markets, meant for slaughter for human consumption may have adverse effects on human health. Strict measures should be adopted to monitor and regulate aflatoxin level in feeds and, subsequently, in edible tissues. Keywords: AFB1, ELISA, Chickens and Liver.

Aflatoxin B1 Occurrence in Children under the Age of Five's Food Products and Aflatoxin M1 Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Arab Infants through Consumption of Infant Powdered Formula: A Lebanese Experience.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a salient metabolite that can be used to assess Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure in humans and animals. The carcinogenic potency of AFB1 and AFM1 was severely reported. The aims of this study were (1) to survey the contamination level of AFM1 in the most traded infant powdered formula brands (IPF) (n = 42) along with the AFB1 level in under 5’s children food brands (biscuits, cornflakes, and cereals) (n = 42) and (2) to assess the estimated daily intake (EDI), the hazard quotient (HQ) and the margin of exposure (MOE) of AFM1 among infants (0–12 months) in Lebanon. All of the samples were analyzed using ELISA technique. AFB1 was below detection limit in all of the children’s food brands samples. Out of 42 IPF samples 9.5% were AFM1-positive in the range of 29.54–140.16 ng/L and exceeded the maximum tolerable limit (MTL) set by the European commission (25 ng/kg). The overall average contamination level was 5.72 ± 0.014 ng/L. The EDI of AMF1 for male was in the range of 0.37–0.78 ng/kg/b.w./day and 0.40–0.87 ng/kg/b.w./day for females. Similarly, the HQ calculation resulted in an average of 3.05 for males and 3.28 for females. MOE calculations were far lower from 10,000 in both genders which indicates a high risk of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Our findings show that AFM1’s EDI, HQ and MOE scored high among Lebanese infants. As infants consume more IPF relative to their body weight, the persistence of IPF with high AFM1 levels threatens their health. Thus, infant’s exposure risk to AFM1 in IPF should be a continuous focus of attention.

Fungal diversity and occurrence of Aflatoxin B1, Citrinine, and Ochratoxin A in rice of Cameroon

Rice is an important cereal for Cameroon where 95% of the population consumes it frequently. To ensuring a healthy food supply to consumers, the objective of this study was to determine the fungal profile and quantify mycotoxins in 12 rice samples produced in Cameroon. The relative density of the different fungal species identified in all of the rice samples revealed the dominance of three fungal genera (Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium) and 15 fungal species with the predominance of the species Mucor hiemalis (14.56%), followed by Penicillium expansum (13.59%) and Aspergillus versicolor (12.62%). At least one mycotoxin was detected in 83.33% of the samples analyzed, while 41.67% showed co-contamination with at least two mycotoxins. The prevalence of OTA, AFB1, and CIT was 41.67%, 58.33%, and 41.67%, respectively, with concentrations not exceeding those prescribed by European Commission. This study provides useful information for the management of mycotoxinogenic molds in Cameroonian rice. Practical applications The sanitary quality of the rice must be preserved during storage, because several factors (relative humidity, temperature, etc.) can promote the appearance of mycotoxins in the rice and a loss of its organoleptic properties. The practical application of this study is to provide information on the health or toxicological risks presented by certain rice marketed and consumed in Cameroon, particularly with regard to fungal contamination rates, the fungal flora present, and mycotoxin levels.

Effects of climatic conditions and hermetic storage on the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and aflatoxin B1 contamination in basmati rice

Climate change has influenced the growth of Aspergillus species and subsequent aflatoxins (AFs) production. In this study, the combined effect of temperature (20–40 °C) with respect to moisture content (MC = 7–25%) and water activity (aw = 0.86–0.98) on the growth of A. parasiticus and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) occurrence was studied in basmati rice. The effect of hermetic storage on AFB1 occurrence was also investigated. The growth of A. parasiticus and the AFB1 production were found between 15 and 25% MC and 0.92–0.98 aw at 25–35 °C. The optimum production of these entities with 25% MC or 0.95 aw at 30 °C was noticed. However, the lower temperature (<20 °C), MC (<10%) and aw (<0.86) doesn't support the growth of A. parasiticus and AFB1 production. The production rate of the fungi and their metabolite were found in the following increasing order 30° > 35° > 25° > 20° > 40 °C at all tested MC and aw levels. The growth of A. parasiticus and AFB1 production were found as increasing trend 25% > 20% > 15% > 10% at all tested temperature. Whereas, the fungal growth and AFB1 production with respect to aw were seen in the increasing order 0.95 ˃ 0.98 ˃ 0.92 ˃ 0.89 ˃ 0.86 aw at all tested temperatures. The storage of rice samples in a hermetic bag, the significant control (less than 90% AFB1 production compared with normal conditions) the AFB1 production in rice. The results also indicated that the growth of A. parasiticus and AFB1 production were significantly (p <0.05) affected by the temperature, MC and aw, as well as the storage conditions in normal and hermetic bags as analyzed using ANOVA. In conclusion, hermetic storage is experimentally proved as the best way of storing cereals and grains for a long time.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin B1 in Animal Feed Collected from the Northeastern Area of Morocco

The carry-over of contaminants from feed to animal products is an important issue in the animal production chain, therefore, the quality control of those animal products should include the control of the animal feed. The current study was carried out to assess the contamination levels of three types of animal feed (dairy animal feed, poultry feed, and fish feed) by Aflatoxin B1. A total of 68 animal feed samples were collected from the Northeastern Moroccan area (Tangier-Tétouan-AL Hoceima). The samples were extracted with a mixture of acetone/water. The sample extractions were filtered, diluted with phosphate-buffered saline, and applied to an immunoaffinity column. Aflatoxin B1 was eluted with methanol then analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, after post-column photochemical derivatization. The analytical results for the level of Aflatoxin B1 in the animal feed samples revealed an average presence of 44.12% for all analyzed samples. The concentrations were between 1.02 and 13.59 µg/Kg, with a mean value of 4.08 ± 3.11 µg/Kg. The results indicated that there was a significant difference across the three types of animal feeds regarding the concentrations of Aflatoxin B1.

Corn silage as a source of aflatoxin B1 in feed for dairy cattle

Nutrition of dairy cattle is based on two components, concentrates and forages. The main forages in Vojvodina, north province of Serbia is silage made from the whole plant of corn. After the outbreak of aflatoxin B1 in corn in 2012, the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in corn as a source of contamination of aflatoxin M1 in milk was very broadly investigated. There is no data regarding the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in silage and how much silage can contribute to the overall intake of aflatoxin B1 in this region. This work is an attempt to estimate how much silage, in condition and practice used in Vojvodina, contributes to the intake of aflatoxin B1, and consequently aflatoxin M1 in milk. In total, 82 samples of corn grain and 72 samples of corn silage were analyzed on the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 during 2017-2018 period. Aflatoxin B1 was found in 13.41% of corn samples in the range from 6.82 to 187.5 ppb (average 63.5 ppb). All positive samples were from 2017, while no positive samples were found during 2018. Incidence of aflatoxin B1 in silage was 54.17% in the range of 3.5-58.0 ppb (12% moisture content) or 0.95-16.1 ppb in the fresh matter. Results suggest that silage can be a significant factor to overall intake of aflatoxin B1 and that further research is needed.

AFLATOXIGENIC FUNGI AND AFLATOXINS IN LOCALLY PROCESSED PEANUT BUTTER IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

Aflatoxin and the producing fungi are known contaminants of farm produce at pre-harvest, post-harvest storage and post-processing. This research was carried out to detect aflatoxigenic fungi and quantify aflatoxins in locally processed peanut butter. Forty-seven samples of peanut butter were purchased from vendors in different markets in Lagos, Nigeria. Fungal species were isolated by pour plate method and identified using cultural and microscopic characteristics. Aflatoxigenic fungi (Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus) were isolated from 14/47 (29.79%) samples and they were screened for four aflatoxin genes (aflR, nor-1, ver-1, omt-1). Aflatoxin was quantified in samples with aflatoxigenic fungi using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultra violet detection (HPLC-UV). Only seven (five A. flavus and two A. parasiticus) of the fourteen isolates screened had one or more aflatoxin genes with most isolates having nor-1 gene. Aflatoxin B1 was present in all the peanut butter while aflatoxins B2, G2 and G1 were present in 71.43%, 85.71%, and 57.14% of the samples respectively. The peanut butter samples had total aflatoxin content ranging between 373.6µg/kg – 6741.6µg/kg, which is above the 20µg/kg maximum permissible limit recommended by US FDA and ≤ 4µg/kg by EU. Aflatoxin B1 content was 54.3µg/kg – 805.8µg/kg, and also far above the EU limit of 2µg/kg. The high concentration of aflatoxins and occurrence of aflatoxin B1, the most toxic aflatoxin, in all the peanut butter is of great concern to the health of consumers. Adequate sensitization on preventive measures especially avoidance of mouldy peanut kernels by sorting before use in the production of peanut butter should be encouraged.

Machine Learning for Predicting Mycotoxin Occurrence in Maize.

Meteorological conditions are the main driving variables for mycotoxin-producing fungi and the resulting contamination in maize grain, but the cropping system used can mitigate this weather impact considerably. Several researchers have investigated cropping operations’ role in mycotoxin contamination, but these findings were inconclusive, precluding their use in predictive modeling. In this study a machine learning (ML) approach was considered, which included weather-based mechanistic model predictions for AFLA-maize and FER-maize [predicting aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisins (FBs), respectively], and cropping system factors as the input variables. The occurrence of AFB1 and FBs in maize fields was recorded, and their corresponding cropping system data collected, over the years 2005–2018 in northern Italy. Two deep neural network (DNN) models were trained to predict, at harvest, which maize fields were contaminated beyond the legal limit with AFB1 and FBs. Both models reached an accuracy >75% demonstrating the ML approach added value with respect to classical statistical approaches (i.e., simple or multiple linear regression models). The improved predictive performance compared with that obtained for AFLA-maize and FER-maize was clearly demonstrated. This coupled to the large data set used, comprising a 13-year time series, and the good results for the statistical scores applied, together confirmed the robustness of the models developed here.

The Influence of Weather on the Occurrence of Aflatoxin B1 in Harvested Maize from Kenya and Tanzania.

A study was conducted using maize samples collected from different agroecological zones of Kenya (n = 471) and Tanzania (n = 100) during the 2013 maize harvest season to estimate a relationship between aflatoxin B1 concentration and occurrence with weather conditions during the growing season. The toxins were analysed by the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. Aflatoxin B1 incidence ranged between 0–100% of samples in different regions with an average value of 29.4% and aflatoxin concentrations of up to 6075 µg/kg recorded in one sample. Several regression techniques were explored. Random forests achieved the highest overall accuracy of 80%, while the accuracy of a logistic regression model was 65%. Low rainfall occurring during the early stage of the maize plant maturing combined with high temperatures leading up to full maturity provide warning signs of aflatoxin contamination. Risk maps for the two countries for the 2013 season were generated using both random forests and logistic regression models.

High occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in Pixian Doubanjiang, a typical condiment in Chinese cuisine

Aflatoxin B1(AFB1) is one of well recognized mycotoxins and human carcinogens, which poses a great threat to the food safety, yet the occurrence status of AFB1 in Doubanjiang (DBJ), a famous Chinese condiment in Sichuan cuisine, has not been reported. Herein, we proposed a fast study to investigate the ABF1 contamination from three sources of DBJ products. High occurrence of AFB1 at 99.4%, was identified from 929 DBJ samples in this study. The AFB1 exceeding rates were 4.8% (22/456), 12.1% (18/149) and 17% (55/324) from DBJ manufactured by factories, workshops, and via homemade, respectively, according to the limit of 5 μg/kg from the DBJ National standard of China. Further, 6.8% (22/324) of homemade DBJ were identified to have AFB1 concentration larger than 10 μg/kg, indicting relatively high risk of food safety from homemade DBJ. Regarding the high occurrence status of AFB1 in DBJ, AFB1 monitoring in DBJ factories, the supervision of AFB1 contamination at free markets and proper guidance and implementations of AFB1 regulation on homemade DBJ are urgently needed to reduce the risk of AFB1 in this famous Chinese typical condiment.

Antioxidant and antifungal activity of phenolic compounds and their relation to aflatoxin B1 occurrence in soybeans (Glycine max L.).

Soybean is widely used in food formulations; however, few studies on fungal or mycotoxin contamination have been undertaken. Free, conjugated, and bound phenolic compounds, and their antioxidant and antifungal potential, were therefore evaluated together with the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ) in soybeans. The conjugated and bound phenolic soybean extracts were more efficient for the inhibition of the 2,2 diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, the peroxidase enzyme, and the fungal α-amylase enzyme. Aflatoxin B1, detected at low levels (0.96 to 1.67 ng g-1 ), confirmed the protective effect of soybean phenolic compounds against mycotoxigenic contamination. Principal component analysis confirmed that syringic, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric acids and vanillin were essential for antioxidant and antifungal activities. This study presented new insights into the functionality of phenolic compounds in soybeans, regarding their potential to protect the crops naturally against fungal contamination, avoiding aflatoxin production, as attested by the correlations between phenolic compounds and antioxidant mechanisms. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Occurrence of aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in maize silage in the region of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract Silage made from the whole-plant maize is one of the most popular forages in Serbia. Consumption of maize silage by cows can be up to 30-35 kg/day. In Serbia in the few last years in the focus of the public and agriculture community were two mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 and its metabolite aflatoxin M1 due to the outbreak of contaminated maize which affected the Balkans in 2012. Maize is regularly checked on the occurrence of aflatoxin B1, however forages are often neglected as a potential source of mycotoxins in the nutrition of dairy cattle. In this work, 48 samples of maize silage were analyzed for the occurrence of aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A and zearalenone. Samples were collected from three regions (Bačka, Banat and Srem) in Vojvodina. In all samples, at least one mycotoxin above the limit of quantification was measured. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in 36 (75%) samples. In two samples from Banat, the concentration of aflatoxin B1 exceeded the maximum level (ML) set by Serbian regulation (30 µg/kg at moisture content of 12%). In seven samples, the concentration of aflatoxin B1 was above 20 µg/kg which is the EU regulated ML. Average concentration of ochratoxin A was 10.4 µg/kg, while the maximum measured value was 34.3 µg/kg. Maximum zearalenone content in all samples was 538 µg/kg while the average zearalenone concentration was 138 µg/kg. The results from this research point out that mycotoxin contaminated silage in the region of Vojvodina, Serbia can significantly contribute to daily intake of aflatoxin B1 in dairy cattle.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin in Dairy Cow Feed Ingredients and Total Mixed Ration

Abstract. The level of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in dairy cow feed ingredients and Total Mixed Rations (TMRs) procured at two farms for low- and high-yielding dairy cows were surveyed. Raw milk from the two groups of cows at each farm was sampled 24 h after feeding the cows with examined feedstuffs during both the rainy and the non-rainy season. The aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) level in the raw milk samples was measured 12-24 h later. The levels of AFB1 in feed and AFM1 in milk were determined by validated enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The influence of farm management and type of feeding system on aflatoxin occurrence were considered. AFB1 and AFM1 were detected in 100% of feed and milk samples, respectively. The average level of AFB1 in the feed ingredients and TMRs were in the range of 1.6-104.7 µg/kg and 11.0-56.0 µg/kg, respectively. The average level of AFM1 in milk samples was 77.0 ng/L. The average concentrations of AFB1 in feeds and AFM1 in milk procured in the rainy season were significantly greater than those procured in the non-rainy season (p&amp;lt;0.05). Of the studied feed, maize silage was determined as the most contaminated feed ingredient in terms of AFB1 content. Furthermore, the AFM1 in 75% of milk samples obtained from high-yielding dairy cows and 25% of milk samples obtained from low-yielding dairy cows indicated AFM1 level higher than the maximum allowable Europe Commission limit of 50 ng/L. The results also showed that the occurrence of AFB1 in feed varied with farm feed management. The extent of translocation to AFMI in milk samples was dependent on type of cow, whether low- or high- milk yielding. This study suggests regular risk analysis and using good farm management practices are important to control aflatoxin contamination in feed and milk. Keywords: Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin M1, Dairy cows, Feed, Milk yield.

Aflatoxin B1 in nixtamalized maize in Mexico; occurrence and accompanying risk assessment.

Maize is a staple food in Mexico that might contain Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Nonetheless, data on the exposure and risk assessment of AFB1 from maize for the Mexican population are limited. The aim of the present study was to analyse the occurrence of AFB1 in Mexican nixtamalized maize samples, and to assess the accompanying exposure and risk. Four out of 88 samples contained AFB1 at levels above the limit of detection (1 ng/g). AFB1 occurrence values obtained in this study and additional occurrence values from literature were combined with available literature data for mean and P95 consumption of maize based products. For a 70 kg body weight person, lower bound and upper bound exposure assessments resulted in estimated daily intakes (EDI) of 0.7-8.5 ng/kg bw/day, based on a mean maize consumption. Based on the P95 maize consumption these EDI values amounted to 3.3-11.7 ng/kg bw/day. The corresponding Margin of Exposure (MOE) values amounted to 257-20 for the mean and 50-15 for the P95 consumers. The estimated increased cancer risks were 9-320 and 43-439 cases/106 individuals/lifetime of 75 years for the mean and P95 consumers, respectively. Altogether, the assessment reveals the need for continued risk management of AFB1 in Mexico.

Mycobiota and aflatoxin B1 in poultry feeds

In this study, a total of 30 poultry (chicken and laying hens) feed samples collected from different poultry farms in Serbia in 2016 were tested for fungal and aflatoxin contamination. Using the plate count and standard mycological methods, total fungal counts and potentially toxigenic fungal genera were determined. Natural occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay) method. The total fungal count was in the range from 1 x 102 (2 log CFU g-1) to 1.83 x 105 CFU g-1 (5.26 log CFU g-1). The majority of the chicken feeds (78.57%) had the total fungal count in the ranged from 1 x 102 to 4.8 x 104 CFU g-1, whereas in 68.75% of the laying hens feeds it was ranged from 5.3 x 104 to 1.83 x 105 CFU g-1. In 21.43% of the chicken feeds fungal contamination reached the level above the regulation limits. Three potentially toxigenic fungal genera, Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium, have been identified. In the tested poultry feed samples, more samples contaminated with Aspergillus were determined compared to samples contaminated by Fusarium and Penicillium species. The AFB1 was detected in concentrations from 1.34 to 18.29?g kg-1, with an average of 4.47 and 4.56?g kg-1 in the chicken and laying hens feed samples, respectively. In 14.29% of the chicken feeds, the level of AFB1 was above the regulation limits. The obtained results confirmed the importance of continuous mycological and mycotoxicological control of poultry feed, as well as need to improve risk assessments of such contaminants along the food chain.