Transformation of adsorbed aflatoxin B1 on smectite at elevated temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxins cause liver damage and suppress immunity. Smectites can be used to reduce the bioavailability of aflatoxins through adsorption. To further reduce the toxicity of aflatoxins and to eliminate the treatments of aflatoxin-loaded smectites, degrading the adsorbed aflatoxin to nontoxic or less ...

Dip-strip method for monitoring environmental contamination of aflatoxin in food and feed: use of a portable aflatoxin detection kit.

Science.gov (United States)

Sashidhar, R B

1993-10-01

Aflatoxin contamination of food and feed have gained global significance due to its deleterious effect on human and animal health and its importance in the international trade. The potential of aflatoxin as a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immunosuppressive agent is well documented. The problem of aflatoxin contamination of food and feed has led to the enactment of various legislation. However, meaningful strategies for implementation of this legislation is limited by nonavailability of simple, cost-effective method for screening and detection of aflatoxin under field conditions. Keeping in mind the analytical constraints in developing countries, a simple-to-operate, rapid, reliable, and cost-effective portable aflatoxin detection kit has been developed. The important components of the kit include a hand-held UV lamp (365 nm, 4 W output), a solvent blender (12,000 rpm) for toxin extraction, and adsorbent-coated dip-strips (polyester film) for detecting and quantifying aflatoxin. Analysis of variance indicates that there were no significant differences between various batches of dip-strips (p > 0.05). The minimum detection limit for aflatoxin B1 was 10 ppb per spot. The kit may find wide application as a research tool in public health laboratories, environmental monitoring agencies, and in the poultry industry.

AFLATOXIN LEVELS IN LOCALLy GROWN MAIZE FROM MAKUENI ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2008-07-07

Jul 7, 2008 ... information from government officials on good grain drying practices to prevent aflatoxin contamination. also, most of the maize (80%) was stored in plastic bags, which retain moisture and may promote aflatoxin contamination. Sisal bags, which minimise moisture and reduce aflatoxin, were used by only.

Occurrence of aflatoxin contamination in maize kernels and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent carcinogen, teratogen and mutagen. 660 pre- and post- harvest maize samples were collected from major maize growing areas in Tamil Nadu, India. Aflatoxin contamination was observed in ...

Evaluation of Maize Germplasm for Resistance to Aflatoxin Accumulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael H. Blanco

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination of maize grain threatens human food and animal feed safety. Breeding for reduced grain aflatoxin accumulation is one of the best strategies presently available to lower grain aflatoxin accumulation. Previously identified sources of germplasm with reduced grain aflatoxin accumulation are excessively tall and late maturing. The objective of this research was to screen germplasm and identify potential sources of aflatoxin resistance. KO679Y and CUBA117:S15-101-001-B-B-B-B inbreds were evaluated for aflatoxin accumulation alongside resistant and susceptible checks with both performing well. These two lines were also evaluated in various crosses. KO679Y performed especially well in crosses with Mp494 and Mp717, resulting in low ear rot and very low aflatoxin levels, but not well in other crosses. A breeding cross including CUBA117:S15-101-001-B-B-B-B as a parent accumulated low levels of aflatoxin both years it was evaluated. Lines resulting from these crosses are being advanced for further evaluation and improvement. KO679Y and CUBA117:S15-101-001-B-B-B-B may prove useful for breeders seeking germplasm sources for ear rot and mycotoxin reduction, especially KO679Y which matures a week earlier and is approximately 25% shorter than current lines resistant to grain aflatoxin accumulation.

Effects of a Calcium Bentonite Clay in Diets Containing Aflatoxin when Measuring Liver Residues of Aflatoxin B1 in Starter Broiler Chicks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin Fowler

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Research has shown success using clay-based binders to adsorb aflatoxin in animal feeds; however, no adsorbent has been approved for the prevention or treatment of aflatoxicosis. In this study, growth and relative organ weights were evaluated along with a residue analysis for aflatoxin B1 in liver tissue collected from broiler chickens consuming dietary aflatoxin (0, 600, 1200, and 1800 µg/kg both with and without 0.2% of a calcium bentonite clay additive (TX4. After one week, only the combined measure of a broiler productivity index was significantly affected by 1800 µg/kg aflatoxin. However, once birds had consumed treatment diets for two weeks, body weights and relative kidney weights were affected by the lowest concentration. Then, during the third week, body weights, feed conversion, and the productivity index were affected by the 600 µg/kg level. Results also showed that 0.2% TX4 was effective at reducing the accumulation of aflatoxin B1 residues in the liver and improving livability in birds fed aflatoxin. The time required to clear all residues from the liver was less than one week. With evidence that the liver’s ability to process aflatoxin becomes relatively efficient within three weeks, this would imply that an alternative strategy for handling aflatoxin contamination in feed could be to allow a short, punctuated exposure to a higher level, so long as that exposure is followed by at least a week of a withdrawal period on a clean diet free of aflatoxin.

Aflatoxin Contamination of Feed Materials in Qom Province, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Rezaei

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Aflatoxins are fungal toxins which may be present in some foods and due to their negative health effects, represent a major concern for humans and food industries. In the present study, total aflatoxin contamination in products from eight feed materials production centers located in Qom City of Iran were evaluated by an ELISA technique in November 2012. Methods: A total of 40 feed samples were analyzed for total aflatoxin. The samples were collected randomly from eight feed materials production centers (C1-C8 located in Qom city. Samples were conditioned in sterile plastic container and kept at 4 ᵒC until analyses that were carried out in same day. Results: The total average of Aflatoxins concentration in samples were 1.83µg/kg. All samples demonstrated total aflatoxin levels lower than European Union standard and National Standard of Iran recommended limits. Conclusion: Considering the low values of aflatoxin contamination, maintaining vigilant preventive measures is recommended.These results do not preclude the need for continuing comprehensive studies for aflatoxin contamination.

Aflatoxin regulations and global pistachio trade: insights from social network analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bui-Klimke, Travis R; Guclu, Hasan; Kensler, Thomas W; Yuan, Jian-Min; Wu, Felicia

2014-01-01

Aflatoxins, carcinogenic toxins produced by Aspergillus fungi, contaminate maize, peanuts, and tree nuts in many regions of the world. Pistachios are the main source of human dietary aflatoxins from tree nuts worldwide. Over 120 countries have regulations for maximum allowable aflatoxin levels in food commodities. We developed social network models to analyze the association between nations' aflatoxin regulations and global trade patterns of pistachios from 1996-2010. The main pistachio producing countries are Iran and the United States (US), which together contribute to nearly 75% of the total global pistachio market. Over this time period, during which many nations developed or changed their aflatoxin regulations in pistachios, global pistachio trade patterns changed; with the US increasingly exporting to countries with stricter aflatoxin standards. The US pistachio crop has had consistently lower levels of aflatoxin than the Iranian crop over this same time period. As similar trading patterns have also been documented in maize, public health may be affected if countries without aflatoxin regulations, or with more relaxed regulations, continually import crops with higher aflatoxin contamination. Unlike the previous studies on maize, this analysis includes a dynamic element, examining how trade patterns change over time with introduction or adjustment of aflatoxin regulations.

Aflatoxin contamination of developing corn kernels.

Science.gov (United States)

Amer, M A

2005-01-01

Preharvest of corn and its contamination with aflatoxin is a serious problem. Some environmental and cultural factors responsible for infection and subsequent aflatoxin production were investigated in this study. Stage of growth and location of kernels on corn ears were found to be one of the important factors in the process of kernel infection with A. flavus & A. parasiticus. The results showed positive correlation between the stage of growth and kernel infection. Treatment of corn with aflatoxin reduced germination, protein and total nitrogen contents. Total and reducing soluble sugar was increase in corn kernels as response to infection. Sucrose and protein content were reduced in case of both pathogens. Shoot system length, seeding fresh weigh and seedling dry weigh was also affected. Both pathogens induced reduction of starch content. Healthy corn seedlings treated with aflatoxin solution were badly affected. Their leaves became yellow then, turned brown with further incubation. Moreover, their total chlorophyll and protein contents showed pronounced decrease. On the other hand, total phenolic compounds were increased. Histopathological studies indicated that A. flavus & A. parasiticus could colonize corn silks and invade developing kernels. Germination of A. flavus spores was occurred and hyphae spread rapidly across the silk, producing extensive growth and lateral branching. Conidiophores and conidia had formed in and on the corn silk. Temperature and relative humidity greatly influenced the growth of A. flavus & A. parasiticus and aflatoxin production.

Aflatoxin contamination of locallyprocessed cereal-based ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Feeding children with cereal-based foods has potential to expose them to aflatoxins (AFs).This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and levels of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) in 64 commercial locally produced cereal-based complementary foods obtained from producers and popular markets in ...

A mini review on aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia: past, present and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd-Redzwan, Sabran; Jamaluddin, Rosita; Abd-Mutalib, Mohd Sokhini; Ahmad, Zuraini

2013-11-13

This mini review article described the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia, including its presence in the foodstuffs and the detection of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples. Historically, the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia can be dated in 1960s where an outbreak of disease in pig farms caused severe liver damage to the animals. Later, an aflatoxicosis case in Perak in 1988 was reported and caused death to 13 children, as up to 3 mg of aflatoxin was present in a single serving of contaminated noodles. Since then, extensive research on aflatoxin has been conducted in Malaysia. The food commodities such as peanuts, cereals, spices, and their products are the main commodities commonly found to be contaminated with aflatoxin. Surprisingly, some of the contaminated foods had levels greater than the permissible limit adopted by the Malaysian Food Regulation 1985. Besides, exposure assessment through the measurement of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples is still in its infancy stage. Nevertheless, some studies had reported the presence of these biomarkers. In fact, it is postulated that Malaysians are moderately exposed to aflatoxin compared to those high risk populations, where aflatoxin contamination in the diets is prevalent. Since the ingestion of aflatoxin could be the integral to the development of liver cancer, the incidence of cancer attributable by dietary aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia has also been reported and published in the literatures. Regardless of these findings, the more important task is to monitor and control humans from being exposed to aflatoxin. The enforcement of law is insufficient to minimize human exposure to aflatoxin. Preventive strategies include agricultural, dietary, and clinical measures should be implemented. With the current research on aflatoxin in Malaysia, a global networking for research collaboration is needed to expand the knowledge and disseminate the information to the global scientific community.

A mini review on aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia: past, present and future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Redzwan eSabran

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This mini review article described the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia, including its presence in the foodstuffs and the detection of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples. Historically, the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia can be dated in 1960s where an outbreak of disease in pig farms caused severe liver damage to the animals. Later, an aflatoxicosis case in Perak in 1988 was reported and caused death to 13 children, as up to 3 mg of aflatoxin was present in a single serving of contaminated noodles. Since then, extensive research on aflatoxin has been conducted in Malaysia. The food commodities such as peanuts, cereals, spices and their products are the main commodities commonly found to be contaminated with aflatoxin. Surprisingly, some of the contaminated foods had levels greater than the permissible limit adopted by the Malaysian Food Regulation 1985. Besides, exposure assessment through the measurement of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples is still in its infancy stage. Nevertheless, some studies had reported the presence of these biomarkers. In fact, it is postulated that Malaysians are moderately exposed to aflatoxin compared to those high risk populations, where aflatoxin contamination in the diets is prevalent. Since the ingestion of aflatoxin could be the integral to the development of liver cancer, the incidence of cancer attributable by dietary aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia has also been reported and published in the literatures. Regardless of these findings, the more important task is to monitor and control humans from being exposed to aflatoxin. The enforcement of law is insufficient to minimize human exposure to aflatoxin. Preventive strategies include agricultural, dietary and clinical measures should be implemented. With the current research on aflatoxin in Malaysia, a global networking for research collaboration is needed to expand the knowledge and disseminate the information to the global

A mini review on aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia: past, present and future

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd-Redzwan, Sabran; Jamaluddin, Rosita; Abd.-Mutalib, Mohd Sokhini; Ahmad, Zuraini

2013-01-01

This mini review article described the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia, including its presence in the foodstuffs and the detection of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples. Historically, the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia can be dated in 1960s where an outbreak of disease in pig farms caused severe liver damage to the animals. Later, an aflatoxicosis case in Perak in 1988 was reported and caused death to 13 children, as up to 3 mg of aflatoxin was present in a single serving of contaminated noodles. Since then, extensive research on aflatoxin has been conducted in Malaysia. The food commodities such as peanuts, cereals, spices, and their products are the main commodities commonly found to be contaminated with aflatoxin. Surprisingly, some of the contaminated foods had levels greater than the permissible limit adopted by the Malaysian Food Regulation 1985. Besides, exposure assessment through the measurement of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples is still in its infancy stage. Nevertheless, some studies had reported the presence of these biomarkers. In fact, it is postulated that Malaysians are moderately exposed to aflatoxin compared to those high risk populations, where aflatoxin contamination in the diets is prevalent. Since the ingestion of aflatoxin could be the integral to the development of liver cancer, the incidence of cancer attributable by dietary aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia has also been reported and published in the literatures. Regardless of these findings, the more important task is to monitor and control humans from being exposed to aflatoxin. The enforcement of law is insufficient to minimize human exposure to aflatoxin. Preventive strategies include agricultural, dietary, and clinical measures should be implemented. With the current research on aflatoxin in Malaysia, a global networking for research collaboration is needed to expand the knowledge and disseminate the information to the global scientific community

[Appearance of aflatoxin M1 during the manufacture of Camembert cheese].

Science.gov (United States)

Frémy, J M; Roiland, J C

1979-01-01

Several classic cheese making of camembert are made from raw milk spiked with Aflatoxin M1. Three Aflatoxin levels 7.5 microgram/l, 3 microgram/l are used. In respective curds 35.6, 47.1 and 57.7% of Aflatoxin M1 are recovered and 64.4, 52.9 and 42.3% in respective whey. During the first 15 days of storage the Aflatoxin M1 content of different cheeses decrease respectively 25, 55, 75%. A similar experience is made with a milk contamined in Aflatoxin M1 C14 labelled. Same results are recovered, except about behaviour of Aflatoxin M1 in cheese: a same C14 activity is recovered during storage for 30 days.

Techniques used detection and quantification of aflatoxin M1 in milk

OpenAIRE

Adriana Frizzarin; Keila Maria Roncato Duarte

2012-01-01

Aflatoxin is a group of toxic substances produced by fungi, mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. It can be developed in agriculture products such as grains or processed food, when environment conditions of humidity and air humidity are favorable. Aflatoxins can be presented as several forms. In Milk, are called M1 and M2, resulting from aflatoxins B1 and B2 metabolism. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is classified as a possible carcinogen to humans, so the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in ...

Aflatoxins: A silent threat in developing countries

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Elias

2016-08-31

Aug 31, 2016 ... susceptibility and growth stage, insect and bird damage and presence of other fungi or ... regulation, exports of agricultural products particularly groundnuts from ... economic losses and estimation of the effects of aflatoxin on health will .... determination of aflatoxins [Thesis] Athens: University of Georgia.

Nanoparticle-based immunosensors and immunoassays for aflatoxins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xu; Niessner, Reinhard [Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair of Analytical Chemistry, Technische Universität München, Marchioninistrasse 17, D-81377 München (Germany); Tang, Dianping [Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, MOE & Fujian Province, Department of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108 (China); Knopp, Dietmar, E-mail: dietmar.knopp@ch.tum.de [Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair of Analytical Chemistry, Technische Universität München, Marchioninistrasse 17, D-81377 München (Germany)

2016-03-17

Aflatoxins are naturally existing mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, present in a wide range of food and feed products. Because of their extremely high toxicity and carcinogenicity, strict control of maximum residue levels of aflatoxins in foodstuff is set by many countries. In daily routine, different chromatographic methods are used almost exclusively. As supplement, in several companies enzyme immunoassay-based sample testing as primary screening is performed. Recently, nanomaterials such as noble metal nanoparticles, magnetic particles, carbon nanomaterials, quantum dots, and silica nanomaterials are increasingly utilized for aflatoxin determination to improve the sensitivity and simplify the detection. They are employed either as supports for the immobilization of biomolecules or as electroactive or optical labels for signal transduction and amplification. Several nanoparticle-based electrochemical, piezoelectric, optical, and immunodipstick assays for aflatoxins have been developed. In this review, we summarize these recent advances and illustrate novel concepts and promising applications in the field of food safety. - Highlights: • Novel concepts and promising applications of nanoparticle-based immunological methods for the determination of aflatoxins. • Inclusion of most important nanomaterials and hybrid nanostructures. • Inclusion of electrochemical, optical and mass-sensitive biosensors as well as optical and immunochromatographic assays.

Behavior of 14C aflatoxin M1 during camembert cheese making.

Science.gov (United States)

Fremy, J M; Roiland, J C; Gaymard, A

1990-01-01

Camembert cheeses are made from raw milk spiked with aflatoxin M1. Three aflatoxin M1 levels (7.5 micrograms/L, 3 micrograms/L, and 0.3 micrograms/L) are used. In curds 35.6, 47.1, and 57.7% of aflatoxin M1, respectively, are recovered, and in wheys 64.4, 52.9, and 42.3%, respectively, are recovered. During the first 15 days of storage, the aflatoxin M1 content of different cheeses decreases 25, 55, and 75%, respectively. A similar experiment is made with milk contaminated with 14C labeled aflatoxin M1. The same results are obtained, except for the behavior of aflatoxin M1 in cheese; the same 14C activity is recovered during storage for 30 days.

Reversal of aflatoxin induced liver damage by turmeric and curcumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Soni, K B; Rajan, A; Kuttan, R

1992-09-30

The effect of certain food additives on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus has been studied in vitro. Extracts of turmeric (Curcuma longa), garlic (Allium sativum) and asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida) inhibited the aflatoxin production considerably (more than 90%) at concentrations of 5-10 mg/ml. Similar results were also seen using butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole and ellagic acid at concentration 0.1 mM. Curcumin, the antioxidant principle from Curcuma longa did not have any effect on aflatoxin production. Turmeric and curcumin were also found to reverse the aflatoxin induced liver damage produced by feeding aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) (5 micrograms/day per 14 days) to ducklings. Fatty changes, necrosis and biliary hyperplasia produced by AFB1 were considerably reversed by these food additives.

Bioregulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis by unirradiated and irradiated conidia of Aspergillus flavus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, N.H.; Abu-Shady, M.R.; El-Fouly, M.Z.; Moussa, L.A.

1996-01-01

A sequential technique involving the transfer of mycelia from peptone-based, aflatoxin-non-supporting medium to glucose based, aflatoxin-supporting medium was used to study the effect of γ-irradiation on the regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis by Aspergillus flavus. Analysis indicated that irradiation at a dose of 1.00 kGy produced enhancement of aflatoxin biosynthesis in peptone-glucose mineral salt cultures with an increase of adenine nucleotide levels and fatty acid patterns of microsomes and mitochondria. The results suggest that aflatoxin synthesis is not regulated by the overall energy status of the fungal cell but that lipoperoxidation by γ-irradiation plays a role in aflatoxin biosynthesis

Aflatoxin Levels in Locally Grown Maize from Makueni District, Kenya

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: Investigations were carried out to determine aflatoxin levels in household maize in Makueni District and to correlate aflatoxin levels to maize drying and storage practices. Also, aflatoxin exposure in villages that reported aflatoxicosis cases in 2005 was compared with that in villages that did not report cases to ...

Ameliorating Effects of Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Functions, and Aflatoxin Residues in Ducks Fed Diets Contaminated with Aflatoxins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liyuan Zhang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 isolated from fish gut is very effective in detoxifying aflatoxins in feed and feed ingredients. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of B. subtilis ANSB060 on growth performance, body antioxidant functions, and aflatoxin residues in ducks fed moldy maize naturally contaminated with aflatoxins. A total of 1500 18-d-old male Cherry Valley ducks with similar body weight were randomly assigned to five treatments with six replicates of 50 ducks per repeat. The experiment design consisted of five dietary treatments labeled as C0 (basal diet containing 60% normal maize, M0 (basal diet containing 60% moldy maize contaminated with aflatoxins substituted for normal maize, M500, M1000, and M2000 (M0 +500, 1000 or 2000 g/t aflatoxin biodegradation preparation mainly consisted of B. subtilis ANSB060. The results showed that ducks fed 22.44 ± 2.46 μg/kg of AFB1 (M0 exhibited a decreasing tendency in average daily gain (ADG and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD activity in serum, and T-SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px activities in the liver significantly decreased along with the appearance of AFB1 and AFM1 compared with those in Group C0. The supplementation of B. subtilis ANSB060 into aflatoxin-contaminated diets increased the ADG of ducks (p > 0.05, significantly improved antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced aflatoxin accumulation in duck liver. In conclusion, Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 in diets showed an ameliorating effect to duck aflatoxicosis and may be a promising feed additive.

Ameliorating Effects of Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Functions, and Aflatoxin Residues in Ducks Fed Diets Contaminated with Aflatoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liyuan; Ma, Qiugang; Ma, Shanshan; Zhang, Jianyun; Jia, Ru; Ji, Cheng; Zhao, Lihong

2016-12-22

Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 isolated from fish gut is very effective in detoxifying aflatoxins in feed and feed ingredients. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of B. subtilis ANSB060 on growth performance, body antioxidant functions, and aflatoxin residues in ducks fed moldy maize naturally contaminated with aflatoxins. A total of 1500 18-d-old male Cherry Valley ducks with similar body weight were randomly assigned to five treatments with six replicates of 50 ducks per repeat. The experiment design consisted of five dietary treatments labeled as C0 (basal diet containing 60% normal maize), M0 (basal diet containing 60% moldy maize contaminated with aflatoxins substituted for normal maize), M500, M1000, and M2000 (M0 +500, 1000 or 2000 g/t aflatoxin biodegradation preparation mainly consisted of B. subtilis ANSB060). The results showed that ducks fed 22.44 ± 2.46 μg/kg of AFB₁ (M0) exhibited a decreasing tendency in average daily gain (ADG) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity in serum, and T-SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the liver significantly decreased along with the appearance of AFB₁ and AFM₁ compared with those in Group C0. The supplementation of B. subtilis ANSB060 into aflatoxin-contaminated diets increased the ADG of ducks ( p > 0.05), significantly improved antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced aflatoxin accumulation in duck liver. In conclusion, Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 in diets showed an ameliorating effect to duck aflatoxicosis and may be a promising feed additive.

Effect of temperature on aflatoxin production in Mucuna pruriens seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, A K; Chourasia, H K

1989-01-01

This paper describes the effect of temperature on the level of aflatoxin production in Mucuna pruriens seeds. The highest level of aflatoxin B1 (1.75 micrograms/g) was detected in the samples incubated at 25 degrees C for three weeks. At 20, 30, and 35 degrees C, aflatoxin levels were 0.30 to 0.56, 0.37 to 1.20, and 0.26 to 0.65 micrograms/g, respectively. The lowest concentration of aflatoxin B1 (0.10 to 0.29 microgram/g) was produced at 15 degrees C. PMID:2719482

Assessing the impact of aflatoxin consumption on animal health and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

They are toxic to humans, fish and many other animals, even in low concentrations. Susceptibility to aflatoxins varies by age, health status, species and other factors. Most research has focused on aflatoxins in maize or groundnuts and their impacts on human health. However, aflatoxins are found in other foods and can also ...

[Survey of aflatoxins contamination of foodstuffs and edible oil in Shenzhen].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ke; Qiu, Fen; Yang, Mei; Liang, Zhaohai; Zhou, Haitao

2013-07-01

To identify the aflatoxins contamination of foodstuffs and edible oil sold in Shenzhen. As research subjects stratified random sampling of 238 foodstuffs and edible oil, and applied with immuno-affinity column clean-up plus UPLC to determine the content of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2. Positive ratio of aflatoxin in rice, rice products, wheat flour, corn flour, edible oil were 35.3%, 33.8%, 13.9%, 46.7% and 24.5%,respectively. There were statistical differences between the positive ratio of aflatoxin in stereotypes packaged rice (26.5%) and bulk rice (56.3%) (chi2 = 11.6, P edible oil,respectively. The over standard rate of aflatoxin B1 was 5.66%, excessive samples were producted bulk and self-pressed peanut oil from unlicensed workshop. All the four kinds of aflatoxin were detected, while subtype B1 and B2 dominated aflatoxin contamination in the rice and edible oil samples. There are differences between in the northern and southern rice, and the same as in the stereotypes packaged and bulk rice sold at Shenzhen.

Effect of methionine and lactic acid bacteria as aflatoxin binder on broiler performance

Science.gov (United States)

Istiqomah, Lusty; Damayanti, Ema; Julendra, Hardi; Suryani, Ade Erma; Sakti, Awistaros Angger; Anggraeni, Ayu Septi

2017-06-01

The use of aflatoxin binder product based amino acids, lacic acid bacteria, and natural product gived the opportunity to be an alternative biological decontamination of aflatoxins. A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of aflatoxin binder administration (amino acid methionine and lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum G7)) as feed additive on broiler performance. In this study, 75 Lohmann unsexed day old chicks were distributed randomly into 5 units of cages, each filled with 15 broilers. Five cages were assigned into 5 treatments groups and fed with feed contained aflatoxin. The treatments as follow: P1 (aflatoxin feed without aflatoxin binder), P3 (aflatoxin feed + 0.8% of methionine + 1% of LAB), P4 (aflatoxin feed + 1.2% of methionine + 1% of LAB), P5 (aflatoxin feed + 1% of LAB), and K0 (commercial feed). The measurement of aflatoxin content in feed was performed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay method using AgraQuant® Total Aflatoxin Assay Romer Labs procedure. The experimental period was 35 days with feeding and drinking ad libitum. LAB was administered into drinking water, while methionine into feed. Vaccination program of Newcastle Disease (ND) was using active vaccine at 4 and 18 day old, while Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) was given at 8 day old. Parameter of body weight was observed weekly, while feed consumption noted daily. The result showed that aflatoxin in feed for 35 days period did not significantly affect the body weight gain and feed conversion. The lowest percentage of organ damage at 21 day old was found in P5 treatment (55%), while at 35day old was found in P4 treatment (64%). It could be concluded that technological process of detoxifying aflatoxin could be applied in an attempt to reduce the effect on the toxicity of aflatoxin in poultry feed.

Immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a potential aflatoxin decontaminating agent in pistachio nuts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Rahaie

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the binding ability of Saccharomayces cerevisiae to aflatoxin in pistachio nuts. The obtained results indicate that S. cerevisiae has an aflatoxin surface binding ability of 40% and 70% (with initial aflatoxin concentrations of 10 and 20 ppb in the exponential phase. Acid treatments increase this ability to approximately 60% and 73% for the two concentrations of aflatoxin, respectively. Heat treatments also enhance surface binding to 55% and 75%, respectively. Binding appears to be a physical phenomenon that saturates within the first 2-3 hours of the process. The obtained results indicate that yeast immobilization for toxin reduction on aflatoxin-contaminated pistachios had no effect on qualitative characteristics, such as color, texture, and peroxide value. Yeast cells, viable or nonviable, are effective for aflatoxin binding, and this property could lead to a promising solution to aflatoxin contamination in high-risk foods.

Potential economic losses to the US corn industry from aflatoxin contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Nicole J; Bowers, Erin; Hurburgh, Charles; Wu, Felicia

2016-01-01

Mycotoxins, toxins produced by fungi that colonise food crops, can pose a heavy economic burden to the US corn industry. In terms of economic burden, aflatoxins are the most problematic mycotoxins in US agriculture. Estimates of their market impacts are important in determining the benefits of implementing mitigation strategies within the US corn industry, and the value of strategies to mitigate mycotoxin problems. Additionally, climate change may cause increases in aflatoxin contamination in corn, greatly affecting the economy of the US Midwest and all sectors in the United States and worldwide that rely upon its corn production. We propose two separate models for estimating the potential market loss to the corn industry from aflatoxin contamination, in the case of potential near-future climate scenarios (based on aflatoxin levels in Midwest corn in warm summers in the last decade). One model uses the probability of acceptance based on operating characteristic (OC) curves for aflatoxin sampling and testing, while the other employs partial equilibrium economic analysis, assuming no Type 1 or Type 2 errors, to estimate losses due to proportions of lots above the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) aflatoxin action levels. We estimate that aflatoxin contamination could cause losses to the corn industry ranging from US$52.1 million to US$1.68 billion annually in the United States, if climate change causes more regular aflatoxin contamination in the Corn Belt as was experienced in years such as 2012. The wide range represents the natural variability in aflatoxin contamination from year to year in US corn, with higher losses representative of warmer years.

Potential economic losses to the USA corn industry from aflatoxin contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, N.J.; Bowers, E.; Hurburgh, C.; Wu, F.

2016-01-01

Mycotoxins, toxins produced by fungi that colonize food crops, can pose a heavy economic burden to the United States corn industry. In terms of economic burden, aflatoxins are the most problematic mycotoxins in US agriculture. Estimates of their market impacts are important in determining the benefits of implementing mitigation strategies within the US corn industry, and the value of strategies to mitigate mycotoxin problems. Additionally, climate change may cause increases in aflatoxin contamination in corn, greatly affecting the economy of the US Midwest and all sectors in the US and worldwide that rely upon its corn production. We propose two separate models for estimating the potential market loss to the corn industry from aflatoxin contamination, in the case of potential near-future climate scenarios (based on aflatoxin levels in Midwest corn in warm summers in the last decade). One model uses probability of acceptance based on operating characteristic (OC) curves for aflatoxin sampling and testing, while the other employs partial equilibrium economic analysis, assuming no Type 1 or Type 2 errors, to estimate losses due to proportions of lots above the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aflatoxin action levels. We estimate that aflatoxin contamination could cause losses to the corn industry ranging from $52.1 million to $1.68 billion annually in the United States, if climate change causes more regular aflatoxin contamination in the Corn Belt as was experienced in years such as 2012. The wide range represents the natural variability in aflatoxin contamination from year to year in US corn, with higher losses representative of warmer years. PMID:26807606

A review of agricultural aflatoxin management strategies and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. Aflatoxin contamination of food and animal feeds is, therefore, a major food security, food safety, trade, human and domestic animal health concern. Researchers worldwide have suggested various ...

Cost-Effectiveness of Aflatoxin Control Methods: Economic Incentives

Science.gov (United States)

Multiple sectors in U.S. crop industries – growers, elevators, handlers/shellers, processors, distributors, and consumers – are affected by aflatoxin contamination of commodities, and have the potential to control it. Aflatoxin control methods at both preharvest and postharvest levels have been dev...

Hepatitis infections, aflatoxin and hepatocellular carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre Hainaut

2007-02-01

Full Text Available

The incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC show large geographic variations, globally reflecting the prevalence of two main aetiologic factors, hepatitis B (HBV and/or C (HCV virus infection and exposure to high levels of aflatoxin in the diet (Chen et al. 1997. The highest incidence rates are observed in regions where most of the population is exposed to both factors, such as in parts of eastern Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa (Parkin et al. 2001. These high incidences are consistent with the fact that HBV chronicity and exposure to aflatoxin have a multiplicative effect of risk for HCC. Depending on aetiology and geographic area, mutations in TP53 show striking differences in prevalence and pattern. In Europe and the US, where alcohol is a major risk factor in addition to viral infections, mutations occur in about 25% of HCC and show as much diversity in their type and codon position as in most other epithelial cancers. However, in high incidence areas such as Mozambique, Senegal, The Gambia (Africa and Qidong county (China, TP53 is mutated in over 50% of the cases and the vast majority of these mutations are a single missense, hotspot mutation at codon 249, AGG to AGT, resulting in the substitution of arginine into serine (249ser. This mutation is uncommon in regions where aflatoxin is not present at significant levels in the diet. In areas of intermediate exposure to aflatoxin, as for example in Thailand, the prevalence of the 249ser mutation is intermediate between high- and low-incidence areas. Thus, there is a dose-dependent relationship between exposure to aflatoxin, incidence of HCC and prevalence of 249ser mutation. Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by several varieties of molds, mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticum. These molds contaminate a wide range of traditional agricultural products in countries

Techniques used detection and quantification of aflatoxin M1 in milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Frizzarin

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin is a group of toxic substances produced by fungi, mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. It can be developed in agriculture products such as grains or processed food, when environment conditions of humidity and air humidity are favorable. Aflatoxins can be presented as several forms. In Milk, are called M1 and M2, resulting from aflatoxins B1 and B2 metabolism. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is classified as a possible carcinogen to humans, so the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk of lactating cows is a public health issue, and because of its importance several techniques are used for its detection and quantification. These techniques include the physical-chemical as thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography and the biological techniques including immunoassays such as RIA and ELISA. This review aimed to present the techniques used to quantify aflatoxins M1 and M2 in milk and dairy products.

Reduction of Aflatoxins in Apricot Kernels by Electronic and Manual Color Sorting

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Rosanna Zivoli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The efficacy of color sorting on reducing aflatoxin levels in shelled apricot kernels was assessed. Naturally-contaminated kernels were submitted to an electronic optical sorter or blanched, peeled, and manually sorted to visually identify and sort discolored kernels (dark and spotted from healthy ones. The samples obtained from the two sorting approaches were ground, homogenized, and analysed by HPLC-FLD for their aflatoxin content. A mass balance approach was used to measure the distribution of aflatoxins in the collected fractions. Aflatoxin B1 and B2 were identified and quantitated in all collected fractions at levels ranging from 1.7 to 22,451.5 µg/kg of AFB1 + AFB2, whereas AFG1 and AFG2 were not detected. Excellent results were obtained by manual sorting of peeled kernels since the removal of discolored kernels (2.6%–19.9% of total peeled kernels removed 97.3%–99.5% of total aflatoxins. The combination of peeling and visual/manual separation of discolored kernels is a feasible strategy to remove 97%–99% of aflatoxins accumulated in naturally-contaminated samples. Electronic optical sorter gave highly variable results since the amount of AFB1 + AFB2 measured in rejected fractions (15%–18% of total kernels ranged from 13% to 59% of total aflatoxins. An improved immunoaffinity-based HPLC-FLD method having low limits of detection for the four aflatoxins (0.01–0.05 µg/kg was developed and used to monitor the occurrence of aflatoxins in 47 commercial products containing apricot kernels and/or almonds commercialized in Italy. Low aflatoxin levels were found in 38% of the tested samples and ranged from 0.06 to 1.50 μg/kg for AFB1 and from 0.06 to 1.79 μg/kg for total aflatoxins.

Reduced Graphene Oxide-Gold Nanoparticle Nanoframework as a Highly Selective Separation Material for Aflatoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wenbo; Wu, Lidong; Fan, Kai; Nie, Dongxia; He, Weijing; Yang, Junhua; Zhao, Zhihui; Han, Zheng

2017-11-03

Graphene-based materials have been studied in many applications, owing to the excellent electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of graphene. In the current study, an environmentally friendly approach to the preparation of a reduced graphene oxide-gold nanoparticle (rGO-AuNP) nanocomposite was developed by using L-cysteine and vitamin C as reductants under mild reaction conditions. The rGO-AuNP material showed a highly selective separation ability for 6 naturally occurring aflatoxins, which are easily adsorbed onto traditional graphene materials but are difficult to be desorbed. The specificity of the nanocomposite was evaluated in the separation of 6 aflatoxin congeners (aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1, aflatoxin G2, aflatoxin M1 and aflatoxin M2) from 23 other biotoxins (including, ochratoxin A, citrinin, and deoxynivalenol). The results indicated that this material was specific for separating aflatoxin congeners. The synthesized material was further validated by determining the recovery (77.6-105.0%), sensitivity (limit of detection in the range of 0.05-0.21 μg kg -1 ), and precision (1.5-11.8%), and was then successfully applied to the separation of aflatoxins from real-world maize, wheat and rice samples.

A quantitative method for determination of aflatoxin B in roasted corn.

Science.gov (United States)

Shannon, G M; Shotwell, O L

1975-07-01

Roasting aflatoxin-contaminated corn will reduce toxin levels. A quantitative analysis for aflatoxin in roasted corn has been developed by modifying a cleanup technique for green coffee extracts approved as official first action by the AOAC. A chloroform extract is partially purified on a Florisil column, and thin layer chromatographic (TLC) plates are developed with methylene chloride-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol-formic acid (81+15+3+1). Recoveries average 101% and the sensitivity limit is 5 ppb aflatoxin B1. A 2-dimensional TLC procedure can also be used to separate the aflatoxins from background interferences.

Aflatoxin contamination of groundnut and maize in Zambia: observed and potential concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kachapulula, P W; Akello, J; Bandyopadhyay, R; Cotty, P J

2017-06-01

The aims of the study were to quantify aflatoxins, the potent carcinogens associated with stunting and immune suppression, in maize and groundnut across Zambia's three agroecologies and to determine the vulnerability to aflatoxin increases after purchase. Aflatoxin concentrations were determined for 334 maize and groundnut samples from 27 districts using lateral-flow immunochromatography. Seventeen per cent of crops from markets contained aflatoxin concentrations above allowable levels in Zambia (10 μg kg -1 ). Proportions of crops unsafe for human consumption differed significantly (P agroecologies with more contamination (38%) in the warmest (Agroecology I) and the least (8%) in cool, wet Agroecology III. Aflatoxin in groundnut (39 μg kg -1 ) and maize (16 μg kg -1 ) differed (P = 0·032). Poor storage (31°C, 100% RH, 1 week) increased aflatoxin in safe crops by over 1000-fold in both maize and groundnut. The L morphotype of Aspergillus flavus was negatively correlated with postharvest increases in groundnut. Aflatoxins are common in Zambia's food staples with proportions of unsafe crops dependent on agroecology. Fungal community structure influences contamination suggesting Zambia would benefit from biocontrol with atoxigenic A. flavus. Aflatoxin contamination across the three agroecologies of Zambia is detailed and the case for aflatoxin management with atoxigenic biocontrol agents provided. The first method for evaluating the potential for aflatoxin increase after purchase is presented. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Journal of Applied Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Destruction of Aflatoxins in Contaminated Maize Samples using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

alice

prevailing temperatures are high and favored by warmth and high humidity [6]. According to estimates of Food and Agriculture Organization. (FAO) about 25% of the world's food crops are affected by aflatoxin contamination every year. [7]. Although aflatoxins are frequent contaminants of a wide variety of cereal grains and.

Dietary exposure to aflatoxin in human male infertility in Benin City, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibeh, I N; Uraih, N; Ogonar, J I

1994-01-01

To discover the relationship between aflatoxin levels, if any, in serum of infertile men in comparison with random controls from the community. In a parallel experiment, adult male rats were given an aflatoxin-contaminated diet. 100 adult males, yielding 50 semen samples, from men attending Infertility Clinics at a university teaching hospital and 50 normal men in the same community. The staple foods of the men were assayed for aflatoxin content. The rats were given the aflatoxin-rich diet, and their spermatozoa were examined and their ability to reproduce assessed. A random sampling of semen from 100 adult males comprising 50 samples drawn from infertile men and 50 drawn from normal individuals within the same community revealed the presence of aflatoxins in 20 semen samples from the infertile group (40.0%) and four samples from the fertile group (8.0%). The mean aflatoxin concentrations were 1.660 +/- 0.04 micrograms/mL (infertile men) and 1.041 +/- 0.01 micrograms/mL (fertile men). Infertile men with aflatoxin in their semen showed a higher percentage of spermatozoal abnormality (50.0%) than the fertile men (10.0-15.0%). Dietary exposure of adult male Albino rats to aflatoxin (8.5 micrograms AF1/g of Guinea growers feed for 14 days) produced deleterious effects on the spermatozoa of the affected rats, producing features that resemble those seen in semen of infertile men exposed to aflatoxin.

THE ROLE OF POSTHARVEST MACHINERIES AND PACKAGING IN MINIMIZING AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN PEANUT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raffi Paramawati

2016-10-01

Full Text Available As a tropical country with relatively high humidity and temperature, Indonesia is struggling with aflatoxin which frequently contaminates peanut. Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic toxic substance that could cause liver cancer. Due to the increasing concern on food safety, the Indonesian Drugs and Foods Agency specifies the maximum aflatoxin allowed in peanut as much as 20 ppb. However, researches showed that aflatoxin contamination in peanut in Indonesia is much higher than the threshold. The study was carried out to observe the effect of using postharvest machineries and packaging  treatments on aflatoxin contamination in peanut. Reduction of postharvest processes was conducted by using series of machineries, e.g. thresher, dryer, and sheller. Packaging treatments, e.g. vacuum plastic pack, hermetic glass chamber, and polyethylene (PE plastic wrap were carried out during storage at ambient temperature (25-27°C. The results showed that using machineries in postharvest handling produced peanut free from aflatoxin contamination. However, without effective packaging, the aflatoxin level would increase during storage. Hermetic packaging could protect peanut from the mold as indicated by low level of aflatoxin contamination.

Two new aflatoxin producing species, and an overview of Aspergillus section Flavi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Varga, J.; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Samson, R. A.

2011-01-01

this section. The data indicate that Aspergillus section Flavi involves 22 species, which can be grouped into seven clades. Two new species, A. pseudocaelatus sp. nov. and A. pseudonomius sp. nov. have been discovered, and can be distinguished from other species in this section based on sequence data...... and extrolite profiles. Aspergillus pseudocaelatus is represented by a single isolate collected from Arachis burkartii leaf in Argentina, is closely related to the non-aflatoxin producing A. caelatus, and produces aflatoxins B & G, cyclopiazonic acid and kojic acid, while A. pseudonomius was isolated from...... insects and soil in the USA. This species is related to A. nomius, and produces aflatoxin B-1 (but not G-type aflatoxins), chrysogine and kojic acid. In order to prove the aflatoxin producing abilities of the isolates, phylogenetic analysis of three genes taking part in aflatoxin biosynthesis, including...

Biotechnological advances for combating Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination in crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar-Mathur, Pooja; Sunkara, Sowmini; Bhatnagar-Panwar, Madhurima; Waliyar, Farid; Sharma, Kiran Kumar

2015-05-01

Aflatoxins are toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and immunosuppressive byproducts of Aspergillus spp. that contaminate a wide range of crops such as maize, peanut, and cotton. Aflatoxin not only affects crop production but renders the produce unfit for consumption and harmful to human and livestock health, with stringent threshold limits of acceptability. In many crops, breeding for resistance is not a reliable option because of the limited availability of genotypes with durable resistance to Aspergillus. Understanding the fungal/crop/environment interactions involved in aflatoxin contamination is therefore essential in designing measures for its prevention and control. For a sustainable solution to aflatoxin contamination, research must be focused on identifying and improving knowledge of host-plant resistance factors to aflatoxin accumulation. Current advances in genetic transformation, proteomics, RNAi technology, and marker-assisted selection offer great potential in minimizing pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination in cultivated crop species. Moreover, developing effective phenotyping strategies for transgenic as well as precision breeding of resistance genes into commercial varieties is critical. While appropriate storage practices can generally minimize post-harvest aflatoxin contamination in crops, the use of biotechnology to interrupt the probability of pre-harvest infection and contamination has the potential to provide sustainable solution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of aflatoxin and cyclopiazonic acid production in Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Nam Yeun; Lee, Jin Hee; Lee, Inhyung; Ji, Geun Eog

2014-06-01

To date, edible fungi such as Aspergillus flavus var. oryzae (A. oryzae) has been considered as safe. However, some strains can produce mycotoxins. Thus, the biosynthetic ability to produce mycotoxins should be reevaluated to determine the safety of edible fungi. We analyzed the production of aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) from edible fungi such as A. oryzae isolated from various Korean foods using multiplex PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the multiplex PCR analysis of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes omtB, aflR, ver-1, and omtA, 5 of 19 Aspergillus strains produced all PCR products. Among them, aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin B2 were detected from only A. flavus KACC 41403 by HPLC. Aflatoxins were not detected from the other four strains that produced all positive PCR bands. Aflatoxin also was not detected from 12 strains that had PCR patterns without aflR or ver-1 and from 2 strains that did not produce any of the expected PCR products. Only the seven A. oryzae strains that produced all of the positive PCR bands including the CPA biosynthetic genes maoA, dmaT, and pks-nrps produced CPA. CPA and aflatoxin production must be evaluated before A. oryzae strains are used for the development of fermented foods.

Emericella astellata, a new producer of aflatoxin B-1, B-2 and sterigmatocystin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Samson, R.A.; Smedsgaard, Jørn

2004-01-01

To report on aflatoxin B-1 and B-2 production from a species of Emericella. Methods and Results: Aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection and confirmed by HPLC with mass spectrometry detection. Among 30 known species...... of Emericella only one species produced aflatoxin. Strains originating from the same geographical source material had different patterns of aflatoxin and sterigmatocystin production on different media, indicating that epigenetic factors may be involved in the regulation of aflatoxin production. However, two...

Banana peel: an effective biosorbent for aflatoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Shar, Zahid Hussain; Fletcher, Mary T; Sumbal, Gul Amer; Sherazi, Syed Tufail Hussain; Giles, Cindy; Bhanger, Muhammad Iqbal; Nizamani, Shafi Muhammad

2016-05-01

This work reports the application of banana peel as a novel bioadsorbent for in vitro removal of five mycotoxins (aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2) and ochratoxin A). The effect of operational parameters including initial pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and temperature were studied in batch adsorption experiments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and point of zero charge (pHpzc) analysis were used to characterise the adsorbent material. Aflatoxins' adsorption equilibrium was achieved in 15 min, with highest adsorption at alkaline pH (6-8), while ochratoxin has not shown any significant adsorption due to surface charge repulsion. The experimental equilibrium data were tested by Langmuir, Freundlich and Hill isotherms. The Langmuir isotherm was found to be the best fitted model for aflatoxins, and the maximum monolayer coverage (Q0) was determined to be 8.4, 9.5, 0.4 and 1.1 ng mg(-1) for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 respectively. Thermodynamic parameters including changes in free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) were determined for the four aflatoxins. Free energy change and enthalpy change demonstrated that the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. Adsorption and desorption study at different pH further demonstrated that the sorption of toxins was strong enough to sustain pH changes that would be experienced in the gastrointestinal tract. This study suggests that biosorption of aflatoxins by dried banana peel may be an effective low-cost decontamination method for incorporation in animal feed diets.

Analysis of cocoa products for ochratoxin A and aflatoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Turcotte, Anne-Marie; Scott, Peter M; Tague, Brett

2013-08-01

Eighty-five samples of cocoa products sampled in Canada were analysed for ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins in 2011-2012. Inclusion of the aflatoxins in this survey required additional method development. Chocolate was extracted with methanol-water plus NaCl, while for cocoa two successive extractions with methanol and methanol-water were made. Extracts were cleaned on an AflaOchra immunoaffinity column (IAC). Determination was by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Detection of the aflatoxins was with a post-column photochemical reactor and of OTA by fluorescence detection. Mean limits of quantification (LOQ) of chocolate and cocoa powders were 0.16 ng/g (OTA) and 0.07 ng/g (aflatoxin B1), respectively. Survey results showed that the incidences of OTA above the LOQ in natural cocoa were 15/15 (mean 1.17 ng/g), 20/21 for alkalized cocoa (mean 1.06 ng/g), 9/9 for baking chocolate (mean 0.49 ng/g), 20/20 for dark chocolate (mean 0.39 ng/g), 7/10 for milk chocolate (mean 0.19 ng/g), 5/5 for cocoa liquor (mean 0.43 ng/g), and 0/5 for cocoa butter. These results confirm our previous work with OTA. In the same samples, incidences of aflatoxin B1 above the LOQ were 14/15 for natural cocoa (mean 0.86 ng/g), 20/21 for alkalized cocoa (mean 0.37 ng/g), 7/9 for baking chocolate (mean 0.22 ng/g), 16/20 for dark chocolate (mean 0.19 ng/g), 7/10 for milk chocolate (mean 0.09 ng/g), 4/5 for cocoa liquor (mean 0.43 ng/g), and 0/5 for cocoa butter. Both aflatoxins and OTA were confirmed by HPLC-MS/MS when OTA or aflatoxin levels found were above 2 ng/g in cocoa.

Characterization of metabolites from a strain of Aspergillus flavus accumulating aflatoxin B2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutton, M.F.

1985-01-01

A number of aflatoxins and anthraquinone pigments were isolated from a strain of Aspergillus flavus, several of which were fully characterized. The major metabolites isolated were aflatoxin B 2 and versicolorin C, which are normally only found as minor products from species of the genus Aspergillus. The identification of these products supports the proposal that aflatoxin B 2 can arise independently of aflatoxin B 1 and that, in this case, the branch in the pathway occurs at the versicolorins. Other metabolites charaterized were aflatoxin M 2 , norsolorinic acid, and averufin

Inhibitory effect of essential oil on aflatoxin activities | Alpsoy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxins, which are well-known to be mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, hepatotoxic and immunosuppressive, also inhibit several metabolic systems. Aflatoxins are biologically active secondary metabolites produced by certain strains of Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus nominus and Aspergillus flavus. Many different ...

The case for aflatoxins in the causal chain of gallbladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Foerster, Claudia; Koshiol, Jill; Guerrero, Ariel R; Kogan, Marcelo J; Ferreccio, Catterina

2016-01-01

Chronic aflatoxin exposure has long been related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, its association with gallbladder cancer (GBC) was postulated. Here we present the data supporting this hypothesis in Chile, the country with the highest GBC mortality worldwide with age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) of 10.3 in women and 5.04 in men. The highest GBC rates occur in Southern Chile (ASMR=18), characterized by: high Amerindian ancestry, associated with high bile acid synthesis and gallstones; high poverty and high cereal agriculture, both associated with aflatoxin exposure. Aflatoxins have been detected in imported and locally grown foods items. We estimated population dietary exposure ranging from 0.25 to 35.0 ng/kg-body weight/day. The only report on human exposure in Chile found significantly more aflatoxin biomarkers in GBC than in controls (Odds Ratio=13.0). The hypothesis of aflatoxin-GBC causal link in the Chilean population is supported by: genetically-determined rapid cholesterol excretion and high gallstones prevalence (49.4%); low prevalence of HCC (ASMR=4.9) and low HBV infection (0.15%) the main co-factor of aflatoxins in HCC risk. If the association between aflatoxins and GBC were confirmed, public health interventions based on food regulation could have a substantial public health impact. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational exposure to Aspergillus and aflatoxins among food-grain workers in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Abida; Ali, Sana; Shahid, Mohd; Bhargava, Rakesh

2014-01-01

Aflatoxins are a metabolite of Aspergillus molds and are widespread in the natural environment. Workers who handle food grains are at increased risk of exposure to aflatoxins and subsequently certain respiratory conditions. In India, more than half of the employed population is engaged in some type of agricultural work, yet little known about the respiratory problems as a result of exposure to aflatoxins among workers who handle food grains in India. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of occupational exposure to aflatoxins in food-grain workers compared to workers who are not occupationally exposed to food grains. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and serum samples from 46 food-grain workers and 44 non-food-grain workers were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxins. Microscopy and culture of BAL samples were performed to detect Aspergillus species. Aflatoxins were detected in 32·6% of the food-grain workers and 9·1% of non food grain workers (Pworkers and 11·4% of non-food-grain workers had chronic respiratory symptoms. Occupational exposure to aflatoxins in food-grain workers was found to be associated with the increased presence of respiratory symptoms.

The rate of Aflatoxin contamination of bread losses in Lorestan provinces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

nader Azadbakht

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Azadbakht N1, Khosravinegad K2, Tarrahi MJ3 1. MSc in plant pathology, Khorramabad, Iran 2. BSc in livestock sciences, Khorramabad, Iran 3. Instrustor, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences , Khorramabad, Iran Abstract Background: Aflatoxins belong to a group of toxins called mycotoxins that infection with them can cause complications in humans such as immunity weakness, lung syndrome, liver cancer, esophagus cancer and hemagglutination, and are inhibitor of RNA and protein, as well as cause numorous complications in genital, respiratory and the digestive systems and because of their poisoning and carcinogenic and tumorigenic properties, cause numorous complications in livestock. This research was carried out to determine the rate of Aflatoxine contamination of bread losses in Lorestan province and its comparison with standard levels reported by WHO and FAO. Materials and methods: This study was done by field and laboratory method on 180 samples of losses dried bread in 2009 with randomized distribution in Lorestan provine and detection of samples contamination to aflatoxin was done by HPLC floresence apparatus. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (α=5%. Results: The median rate of types of aflatoxin: B1,B2,G1 and G2 total types of aflatoxin in bread losses (infected, semi-infected and safe in Lorestan were 22.5304,2.4369,0.1923,0.1022 and 25.2636 (µg/kg. Average of minimum and maximum infection to aflatoxin with all types of aflatoxin belonged to Khorramabad (42.9403 and 47.7153 µg/kg and Borujerd (1.8611 and 1.9833 respectively. Average rate of aflatoxin type B1 in infected, semi-infected and safe bread are 64.0536, 1.9167, 0.5629 (µg/kg and average rate of all types of aflatoxin in infected, and safe breads were: 72.0257,1.9990 and 05753 (µg/kg. Also rate of aflatoxin B1 in 29 out of 180 samples are more than standard level and total rate of different types of aflatoxin in 18 samples were

Aflatoxin production by Aspergillus Flavus on irradiated and non-irradiated stored egyptian bread

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elbazza, Z.E.; Mahmoud, M.I.; Fahd, M.E.; Abu Seif, F.A.

1986-01-01

Aflatoxins production by Aspergillus Flavus isolate on several types of egyptian bread samples through a period of 45 days at different temperatures reveled that there was detectable fungal growth but no aflatoxins were produced at 5±1 degree or 37 degree. At 25 degree or 30 degree aflatoxin were produced after 5-6 days on the different bread types. Gamma irradiation of kaiser bread, previously inoculated with Aspergillus Flavus, reduced the amount of aflatoxins produced on subsequent storage for 8 weeks at 26±1 degree. The 5 KGy dose eliminated fungal growth and aflatoxin production. 4 tab

A mini review on aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia: past, present and future

OpenAIRE

Mohd-Redzwan, Sabran; Jamaluddin, Rosita; Abd.-Mutalib, Mohd Sokhini; Ahmad, Zuraini

2013-01-01

This mini review article described the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia, including its presence in the foodstuffs and the detection of aflatoxin biomarkers in human biological samples. Historically, the exposure of aflatoxin in Malaysia can be dated in 1960s where an outbreak of disease in pig farms caused severe liver damage to the animals. Later, an aflatoxicosis case in Perak in 1988 was reported and caused death to 13 children, as up to 3 mg of aflatoxin was present in a single serving o...

Aflatoxin exposure among young children in urban low-income ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Populations in tropical and subtropical developing countries are exposed to largely uncontrolled levels of aflatoxins through food. These countries (especially in Africa and Asia) also present a high prevalence of stunting. Studies have reported an association between aflatoxin exposure and growth impairment in children ...

Prevalence of aflatoxin in feeds and cow milk from five counties in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This may contribute to ill health effects in both humans and animals and, therefore, there is need for better understanding of the impacts of aflatoxins in the feed–dairy value chain and appropriate interventions to control aflatoxin contamination in animal feeds. Keywords: aflatoxins, feeds, dairy cattle, milk, Kenya, dairy value ...

Translational step inhibited in vivo by aflatoxin B1 in rat-liver polysomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarasin, A.; Moule, Y.

1975-01-01

Aflatoxin B 1 strongly inhibits protein synthesis in rat liver cells. This paper confirms the foregoing results and represents an attempt to localize the translational step inhibited in vivo by aflatoxin B 1 . We used the simulation study developed by Li, Kisilevsky, Wasan and Hammond, 1972 (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 272, 451-462) to determine precisely the site inhibited in vivo after drug intoxication. This analysis is based on two parameters: the kinetics of polysome labeling to follow the nascent peptide synthesis, and the kinetics of supernatant labeling to follow the completed protein synthesis. Up to 5 h after dosing, aflatoxin specifically inhibits the elongation and/or termination steps during protein synthesis; after longer periods of time inhibition occurs essentially at the initiation step. When the intracellular concentration of aflatoxin is too high, particularly 2 h after dosing, each step of protein synthesis is blocked. Polypeptide synthesis by the postmitochondrial supernatants isolated from aflatoxin-treated animals is impaired in the same proportion as protein synthesis in vivo. The damage caused by aflatoxin is mostly observed on microsomes. However, purified polysomes isolated from aflatoxin-treated rats synthesize proteins in vitro to the same extent as those from controls. These results suggest that aflatoxin metabolite(s) are bound to polysomes with noncovalent bonds. These active metabolites are probably lost during polysome isolation procedures. Finally, relationships between protein metabolism and aflatoxin carcinogenesis are discussed. (orig./BSC) [de

Aflatoxin contamination of maize from different storage locations in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akrobortu, Dick Emmanuel

2008-05-01

The contamination of maize by aflatoxins in Ghana is of major concern because of the health hazards associated with it. This study focused on the role played by variations in climatic factors such as relative humidity and rainfall on aflatoxin contamination of maize in different maize storage locations. The study was carried out on samples collected over a period of 10 years (1990 to 1999) in three Districts (Ejura-Sekyedumase, Afram Plains/North-Kwahu and Nkoranza) well – known for maize production in Ghana. The aim was to study the influence of storage locations on levels of aflatoxin contamination and distribution in maize. The findings indicated that significant difference exists between the aflatoxin contamination levels of samples collected from Ejura-Sekyedumase and Nkoranza (p<0.05). Also there was a significant difference between the aflatoxin contamination levels of samples collected from Ejura-Sekyedumase and North-Kwahu (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the contamination levels of samples from North- Kwahu and Nkoranza (p>0.05). The total aflatoxin levels in samples from Ejura-Sekyedumase, North-Kwahu and Nkoranza over the period were 120.50 ppb, 153.20 ppb and 134.17 ppb respectively. For the period 1990 to 1999 the aflatoxin distributions in the storage locations showed that Nkoranza had the highest level in 1997 and 1999 while North-Kwahu had the highest in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1998. Similarly, Nkoranza and North-Kwahu had equal levels of 10.50 ppb in 1995. The three locations had equal levels of 9.50 ppb in 1994. On the whole, Ejura-Sekyedumase had fair distribution levels since it was the only location with its highest level far below the acceptable level of 20 ppb for humans. I hereby recommend that further research must be conducted in other districts in the country in order to create awareness of the health hazards associated with the aflatoxin contamination. (au)

Application of commercial RIA kit in investigating milk contamination with M1 aflatoxin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukal, L.

1988-01-01

Measured were samples of commercially sold milk produced by two Czech dairies and samples of unprocessed cow's milk from three farms. The determination of aflatoxin M 1 in liquid milk was carried out with a RIA-test-aflatoxin M 1 B 1 kit. The range of the calibration curve of the kit is 0.06 to 2.0 μg/l. In samples of commercially sold milk a higher share of aflatoxin M 1 free samples was found (93%) and 7% samples contained 0.050 to 0.1 μg aflatoxin/l. The dilution effect was manifest in commercially sold milk. On the other hand in 7% samples of raw milk aflatoxin concentration exceeded the limits set by hygiene inspection bodies for consumption by infants. The detected aflatoxin concentrations are compared with data from abroad. (E.S.). 2 tabs., 13 refs

Comparative Analysis of Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize in Two ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Aflatoxicosis resulting from consumption of contaminated maize poses a significant public health problem in many countries including Kenya, and many people living in developing countries could be chronically exposed to aflatoxin through their diet. It is caused by Aflatoxins produced by fungus of species ...

Determination of aflatoxins in by-products of industrial processing of cocoa beans.

Science.gov (United States)

Copetti, Marina V; Iamanaka, Beatriz T; Pereira, José Luiz; Lemes, Daniel P; Nakano, Felipe; Taniwaki, Marta H

2012-01-01

This study has examined the occurrence of aflatoxins in 168 samples of different fractions obtained during the processing of cocoa in manufacturing plants (shell, nibs, mass, butter, cake and powder) using an optimised methodology for cocoa by-products. The method validation was based on selectivity, linearity, limit of detection and recovery. The method was shown to be adequate for use in quantifying the contamination of cocoa by aflatoxins B(1), B(2), G(1) and G(2). Furthermore, the method was easier to use than other methods available in the literature. For aflatoxin extraction from cocoa samples, a methanol-water solution was used, and then immunoaffinity columns were employed for clean-up before the determination by high-performance liquid chromatography. A survey demonstrated a widespread occurrence of aflatoxins in cocoa by-products, although in general the levels of aflatoxins present in the fractions from industrial processing of cocoa were low. A maximum aflatoxin contamination of 13.3 ng g(-1) was found in a nib sample. The lowest contamination levels were found in cocoa butter. Continued monitoring of aflatoxins in cocoa by-products is nevertheless necessary because these toxins have a high toxicity to humans and cocoa is widely consumed by children through cocoa-containing products, like candies.

Aflatoxin B1 producing potential of Aspergillus flavus strains isolated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-07-20

Jul 20, 2009 ... consumption of aflatoxin contaminated food and feed. (Reddy and ..... intervals by artificial inoculation of A. parasiticus on rice grains. ... additive for culture media for rapid identification of aflatoxin producing. Aspergillus strains ...

Fungi, aflatoxins, and cyclopiazonic acid associated with peanut retailing in Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Mphande, Fingani A; Siame, Bupe A; Taylor, Joanne E

2004-01-01

Peanuts are important food commodities, but they are susceptible to fungal infestation and mycotoxin contamination. Raw peanuts were purchased from retail outlets in Botswana and examined for fungi and mycotoxin (aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid) contamination. Zygomycetes were the most common fungi isolated; they accounted for 41% of all the isolates and were found on 98% of the peanut samples. Among the Zygomycetes, Absidia corymbifera and Rhizopus stolonifer were the most common. Aspergillus spp. accounted for 35% of all the isolates, with Aspergillus niger being the most prevalent (20.4%). Aspergillus flavus/parasiticus were also present and accounted for 8.5% of all the isolates, with A. flavus accounting for the majority of the A. flavus/parasiticus identified. Of the 32 isolates of A. flavus screened for mycotoxin production, 11 did not produce detectable aflatoxins, 8 produced only aflatoxins B1 and B2, and 13 produced all four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in varying amounts. Only 6 of the A. flavus isolates produced cyclopiazonic acid at concentrations ranging from 1 to 55 microg/kg. The one A. parasiticus isolate screened also produced all the four aflatoxins (1,200 microg/kg) but did not produce cyclopiazonic acid. When the raw peanut samples (n = 120) were analyzed for total aflatoxins, 78% contained aflatoxins at concentrations ranging from 12 to 329 microg/kg. Many of the samples (49%) contained total aflatoxins at concentrations above the 20 microg/kg limit set by the World Health Organization. Only 21% (n = 83) of the samples contained cyclopiazonic acid with concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 microg/kg. The results show that mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi are common contaminants of peanuts sold at retail in Botswana.

Aflatoxigenic Fungi and Aflatoxins in Portuguese Almonds

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, P.; Venâncio, A.; Lima, N.

2012-01-01

Aflatoxin contamination of nuts is an increasing concern to the consumer’s health. Portugal is a big producer of almonds, but there is no scientific knowledge on the safety of those nuts, in terms of mycotoxins. The aim of this paper was to study the incidence of aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin contamination of 21 samples of Portuguese almonds, and its evolution throughout the various stages of production. All fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi were identified and tested ...

Fractionation of radioactivity in the milk of goats administered 14C-aflatoxin B1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, T.; Hsieh, D.P.

1985-01-01

A detailed fractionation of radioactivity in the milk of goats administered 14 C-aflatoxin B1 at low doses was performed. The milk collected in the first 24 h following dosing contained radioactivity equivalent to 0.45-1.1% of the dose given. The radioactivity in each sample was partitioned into 4 fractions: ether, protein, dichloromethane, and water-alcohol. Over 80% of the radioactivity was detected in the dichloromethane fraction, of which over 95% was attributable to aflatoxin M1. No aflatoxin B1 or other known aflatoxin metabolites were detected in any fraction. The results indicate that the major metabolite of aflatoxin B1 in goat milk is aflatoxin M1 and that other metabolites, including conjugates, are of minor significance

A study on the possibility of production of aflatoxin B1 in saffron

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Abbas Mohammadi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Saffron is the most important medicinal plants in the Khorasan Razavi and South Khorasan provinces, Iran. Aspergillus species can infect saffron tissues during harvesting, storage and transportation. Aflatoxin B1 is one of the important carcinogenic mycotoxin which is produced by Aspergillus species in saffron tissues. This study was carried out in order to investigate the production of aflatoxin B1 in saffron tissues from farm to food by TLC chromatography during the year 2015. Wet and dry saffron tissues and rice grains (with and without saffron extract were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus spore suspensions. Production of Aflatoxin B1 in inoculated tissues was investigated by the TLC chromatography method. The results showed that the wet leaves and rice grains were infected with Aspergillus species very quickly. However, this process was very slow in dry tissues. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in all of the tested samples. The amounts of Aflatoxin B1 in the wet saffron tissues and rice grains were more than those found in dry tissues and saffron rice, respectively. The amount of Aflatoxin B1 had a direct correlation with moisture in the environment and the tissues. The contamination of the tissues and production of AflatoxinB1 were increased with increasing the amount of moisture. The results showed that the packaging of saffron before complete drying of its tissue or storing it in conditions with high humidity can increase the risk of infection with the Aspergillus species and production of Aflatoxin B1 in them. Based on our data, saffron can reduce Aspergillus infection and aflatoxin B1 production but not inhibit it. Saffron extract reduces Aspergillus infection and Aflatoxin B1 production in food and grains.

REVIEW ON AFLATOXIN IN INDONESIAN FOOD- AND FEEDSTUFFS AND THEIR PRODUCTS

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OKKY SETYAWATI DHARMAPUTRA

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin is a human carcinogen that could contaminate food- and feedstuffs, and hence is a major food qua lity problem throughout the world. Afiatoxi n is produced by certain strains of AspergillusJlavus and //. parasiticus. A number of studies have been carried out in Indonesia on atlatoxin contamination in Indonesian food- and feedstuffs and their products from 1990 up to present. They were maize, maize product, peanuts, soybean and soybean meal, black and white pepper, feed ingredients; chicken and duck feeds. Samples were collected from farmers, traders (middlemen, retailers (markets, supermarkets, exporters; poultry and duck community-based farms; and feed mi ll industries. High levels of aflatoxins were often found in maize, peanuts, chicken feed derived from markets, and duck feed. Low levels of aflatoxins were found in soybean meal and chicken feedstuff. Aflatoxins were not detected in soybean, black and white pepper. Other studies have also been carried out on the effect of carbondioxide (CO2, phosphine, black pepper extract and antagonistic fungi on aflatoxin production of A. flavus in vitro and the effect of airtight storage, phosphine, ammonium hydroxide, fermentation process, bag types, and phosphine in combination with different bag types on atlatoxin contents of maize, peanuts and soybean meal. Some of these methods reduced aflatoxin contents significantly

Aflatoxin contamination in corn sold for wildlife feed in texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, Nicholas R; Peper, Steven T; Downing, Carson D; Kendall, Ronald J

2017-05-01

Supplemental feeding with corn to attract and manage deer is a common practice throughout Texas. Other species, including northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), are commonly seen feeding around supplemental deer feeders. In many cases, supplemental feeding continues year-round so feed supply stores always have supplemental corn in stock. Fluctuating weather and improper storage of corn can lead to and/or amplify aflatoxin contamination. Due to the recent decline of bobwhites throughout the Rolling Plains ecoregion of Texas, there has been interest in finding factors such as toxins that could be linked to their decline. In this study, we purchased and sampled supplemental corn from 19 locations throughout this ecoregion to determine if aflatoxin contamination was present in individual bags prior to being dispersed to wildlife. Of the 57 bags sampled, 33 bags (approximately 58%) contained aflatoxin with a bag range between 0.0-19.91 parts per billion (ppb). Additionally, three metal and three polypropylene supplemental feeders were each filled with 45.4 kg of triple cleaned corn and placed in an open field to study long-term aflatoxin buildup. Feeders were sampled every 3 months from November 2013-November 2014. Average concentration of aflatoxin over the year was 4.08 ± 2.53 ppb (±SE) in metal feeders, and 1.43 ± 0.89 ppb (±SE) in polypropylene feeders. The concentration of aflatoxins is not affected by the type of feeder (metal vs polypropylene), the season corn was sampled, and the location in the feeder (top, middle, bottom) where corn is sampled. It is unlikely that corn used in supplemental feeders is contributing to the bobwhite decline due to the low levels of aflatoxin found in purchased corn and long-term storage of corn used in supplemental feeders.

Highly sensitive FRET-based fluorescence immunoassay for aflatoxin B1 using cadmium telluride quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zekavati, Roya; Bayat, Mansour; Safi, Shahabeddin; Hashemi, Seyed Jamal; Rahmani-Cherati, Tavoos; Tabatabaei, Meisam; Mohsenifar, Afshin

2013-01-01

We report on a competitive immunoassay for the determination of aflatoxin B1 using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from anti-aflatoxin B1 antibody (immobilized on the shell of CdTe quantum dots) to Rhodamine 123 (Rho 123-labeled aflatoxin B1 bound to albumin). The highly specific immuno reaction between the antibody against aflatoxin B1 on the QDs and the labeled-aflatoxin B1 brings the Rho 123 fluorophore (acting as the acceptor) and the QDs (acting as the donor) in close spatial proximity and causes FRET to occur upon photoexcitation of the QDs. In the absence of unlabeled aflatoxin B1, the antigen-antibody complex is stable, and strong emission resulting from the FRET from QDs to labeled aflatoxin B1 is observed. In the presence of aflatoxin B1, it will compete with the labeled aflatoxin B1-albumin complex for binding to the antibody-QDs conjugate so that FRET will be increasingly suppressed. The reduction in the fluorescence intensity of the acceptor correlates well with the concentration of aflatoxin B1. The feasibility of the method was established by the detection of aflatoxin B1 in spiked human serum. There is a linear relationship between the increased fluorescence intensity of Rho 123 with increasing concentration of aflatoxin B1 in spike human serum, over the range of 0.1–0.6 μmol·mL −1 . The limit of detection is 2 × 10 −11 M. This homogeneous competitive detection scheme is simple, rapid and efficient, and does not require excessive washing and separation steps. (author)

Metabolism of aflatoxin B1 and identification of the major aflatoxin B1-DNA adducts formed in cultured human bronchus and colon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Autrup, Herman; Essigmann, John M.; Croy, Robert G.

1979-01-01

Aflatoxin B1 and benzo(a)pyrene were activated by both cultured human bronchus and human colon as measured by binding to cellular DNA and protein. The binding of aflatoxin B1 to DNA was dose dependent, and the level of binding was higher in cultured human bronchus than it was in the colon. When c...

assessing aflatoxin m1 levels among lactating mothers' in damaturu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

userpc

1Department of Microbiology Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State. ... Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a biomarker of aflatoxin B1 exposure in breast milk, a possible risk factor for infant early ..... Mycotoxins in food and feed: present status and ...

The Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 Level in Collected Raw Milk for Pasteurized Dairy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ehsan Sadeghi

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Aflatoxins are fungal toxins that have carcinogenic, cellular mutations and malformation effects. Aflatoxin M1 resists pasteurization, autoclave and the other methods that make foodstuff healthy. This study aims to determine the contents of aflatoxin M1 in raw milk of milk factories in Kermanshah province.Materials and Methods: This research is carried out through the descriptive-cross sectional method. Among the raw milk received by four pasteurized milk factories in Kermanshah, coded by (A, B, C, D labels, six samples, totally 320 samples (80 samples from each factory, were taken within four seasons. The concentration of aflatoxin M1 was examined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA. The mean difference was analyzed statistically through t-test using SPSS software. Results: The content of aflatoxin was higher than Codex standard (0.5 µg/l in 295 samples. The total mean was 1.21, which exceeds two times the Codex standard. The highest and lowest contents of aflatoxin M1 were observed in “Factory D” in spring and in “Factory A” in autumn, respectively. There was a significant difference between contamination of aflatoxin M1 and different seasons (p< 0.05.Conclusion: High content of aflatoxin M1 in raw milk is worrying. Measuring the content of aflatoxin M1 is essential to reduce the toxin entering the daily food of animals and the other related factors. The considerable difference of aflatoxin M1 content between Factory D and Factory A can be attributed to the amount of the local milk and the industrial milk received by the factories.

Influence of chosen microbes and some chemical substances on the production of aflatoxins

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Iveta Brožková

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are produced as secondary metabolites by A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. nomius and A. tamarii. The aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway involves several enzymatic steps and genes (apa-2, ver-1 that appear to be regulated by the aflR gene in these fungi. The aim of this work was the detection of aflatoxins by the HPLC method and the ascertainment of factors influencing their production. A. parasiticus CCM F-108, A. parasiticus CCF 141, A. parasiticus CCF 3137 and two isolates A. flavus were used. These toxigenic isolates were recovered from spice (strain 1 and wraps (strain 2. The gene for the production of aflatoxin B1 for each species of fungi was detected using an optimized PCR method. Rhodotorula spp.*, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CCM 1881, Flavobacterium spp. and fungal strain Pythium oligandrum* were tested for inhibition of aflatoxins production and fungal growth. Having used the HPLC detection, various preservatives (propionic acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate were tested from the viewpoint of their influence on the growth of aflatoxigenic fungi followed by the production of aflatoxins. The growth of A. flavus and A. parasiticus and aflatoxin production in Potato Dextrose Agar supplemented with propionic acid (1000-2000-3000 mg/kg, citric acid (2000-3000-4000 mg/kg and potassium sorbate (500-800-1000 mg/kg was tested by Agar Dilution Method. After 72 h of incubation was evaluated growth of fungi, all samples were frozen for later extraction and aflatoxins quantification by HPLC. Effect of peptone and sucrose additions were studied in yeast extract (2% supplemented with peptone (5-10-15% or sucrose (15%. Growth inhibition of Aspergillus by Pythium oligandrum was tested on wood surface. As shown, the highest inhibition effect on the aflatoxins production was obtained when propionic acid was applied in concentrations since 1000 mg/kg. A total inhibition of the fungi growth and aflatoxins production was observed in all samples

Detoxification of aflatoxin B1 in poultry and fish feed by various chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nisa, A.U.; Hina, S.; Ejaz, N.

2012-01-01

In this study various poultry and fish feed samples were initially analyzed for presence of aflatoxin. All the samples were found contaminated with aflatoxin B I only. Contaminated samples were treated with different organic and inorganic chemicals to detoxify aflatoxin B 1 in poultry and fish feed samples. The maximum reduction in the aflatoxin Bl concentration was observed with 0.5% HCI as 14.20 ppb to 2.09 ppb (86.50%) in the poultry and 69.26 ppb to 10.46 ppb (84.89%) in fish feed samples.

Aflatoxin metabolism in humans: detection of metabolites and nucleic acid adducts in urine by affinity chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groopman, J.D.; Donahue, P.R.; Zhu, J.Q.; Chen, J.S.; Wogan, G.N.

1985-01-01

A high-affinity IgM monoclonal antibody specific for aflatoxins was covalently bound to Sepharose 4B and used as a preparative column to isolate aflatoxin derivatives from the urine of people and experimental animals who had been exposed to the carcinogen environmentally or under laboratory conditions. Aflatoxin levels were quantified by radioimmunoassay and high-performance liquid chromatography after elution from the affinity column. In studies on rats injected with [ 14 C]aflatoxin B1, the authors identified the major aflatoxin-DNA adduct, 2,3-dihydro-2-(N7-guanyl)-3-hydroxy-aflatoxin B1 (AFB1-N7-Gua), and the oxidative metabolites M1 and P1 as the major aflatoxin species present in the urine. When this methodology was applied to human urine samples obtained from people from the Guangxi Province of China exposed to aflatoxin B1 through dietary contamination, the aflatoxin metabolites detected were also AFB1-N7-Gua and aflatoxins M1 and P1. Therefore, affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody represents a useful and rapid technique with which to isolate this carcinogen and its metabolites in biochemical epidemiology and for subsequent quantitative measurements, providing exposure information that can be used for risk assessment

Aflatoxin B1-producing Aspergillus in sun-dried medicinal plant materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chinaputi, A.

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Fifty sun-dried medicinal plants were obtained from fraditional drug stores in Songkhla Province, Thailand, and examined for Aspergillus and aflatoxin B1. 288 isolates of Aspergillus were obtaines by standard blotter plate and 25 species were identified. The most common species were A. niger with 99 isolates, A. Flavus 84 isolates, A. terreus 33 isolates, A. oryzae 25 isolates, A.nidulans (Emericella nidulans 10 isolates, A fumigatus 9 isolates and A. chevalieri (Eurotium chevalieri 8 isolates. The other species[A. alliaceus, A.auricomus, A. carbonarius, A. carneus, A. clavatus, A. fisheri(Sartorya fumigata, A. janus, A. melleus,A. ochraceus, A. phoencis, A. sparsus, A. terricola, A. thomii, A. versicolor, A. wentii and Aspergillus sp.1-3] each had 1-2 siolates. Ofthe 50 different plants examined,9 had no trace of Aspergillus, namely Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Illicium verum, Andrographis paniculate, Carthamus tinctorius, Eugenia caryophyllus, Elettaria cardomomum, Coriandrum sativum, Curcuma longa and Cassia garrettiana. The highest number of species(9 of Aspergillus was found on Rauvolfia serpentina.The ability of Aspergillus to form aflatoxin was determined in coconut milk agar by observing the intensity of blue fluorescence in agar surrounding the colonies under ultraviolet light and the yellow pigment under the colonies. The results showed the production of aflatoxin was limited to the one species, A. flavus, from which 84 isolates produced aflatoxin in 57 isolates(67.8%.Aflatoxin B1. production was confirmed by culturing fluorescencing isolates of A. flavus in coconut nilk broth and detecting by ELISA technique. Aflatoxin B1. showed increasing production after 2 days, stabilizing at 3-4 days, and the decreasing after 5-6 days. Aflatoxin B1. could not be detected from nonfluorescencing isolates.The morphological characteristics of the aflatoxin B1. -producing and non-producing strains of A. flavus were similar under light microscope and

Aflatoxin contamination of red chili pepper from Bolivia and Peru, countries with high gallbladder cancer incidence rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Asai, Takao; Tsuchiya, Yasuo; Okano, Kiyoshi; Piscoya, Alejandro; Nishi, Carlos Yoshito; Ikoma, Toshikazu; Oyama, Tomizo; Ikegami, Kikuo; Yamamoto, Masaharu

2012-01-01

Chilean red chili peppers contaminated with aflatoxins were reported in a previous study. If the development of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in Chile is associated with a high level of consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated red chili peppers, such peppers from other countries having a high GBC incidence rate may also be contaminated with aflatoxins. We aimed to determine whether this might be the case for red chili peppers from Bolivia and Peru. A total of 7 samples (3 from Bolivia, 4 from Peru) and 3 controls (2 from China, 1 from Japan) were evaluated. Aflatoxins were extracted with acetonitrile:water (9:1, v/v) and eluted through an immuno-affinity column. The concentrations of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and then the detected aflatoxins were identified using HPLC-mass spectrometry. In some but not all of the samples from Bolivia and Peru, aflatoxin B1 or aflatoxins B1 and B2 were detected. In particular, aflatoxin B1 or total aflatoxin concentrations in a Bolivian samples were above the maximum levels for aflatoxins in spices proposed by the European Commission. Red chili peppers from Bolivia and Peru consumed by populations having high GBC incidence rates would appear to be contaminated with aflatoxins. These data suggest the possibility that a high level of consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated red chili peppers is related to the development of GBC, and the association between the two should be confirmed by a case-control study.

Molecular Detection of Aflatoxin Producing Strains of Aspergillus Flavus from Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea

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Adeela Hussain

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are the potential carcinogens produced as secondary metabolites by Aspergillus flavus. They have the ability to contaminate large number of food which ultimately affect the human population. Malt extract agar was selected for the growth of control stains of fungus. The aim of the study was to develop a reliable and quick method for the detection of aflatoxin producing strains in peanuts by using molecular approaches. Total 80 samples of infected peanuts were collected from four different cities of Punjab and checked for their aflatoxin contamination. For aflatoxin detection, three target genes nor1, ver1 and aflR were selected which was involved in the aflatoxin biosynthesis. In all examined cases, 24 out of 80 (30% samples successfully amplified all three genes indicating aflatoxigenic activity. Discrimination between aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic strains were also determined on the basis of amplification of these three target DNA fragments. In this study, it was also demonstrated that only specific strains were able to produce the aflatoxin contamination in peanuts.

Aflatoxin levels in maize and maize products during the 2004 food ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxin levels in maize and maize products during the 2004 food poisoning ... district were received at the National Public Health Laboratory Services (NPHLS). On analysis, they were found to be highly contaminated with aflatoxin B1.

Evaluation of ELISA screening test for detecting aflatoxin in biogenic dust samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durant, J.T.

1996-05-01

Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic chemical that is sometimes produced when agricultural commodities are infested by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. Parasiticus. Aflatoxin has been found to be present in air samples taken around persons handling materials likely to be contaminated. The purpose of this investigation was to demonstrate the feasibility of using an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test kit that was developed to screen for aflatoxin in bulk agricultural commodities, to an air sample. Samples were taken from two environments likely to be contaminated with aflatoxin, a dairy farm feed mixing operation and a peanut bagging operation. The dust collected from these environments was considered to be biogenic, in that it originated primarily from biological materials.

Potential of lactic acid fermentation in reducing aflatoxin B1 in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ... Although maize is known to be highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination, and a ... on reduction of aflatoxin B1 in Tanzania maize-based gruel (togwa) by four monocultures ...

Scaling-Up the Impact of Aflatoxin Research in Africa. The Role of Social Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francois Stepman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available At the interface between agriculture and nutrition, the aflatoxin contamination of food and feed touches on agriculture, health, and trade. For more than three decades now, the problem of aflatoxin has been researched in Africa. The interest of development cooperation for aflatoxin and the support to aflatoxin mitigation projects has its ups and downs. The academic world and the development world still seem to operate in different spheres and a collaboration is still challenging due to the complexity of the contamination sources at pre-harvest and post-harvest levels. There is a growing call by research funders and development actors for the impact of solutions at a scale. The solutions to mitigate aflatoxin contamination require new ways of working together. A more prominent role is to be played by social scientists. The role of social scientists in scaling-up the impact of aflatoxin research in Africa and the proposed mitigation solutions is to ensure that awareness, advantage, affordability, and access are systematically assessed. Aflatoxin-reduced staple foods and feed would be an agricultural result with a considerable health and food safety impact.

Role of metabolism and viruses in aflatoxin-induced liver cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groopman, John D.; Kensler, Thomas W.

2005-01-01

The use of biomarkers in molecular epidemiology studies for identifying stages in the progression of development of the health effects of environmental agents has the potential for providing important information for critical regulatory, clinical and public health problems. Investigations of aflatoxins probably represent one of the most extensive data sets in the field and this work may serve as a template for future studies of other environmental agents. The aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins found on foods such as corn, peanuts, various other nuts and cottonseed and they have been demonstrated to be carcinogenic in many experimental models. As a result of nearly 30 years of study, experimental data and epidemiological studies in human populations, aflatoxin B 1 was classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The long-term goal of the research described herein is the application of biomarkers to the development of preventative interventions for use in human populations at high-risk for cancer. Several of the aflatoxin-specific biomarkers have been validated in epidemiological studies and are now being used as intermediate biomarkers in prevention studies. The development of these aflatoxin biomarkers has been based upon the knowledge of the biochemistry and toxicology of aflatoxins gleaned from both experimental and human studies. These biomarkers have subsequently been utilized in experimental models to provide data on the modulation of these markers under different situations of disease risk. This systematic approach provides encouragement for preventive interventions and should serve as a template for the development, validation and application of other chemical-specific biomarkers to cancer or other chronic diseases

Pre-termination in aflR of Aspergillus sojae inhibits aflatoxin biosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsushima, K; Chang, P K; Yu, J; Abe, K; Bhatnagar, D; Cleveland, T E

2001-05-01

The aflR gene product is the main transcriptional regulator of aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus. Although A. sojae strains do not produce aflatoxins, they do have an aflR homologue. When compared with the aflR of A. parasiticus, the A. sojae gene contains two mutations: an HAHA motif and a premature stop codon. To investigate the functionality of the A. sojae aflR gene product, we used a GAL4 one-hybrid system in yeast. The transcription-activating activity of AflR from A. sojae was 15% of that from A. parasiticus. The introduction of an additional aflR from A. sojae into an A. parasiticus strain did not affect aflatoxin productivity. A hybrid aflR comprising the amino-terminal region of A. sojae aflR and the carboxy-terminal region of A. parasiticus aflR suppressed the effect associated with pre-termination of the A. sojae AflR. We conclude that the premature stop codon of the A. sojae aflR is the key to its functionality and leads to prevention of aflatoxin biosynthesis through loss of the transcription of aflatoxin biosynthesis-related genes.

Natural postharvest aflatoxin occurrence in food legumes in the smallholder farming sector of Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Maringe, David Tinayeshe; Chidewe, Cathrine; Benhura, Mudadi Albert; Mvumi, Brighton Marimanzi; Murashiki, Tatenda Clive; Dembedza, Mavis Precious; Siziba, Lucia; Nyanga, Loveness Kuziwa

2017-03-01

Aflatoxins, mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are highly toxic and may lead to health problems such as liver cancer. Exposure to aflatoxins may result from ingestion of contaminated foods. Levels of AFB 1 , AFB 2 , AFG 1 and AFG 2 in samples of groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and bambara nuts (Vigna subterranean) grown by smallholder farmers in Shamva and Makoni districts, Zimbabwe, were determined at harvesting, using high performance liquid chromatography after immunoaffinity clean-up. Aflatoxins were detected in 12.5% of groundnut samples with concentrations ranging up to 175.9 µg/kg. Aflatoxins were present in 4.3% of the cowpea samples with concentrations ranging from 1.4 to 103.4 µg/kg. Due to alarming levels of aflatoxins detected in legumes versus maximum permissible levels, there is a need to assist smallholder farmers to develop harvest control strategies to reduce contamination of aflatoxins in legumes.

Two new aflatoxin producing species, and an overview of Aspergillus section Flavi

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, J.; Frisvad, J.C.; Samson, R.A.

2011-01-01

Aspergillus subgenus Circumdati section Flavi includes species with usually biseriate conidial heads, in shades of yellow-green to brown, and dark sclerotia. Several species assigned to this section are either important mycotoxin producers including aflatoxins, cyclopiazonic acid, ochratoxins and kojic acid, or are used in oriental food fermentation processes and as hosts for heterologous gene expression. A polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data and partial calmodulin, β-tubulin and ITS sequences to examine the evolutionary relationships within this section. The data indicate that Aspergillus section Flavi involves 22 species, which can be grouped into seven clades. Two new species, A. pseudocaelatus sp. nov. and A. pseudonomius sp. nov. have been discovered, and can be distinguished from other species in this section based on sequence data and extrolite profiles. Aspergillus pseudocaelatus is represented by a single isolate collected from Arachis burkartii leaf in Argentina, is closely related to the non-aflatoxin producing A. caelatus, and produces aflatoxins B & G, cyclopiazonic acid and kojic acid, while A. pseudonomius was isolated from insects and soil in the USA. This species is related to A. nomius, and produces aflatoxin B1 (but not G-type aflatoxins), chrysogine and kojic acid. In order to prove the aflatoxin producing abilities of the isolates, phylogenetic analysis of three genes taking part in aflatoxin biosynthesis, including the transcriptional regulator aflR, norsolonic acid reductase and O-methyltransferase were also carried out. A detailed overview of the species accepted in Aspergillus section Flavi is presented. PMID:21892243

Fungal Profile and Aflatoxin Contamination in Poultry Feeds Sold in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxin contamination of animal feeds is common and widely spread, especially in the tropics, due to the ubiquity of the producing fungi. The detection of aflatoxin in five samples of animal feed was carried out; using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Samples were taken from five different areas in Abeokuta.

Evaluation of aflatoxin B1 in different parts of pistachio fruit and effects of processing stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Dargahi

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Pistachio nut as the most important agricultural export products is facing challenges trough production and conception. Toxigenic Aspergillus species are able to grow and produce dangerous mycotoxins on pistachio nut. Distribution of aflatoxin in different pistachio samples collected pre- (early splitting and healthy pistachios in orchards and post-harvest (steps in processing plants was evaluated. Aflatoxin B1 content of samples was quantified using ELISA.  Overall, high content of aflatoxin B1 in pre-harvest was observed in early splitting pistachios which were 5 times higher than healthy ones. The mean value of aflatoxin B1 content in early splitting and healthy pistachio was 10.2 and 1.8 ng/g, respectively. In processing plant, the content of aflatoxin B1 in stained, small, floater and open shell pistachios was 21, 4, 15 and 2 times higher than unstained, large, sinker and closed shell pistachios, respectively. The presence of aflatoxin B1 in samples taken from orchards and processing plants indicates pre-harvest contamination by aflatoxin-producing fungi, which may exacerbate by inadequate post-harvest conditions. Physical properties of contaminated pistachios may be used to reduce aflatoxin levels in pistachio bulks during or after processing. ELISA, as practical, sensitive and cheap method, may apply to determine the aflatoxin content of pistachios.

Aflatoxin B1 adsorption by the natural aluminosilicates - concentrate of montmorillonite and zeolite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marković Marija A.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 adsorption by the concentrate of bentonite clay - montmorillonite and the natural zeolite - clinoptilolite and was investigated at the initial toxin concentration 4 ppm, with different amonunts of solid phase in suspension (10, 5, 2 and 1 mg/10 mL and different pH values - 3, 7 and 9. Results indicated that for both minerals, decreasing the amount of solid phase in suspension, decrease the amount of active sites relevant for adsorption of aflatoxin B1. Thus, for concentrate of montnorillonite, at the lowest level of solid phase in suspension (1 mg/10 mL, aflatoxin B1 adsorption indexes were 97% at pH 3, 88% at pH 7 and 82% at pH 9, while for the natural zeolite, adsorption of toxin was 9% at pH 3 and 7% at pH 7 and 9. Since inorganic cations in minerals are mainly responsible for aflatoxin B1 adsorption, even the natural zeolite - clinoptilite has much higher cation exchange capacity (the content of inorganic exchangeable cations compared to the concentrate of montmorillonite, adsorption of aflatoxin B1 by this mineral is much lower. Comparing the molecular dimensions of aflatoxin B1 molecule with the dimension of channels of clinoptilolite and interlamellar space of montmorillonite it is obvious that this toxin is adsorbed only at the external surface of clinoptilolite while in the montmorillonite all active sites are equally available for its adsorption. Thus, the concentrate of montmorillonite posess by higher adsorption capacity for aflatoxin B1. Results presented in this paper confirmed the fact the differences in the structure of minerals led to their different efficiency for adsorption of aflatoxin B1. Mineralogical and chemical composition, determination of cation exchange capacity, etc., are very important parameters influencing the effectiveness of minerals as aflatoxin B1 adsorbents. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 451-03-2802-IP Tip1/142, br. 172018 i br. 34013

Survey of fungal counts and natural occurrence of aflatoxins in Malaysian starch-based foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, N; Nawawi, A; Othman, I

1998-01-01

In a survey of starch-based foods sampled from retail outlets in Malaysia, fungal colonies were mostly detected in wheat flour (100%), followed by rice flour (74%), glutinous rice grains (72%), ordinary rice grains (60%), glutinous rice flour (48%) and corn flour (26%). All positive samples of ordinary rice and glutinous rice grains had total fungal counts below 10(3) cfu/g sample, while among the positive rice flour, glutinous rice flour and corn flour samples, the highest total fungal count was more than 10(3) but less than 10(4) cfu/g sample respectively. However, in wheat flour samples total fungal count ranged from 10(2) cfu/g sample to slightly more than 10(4) cfu/g sample. Aflatoxigenic colonies were mostly detected in wheat flour (20%), followed by ordinary rice grains (4%), glutinous rice grains (4%) and glutinous rice flour (2%). No aflatoxigenic colonies were isolated from rice flour and corn flour samples. Screening of aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1 and aflatoxin G2 using reversed-phase HPLC were carried out on 84 samples of ordinary rice grains and 83 samples of wheat flour. Two point four percent (2.4%) of ordinary rice grains were positive for aflatoxin G1 and 3.6% were positive for aflatoxin G2. All the positive samples were collected from private homes at concentrations ranging from 3.69-77.50 micrograms/kg. One point two percent (1.2%) of wheat flour samples were positive for aflatoxin B1 at a concentration of 25.62 micrograms/kg, 4.8% were positive for aflatoxin B2 at concentrations ranging from 11.25-252.50 micrograms/kg, 3.6% were positive for aflatoxin G1 at concentrations ranging from 25.00-289.38 micrograms/kg and 13.25% were positive for aflatoxin G2 at concentrations ranging from 16.25-436.25 micrograms/kg. Similarly, positive wheat flour samples were mostly collected from private homes.

Association between Urinary Aflatoxin (AFM1) and Dietary Intake among Adults in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Siti Husna Sulaiman; Rosita Jamaluddin; Mohd Redzwan Sabran

2018-01-01

Aflatoxin is a food contaminant and its exposure through the diet is frequent and ubiquitous. A long-term dietary aflatoxin exposure has been linked to the development of liver cancer in populations with high prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the association between urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a biomarker of aflatoxin exposure, with the dietary intake among adults in Hulu Langat district, Selangor, Malaysia. Certain food products ...

Screening a strain of Aspergillus niger and optimization of fermentation conditions for degradation of aflatoxin B₁.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Xue, Beibei; Li, Mengmeng; Mu, Yang; Chen, Zhihui; Li, Jianping; Shan, Anshan

2014-11-13

Aflatoxin B₁, a type of highly toxic mycotoxin produced by some species belonging to the Aspergillus genus, such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, is widely distributed in feed matrices. Here, coumarin was used as the sole carbon source to screen microorganism strains that were isolated from types of feed ingredients. Only one isolate (ND-1) was able to degrade aflatoxin B₁ after screening. ND-1 isolate, identified as a strain of Aspergillus niger using phylogenetic analysis on the basis of 18S rDNA, could remove 26.3% of aflatoxin B₁ after 48 h of fermentation in nutrient broth (NB). Optimization of fermentation conditions for aflatoxin B₁ degradation by selected Aspergillus niger was also performed. These results showed that 58.2% of aflatoxin B₁ was degraded after 24 h of culture under the optimal fermentation conditions. The aflatoxin B₁ degradation activity of Aspergillus niger supernatant was significantly stronger than cells and cell extracts. Furthermore, effects of temperature, heat treatment, pH, and metal ions on aflatoxin B₁ degradation by the supernatant were examined. Results indicated that aflatoxin B₁ degradation of Aspergillus niger is enzymatic and this process occurs in the extracellular environment.

Determination of aflatoxins in food using LC/MS/MS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vahl, Martin; Jørgensen, Kevin

1998-01-01

A liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometric method is described for the determination of aflatoxins B-1, B-2, G(1) and G(2) in food with the use of aflatoxin M-1 as an internal standard. The method works well with matrices such as those of figs and p...... and peanuts, but there are problems with spices, due to limitations of the clean-up method used....

Aspergillus and aflatoxin in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and groundnut cake in Eastern Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Abdi; Chala, Alemayehu; Dejene, Mashilla; Fininsa, Chemeda; Hoisington, David A; Sobolev, Victor S; Arias, Renee S

2016-12-01

This study was conducted to assess major Aspergillus species and aflatoxins associated with groundnut seeds and cake in Eastern Ethiopia and evaluate growers' management practices. A total of 160 groundnut seed samples from farmers' stores and 50 groundnut cake samples from cafe and restaurants were collected. Fungal isolation was done from groundnut seed samples. Aspergillus flavus was the dominant species followed by Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin analyses of groundnut seed samples were performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography; 22.5% and 41.3% of samples were positive, with total aflatoxin concentrations of 786 and 3135 ng g -1 from 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 samples, respectively. The level of specific aflatoxin concentration varied between 0.1 and 2526 ng g -1 for B 2 and B 1 , respectively. Among contaminated samples of groundnut cake, 68% exhibited aflatoxin concentration below 20 ng g -1 , while as high as 158 ng g -1 aflatoxin B 1 was recorded. The study confirms high contamination of groundnut products in East Ethiopia.

Method of preparing radioligand (2,3-3H)aflatoxin-B2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veres, K.

1984-01-01

Tritium gas is used to act on non-radioactive aflatoxin-B 1 . Synthesis takes place in the presence of a Pt ar Pd catalyst in organic solvent at neutral pH and a temperature of 20 to 30 degC. The obtained product is cleaned chromatographically. Using 50% tritium gas it is possible to obtain a preparation of high specific activity of at least 103.6x10 10 s -1 .mmol -1 which is used for the radioimmunoassay of aflatoxins. An example is given of the preparation of (2,3- 3 H) aflatoxin-B 2 . (E.S.)

Aflatoxins and fumonisins contamination of home-made food (weanimix) from cereal-legume blends for children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumi, J; Mitchell, N J; Asare, G A; Dotse, E; Kwaa, F; Phillips, T D; Ankrah, N-A

2014-09-01

Weanimix is an important food for children in Ghana. Mothers are trained to prepare homemade weanimix from beans, groundnuts and maize for their infants. Groundnuts and maize are prone to aflatoxin contamination while fumonisin contaminates maize. Aflatoxin, is produced by the Asperguillus fungi while fumonisin, is produced by Fusarium fungi. These mycotoxins occur in tropical areas worldwide due to favorable climate for their growth. The objective of the study was to determine the levels of aflatoxin and fumonisin in homemade weanimix in the Ejura-Sekyedumase district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Thirty six homemade weanimix samples (50g each) were collected from households. Aflatoxin and fumonisin were measured using a fluorometric procedure described by the Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC official method 993.31, V1 series 4). Aflatoxin and fumonisin were detected in all 36 samples, range 7.9-500ppb. Fumonisin levels range: 0.74-11.0ppm). Thirty (83.3%) of the thirty six samples were over the action limit of 20ppb for aflatoxin with an overall mean of 145.2 ppb whiles 58.3% of the samples had fumonisins above the action limit of 4 ppm with an overall mean of 4.7 ppm. There were significant aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of homemade weanimix. Children fed on this nutritional food were being exposed to unacceptable levels of aflatoxin and fumonisin. Therefore there is a critical need to educate mothers on the dangers of mycotoxin exposure and to develop strategies to eliminate exposure of children fed homemade weanimix to aflatoxin and fumonisin.

Occurrence of aflatoxins in peanuts and peanut products determined by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojanovska-Dimzoska Biljana

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection using immunoaffinity column clean-up was a method described for determination of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 in peanuts and peanut based products. The validation of the procedure was performed. Good coefficient of correlation was found for all aflatoxins in the range of 0.9993-0.9999. Limit of detection (LOD and limit of quantification (LOQ ranged from 0.003-0.005 mg/kg and 0.009-0.023 mg/kg, respectively, which was acceptable. The mean recovery for total aflatoxins was 88.21%. The method also showed acceptable precision values in the range of 0.171-2.626% at proposed concentration levels for all four aflatoxins. RSDR values (within laboratory reproducibility calculated from the results showed good correlation between two analysts for all aflatoxins and they ranged from 4.93-11.87%. The developed method was applied for the determination of aflatoxins in 27 samples of peanuts and peanut based products. The results showed that 21 peanut samples (77.7% were below LOD of the method. Three samples had positive results over the MRL. There was one extreme value recorded for the total aflatoxins in peanut (289.2 mg/kg and two peanut based products, peanut snack and peanut, with total content of aflatoxins being 16.3 mg/kg and 8.0 mg/kg, respectively. The obtained results demonstrated that the procedure was suitable for the de­termination of aflatoxins in peanuts and peanut based products and it could be implemented for the routine analysis.

Determination of aflatoxin B1 in food products in Thailand ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxin B1 is generally found in feed and food stuff, such as cereal and all products derived from cereals, including processed cereals since it has been proven to be at least partly resistant to food processing methods. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the possibility of contamination of aflatoxin B1 in food ...

Aspergillus section Flavi community structure in Zambia influences aflatoxin contamination of maize and groundnut.

Science.gov (United States)

Kachapulula, Paul W; Akello, Juliet; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit; Cotty, Peter J

2017-11-16

Aflatoxins are cancer-causing, immuno-suppressive mycotoxins that frequently contaminate important staples in Zambia including maize and groundnut. Several species within Aspergillus section Flavi have been implicated as causal agents of aflatoxin contamination in Africa. However, Aspergillus populations associated with aflatoxin contamination in Zambia have not been adequately detailed. Most of Zambia's arable land is non-cultivated and Aspergillus communities in crops may originate in non-cultivated soil. However, relationships between Aspergillus populations on crops and those resident in non-cultivated soils have not been explored. Because characterization of similar fungal populations outside of Zambia have resulted in strategies to prevent aflatoxins, the current study sought to improve understanding of fungal communities in cultivated and non-cultivated soils and in crops. Crops (n=412) and soils from cultivated (n=160) and non-cultivated land (n=60) were assayed for Aspergillus section Flavi from 2012 to 2016. The L-strain morphotype of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus were dominant on maize and groundnut (60% and 42% of Aspergillus section Flavi, respectively). Incidences of A. flavus L-morphotype were negatively correlated with aflatoxin in groundnut (log y=2.4990935-0.09966x, R 2 =0.79, P=0.001) but not in maize. Incidences of A. parasiticus partially explained groundnut aflatoxin concentrations in all agroecologies and maize aflatoxin in agroecology III (log y=0.1956034+0.510379x, R 2 =0.57, Pagroecologies across Zambia gives support for modifying fungal community structure to reduce the aflatoxin-producing potential. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Support vector machines classification of fluorescence hyperspectral image for detection of aflatoxin in corn kernels

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxin contamination is a real concern for all classes of livestock. They are produced by certain mold fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin in food is hazardous for humans and animals. In this work, we propose a non-invasive system for detecting aflatoxin and classifyi...

[Analysis on contamination of aflatoxins in food samples in Shaanxi Province from 2012-2015].

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiawei; Tian, Li; Wang, Caixia; Qiao, Haiou; Wang, Minjuan

2016-09-01

To investigate the contamination of aflatoxins in food in Shaanxi Province, and provide the basic data of dietary intakes of aflatoxins for food safety assessment. In year 2012- 2015, 1007 food samples of eight kinds of food including grains, beans, vegetable oil, nuts and seeds, condiment, liquor, tea and infants' food were collected randomly from ten cities, and determined with UPLC. 1007 samples were detected aflatoxins and the total detection rate was 10. 7%. The detection range was 0. 070- 323 μg / kg, with the mean value of 2. 34 μg / kg. Among all food samples, only peanut products were more seriously polluted than other kinds of foods. The overall level of aflatoxins contamination in market food is low, but peanut products might be the contaminated foods with aflatoxins in Shaanxi Province, and should be given more attention.

Uptake of Zn++ and aflatoxin from perlite and liquid culture by Zea mays seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llewellyn, G.C.; Reynolds, J.D.; Hurst, L.; Vance, R.A.; Dashek, W.V.

1982-01-01

The present paper reports our attempts to determine whether in inclusion of 0.0014 mM Zn ++ within a hydroponic culture medium affects the ability of 12-day-old Zea mays, cv. 'SS-522' to take-up [ 3 H]-aflatoxin B 1 . Data from the corollary experiment., i.e., whether inclusion of aflatoxin affects the ability of Zea mays, cvs. 'Truckers White', 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit' to take-up 65 ZnCl 2 are presented also. This report is a preliminary to one regarding an in-progress analysis of whether pollutant levels of Zn ++ affect aflatoxin uptake and distribution. In the absence of irrigating seedlings, which were grown in Perlite containing 65 ZnCl 2 , with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the stem contained the greatest amount of label with root plus seed the next highest and the leaf the least for each of the cvs. In contrast, when the seedlings were irrigated with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the root plus seed contained either an amount nearly identical to (cv. 'Truckers White') or in excess of that within the stem (cvs. 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'). Calculation of the percentages of aflatoxin-induced diminutions in leaf, stem and root label suggested that the aflatoxins interfered with the translocation of 65 ZnCl 2 from the root to the stem and leaf, at least for cvs 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'. (orig./AJ)

Biotransformation of aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin G1 in peanut meal by anaerobic solid fermentation of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yujie; Kong, Qing; Chi, Chen; Shan, Shihua; Guan, Bin

2015-10-15

The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of anaerobic solid fermentation of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus to biotransform aflatoxins in peanut meal. The pH of the peanut meal was adjusted above 10, and then heated for 10 min at 100 °C, 115 °C and 121 °C. The S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were precultured together in MRS broth for 48 h at 37 °C. The heated peanut meal was mixed with precultured MRS broth containing 7.0×10(8) CFU/mL of S. thermophilus and 3.0×10(3) CFU/mL of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus with the ratio of 1 to 1 (weight to volume) and incubated in anaerobic jars at 37 °C for 3 days. The aflatoxin content in the peanut meal samples was determined by HPLC. The results showed that the peanut meal contained mainly aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) (10.5±0.64 μg/kg) and aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) (18.7±0.55 μg/kg). When heat treatment was combined with anaerobic solid fermentation, the biotransformation rate of aflatoxins in peanut meal could attain 100%. The cytotoxicity of fermented peanut meal to L929 mouse connective tissue fibroblast cells was determined by MTT assay and no significant toxicity was observed in the fermented peanut meal. Furthermore, heat treatment and anaerobic solid fermentation did not change the amino acid concentrations and profile in peanut meal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of climate change on Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angel eMedina

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This review considers the available information on the potential impact of key environmental factors and their interactions on the molecular ecology, growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus in vitro and in maize grain. The recent studies which have been carried out to examine the impact of water activity x temperature on aflatoxin biosynthesis and phenotypic aflatoxin production are examined. These have shown that there is a direct relationship between the relative expression of key regulatory and structural genes under different environmental conditions which correlate directly with aflatoxin B1 production. A model has been developed to integrate the relative expression of 10 biosynthetic genes in the pathway, growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 production which was validated under elevated temperature and water stress conditions. The effect of interacting conditions of aw x temperature x elevated CO2 (2x and 3x existing levels are detailed for the first time. This suggests that while such interacting environmental conditions have little effect on growth they do have a significant impact on aflatoxin biosynthetic gene expression (structural aflD and regulatory aflR genes and can significantly stimulate the production of AFB1. While the individual factors alone have an impact, it is the combined effect of these three abiotic factors which have an impact on mycotoxin production. This approach provides data which is necessary to help predict the real impacts of climate change on mycotoxigenic fungi.

Innovative technologies to manage aflatoxins in foods and feeds and the profitability of application - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Udomkun, Patchimaporn; Wiredu, Alexander Nimo; Nagle, Marcus; Müller, Joachim; Vanlauwe, Bernard; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit

2017-06-01

Aflatoxins are mainly produced by certain strains of Aspergillus flavus , which are found in diverse agricultural crops. In many lower-income countries, aflatoxins pose serious public health issues since the occurrence of these toxins can be considerably common and even extreme. Aflatoxins can negatively affect health of livestock and poultry due to contaminated feeds. Additionally, they significantly limit the development of international trade as a result of strict regulation in high-value markets. Due to their high stability, aflatoxins are not only a problem during cropping, but also during storage, transport, processing, and handling steps. Consequently, innovative evidence-based technologies are urgently required to minimize aflatoxin exposure. Thus far, biological control has been developed as the most innovative potential technology of controlling aflatoxin contamination in crops, which uses competitive exclusion of toxigenic strains by non-toxigenic ones. This technology is commercially applied in groundnuts maize, cottonseed, and pistachios during pre-harvest stages. Some other effective technologies such as irradiation, ozone fumigation, chemical and biological control agents, and improved packaging materials can also minimize post-harvest aflatoxins contamination in agricultural products. However, integrated adoption of these pre- and post-harvest technologies is still required for sustainable solutions to reduce aflatoxins contamination, which enhances food security, alleviates malnutrition, and strengthens economic sustainability.

The global geographical overlap of aflatoxin and hepatitis C: Controlling risk factors for liver cancer worldwide

Science.gov (United States)

Palliyaguru, Dushani L.; Wu, Felicia

2012-01-01

About 85% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, liver cancer) cases occur in low-income countries, where the risk factors of dietary aflatoxin exposure and chronic hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) viral infection are common. While studies have shown synergism between aflatoxin and HBV in causing HCC, much less is known about whether aflatoxin and HCV synergize similarly. From an exposure perspective, we examine whether there is a geographical overlap in populations worldwide exposed to high dietary aflatoxin levels and with high HCV prevalence. While HCV is one of the most important risk factors for HCC in high-income nations (where aflatoxin exposure is low), we find that HCV prevalence is much higher in Africa and Asia, where aflatoxin exposure is also high. However, within a given world region, there are some inconsistencies regarding exposure and cancer risk. Therefore, there is a need to control risk factors such as aflatoxin and hepatitis viruses in a cost-effective manner to prevent global HCC, while continuing to evaluate biological mechanisms by which these risk factors interact to increase HCC risk. PMID:23281740

Socioeconomic Characteristics Influencing Level of Awareness of Aflatoxin Contamination of Feeds among Livestock Farmers in Meru District of Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Ayo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins occurrence in feeds challenges human and animal health. Farmers’ awareness status of these toxins has an effect on their level of exposure. The study assessed the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of farmers on their awareness of aflatoxin contamination of feeds. Data were collected from 258 households and analysed by SPSS program for descriptive statistics and association between socioeconomic characteristics and awareness of aflatoxin contamination of feeds. Over seventy percent of the farmers had never heard about aflatoxins. Education level, specialization, and period of keeping animals had significant influence on aflatoxin awareness. Hearing about aflatoxins was six times higher among farmers who studied life or social sciences than those without specialization and those who studied other fields. Awareness that aflatoxins may occur in feeds was twice higher among farmers with higher education than those with lower education. Perception that aflatoxins in feeds are detoxifiable was threefold higher among young people (with ≤10-year period of keeping animals than among older ones. Awareness of aflatoxins was particularly low among farmers with low education and those without exposure to life or social sciences and vice versa. Sensitization is recommended to raise farmers’ awareness on aflatoxin contamination of feeds and incorporating aflatoxin knowledge in school curricula.

RIA determination of aflatoxin B1 in food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bludovsky, R.

1986-01-01

The possibility was tested of the application of a commercial RIA kit in determining aflatoxin B 1 in foodstuffs. Stability, sensitivity, specificity and the effect of interfering materials were studied. Alternative methods were tested of sample preparation and a technique was proposed usable for food analysis. The kit was found to be mainly suitable for screening and for the determination of aflatoxin B 1 in concentrations exceedings 1 μg/kg. Lipids were found to cause a systematic positive error and should thus be removed by extraction prior to analysis. (author). 10 tabs., 15 refs

Impact of aflatoxin B1 on the pharmacokinetic disposition of enrofloxacin in broiler chickens.

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Kalpana, Starling; Srinivasa Rao, G; Malik, Jitendra K

2015-09-01

The potential impact of subchronic exposure of aflatoxin B1 was investigated on the pharmacokinetic disposition of enrofloxacin in broiler chickens. Broiler chickens given either normal or aflatoxin B1 (750μg/kg diet) supplemented diet for 6 weeks received a single oral dose of enrofloxacin (10mg/kg body wt). Blood samples were drawn from the brachial vein at predetermined time intervals after drug administration. Enrofloxacin plasma concentrations analyzed by RP-HPLC were significantly lower in aflatoxin B1-exposed broiler chickens at 0.167, 0.5 and 1.0h after drug administration. In aflatoxin B1-exposed broiler chickens, the absorption rate constant (ka) of enrofloxacin (0.20±0.05h(-1)) was significantly decreased as compared to the unexposed birds (0.98±0.31h(-1)). The values of [Formula: see text] , tmax and AUC0-∞ of enrofloxacin were nonsignificantly increased by 17%, 26% and 17% in aflatoxin-exposed broiler chickens, respectively. Subchronic aflatoxin B1 exposure markedly decreased the initial absorption of enrofloxacin without significantly influencing other pharmacokinetic parameters in broiler chickens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of electron beam on aflatoxins degradation in coconut agar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Villavicencio, Anna L.C.H.; Aquino, Simone; Goncalez, Edlayne; Correa, Benedito

2009-01-01

The fungi Aspergillus flavus are capable of producing toxic metabolites, such as aflatoxin, that is one of the most important human carcinogens, according to the 'International Agency for Research on Cancer'. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of electron beam irradiation on degradation of aflatoxin B1 present in laboratorial residues with a dose of 0 kGy and 5.0 kGy. The fungi were cultivated in potato dextrose agar (PDA) for 7 days and transferred to a coconut agar medium, incubated at a temperature of 25 deg C for 14 days to produce the laboratorial wastes (coconut agar) containing aflatoxins. The samples were conditioned in petri dish for radiation treatment of contaminated material and processed in the Electron Accelerator with 0 kGy and 5.0 kGy. Aflatoxin B 1 was extracted with chloroform and separated on a thin layer chromatography plate (TLC) with chloroform: acetone (9:1). All the control and irradiated samples were analyzed in a Shimadzu Densitometer. The detection limit of this methodology is 0.1μg kg -1 . The results indicate that the irradiated samples had a reduction of 75.49 % in the analyzed dose. (author)

Rapid pretreatment and detection of trace aflatoxin B1 in traditional soybean sauce.

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Xie, Fang; Lai, WeiHua; Saini, Jasdeep; Shan, Shan; Cui, Xi; Liu, DaoFeng

2014-05-01

Soybean sauce, a traditional fermented food in China, has different levels of aflatoxin B1 pollution. Two kinds of direct and indirect immunomagnetic bead methods for the pretreatment of aflatoxin B1 were evaluated in this work. A method was established to detect aflatoxin B1 in soybean sauce using an immunomagnetic bead system for pretreatment and ELISA for quantification. The pretreatment method of immunomagnetic beads performed better compared with the conventional extraction and immunoaffinity column method. ELISA exhibited a good linear relationship at an aflatoxin B1 concentration of 0.05-0.3μg/kg (r(2)=0.9842). The average recoveries across spike levels varied from 0.5 to 7μg/kg were 83.6-104% with a relative standard deviation between 4.2% and 11.7%. With the advantages of rapid detection, easy operation, simple equipment, sensitivity, accuracy, and high recovery; this method can be well applied in the trace determination of aflatoxin B1 in soybean sauce samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological Characterization and Determination of Aflatoxin-Production Potentials of Aspergillus flavus Isolated from Maize and Soil in Kenya

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Matome Gabriel Thathana

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at morphologically identifying Aspergillus flavus in soil and maize and at determining their aflatoxin-producing potentials. Five hundred and fourteen isolates obtained from maize and soil in Kenya were cultivated on Czapeck Dox Agar, Malt Extract Agar, Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, Potato Dextrose Agar, and Rose-Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar. Isolates were identified using macro-morphological characteristics. Micromorphological characteristics were determined using slide cultures. Aflatoxin production was determined by direct visual determination of the UV fluorescence of colonies on Coconut Agar Medium, Yeast Extract Sucrose agar, and Yeast Extract Cyclodextrin Sodium Deoxycholate agar and by Thin Layer Chromatography. Forty-three presumptive A. flavus isolates were identified; aflatoxin was detected in 23% of the isolates by UV fluorescence screening and in 30% by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC. The aflatoxins produced were: aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, aflatoxin B2 (AFB2, and aflatoxin G1 (AFG1; some isolates produced only AFB1, whereas others produced either AFB1 and AFB2 or AFB1 and AFG1. The highest incidence of A. flavus (63% and aflatoxin production (28% was recorded in samples from Makueni District. Isolates from Uasin Gishu (21% and Nyeri (5% were non-aflatoxigenic. Bungoma District recorded 11% positive isolates of which 2% were aflatoxin producers. The occurrence of aflatoxin-producing A. flavus emphasises the need for measures to eliminate their presence in food crops.

Effect of crude honey on stability of aflatoxins and growth of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Because aflatoxin contamination is unavoidable, numerous strategies for their detoxification have been proposed. sample of natural honey was studied for their detoxification on aflatoxin (B1, B2) and their antimicrobial activities on Aspergillus flavus compared with H2O2 .Dilutions of honey ranging from 12,14,16,18 and ...

Aflatoxin and nutrient contents of peanut collected from local market and their processed foods

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Ginting, E.; Rahmianna, A. A.; Yusnawan, E.

2018-01-01

Peanut is succeptable to aflatoxin contamination and the sources of peanut as well as processing methods considerably affect aflatoxin content of the products. Therefore, the study on aflatoxin and nutrient contents of peanut collected from local market and their processed foods were performed. Good kernels of peanut were prepared into fried peanut, pressed-fried peanut, peanut sauce, peanut press cake, fermented peanut press cake (tempe) and fried tempe, while blended kernels (good and poor kernels) were processed into peanut sauce and tempe and poor kernels were only processed into tempe. The results showed that good and blended kernels which had high number of sound/intact kernels (82,46% and 62,09%), contained 9.8-9.9 ppb of aflatoxin B1, while slightly higher level was seen in poor kernels (12.1 ppb). However, the moisture, ash, protein, and fat contents of the kernels were similar as well as the products. Peanut tempe and fried tempe showed the highest increase in protein content, while decreased fat contents were seen in all products. The increase in aflatoxin B1 of peanut tempe prepared from poor kernels > blended kernels > good kernels. However, it averagely decreased by 61.2% after deep-fried. Excluding peanut tempe and fried tempe, aflatoxin B1 levels in all products derived from good kernels were below the permitted level (15 ppb). This suggests that sorting peanut kernels as ingredients and followed by heat processing would decrease the aflatoxin content in the products.

ESTIMATION OF AFLATOXIN B1 IN FEED INGREDIENTS AND COMPOUND POULTRY FEEDS

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Bashir Mahmood Bhatti, Tanzeela Talat and Rozina Sardar

2001-02-01

Full Text Available A total of 3230 samples of feed ingredients of vegetable and animal origin and commercially available compound poultry feed received over a period of 5 years at Feed Testing Laboratory of the Institute were tested for Aflatoxin B1 contents (ppb . In all feed ingredients and compound feed stuffs, minimum level of aflatoxin B1 was 13 ppb and maximum level was found to be 78 ppb. No correlation of aflatoxin levels with month of collection of the year which are subject to variation in temperature and humidity could be detected. Mean values of aflatoxin concentration in feed stuffs such as rice, rice polish, wheat bran, wheat bread, maize, fish meal, blood meal, bone meal, guar meal, corn gluten 30%, corn gluten 60%, sun flower meal, soyabean meal and cotton seed meal were found to be higher than safe level of 20 ppb recommended by FDA.

Climate change and the health impact of aflatoxins exposure in Portugal - an overview.

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Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Viegas, Susana; Viegas, Carla; Jakobsen, Lea S; Pires, Sara; Alvito, Paula

2018-03-08

Climate change has been indicated as a driver for food safety issues worldwide, mainly due to the impact on the occurrence of food safety hazards at various stages of food chain. Mycotoxins, natural contaminants produced by fungi, are among the most important of such hazards. Aflatoxins, which have the highest acute and chronic toxicity of all mycotoxins, assume particular importance. A recent study predicted aflatoxin contamination in maize and wheat crops in Europe within the next 100 years and aflatoxin B1 is predicted to become a food safety issue in Europe, especially in the most probable scenario of climate change (+2°C). This review discusses the potential influence of climate change on the health risk associated to aflatoxins dietary exposure of Portuguese population. We estimated the burden of disease associated to the current aflatoxin exposure for Portuguese population in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). It is expected that in the future the number of DALYs and the associated cases of hepatocellular carcinoma due to aflatoxins exposure will increase due to climate change. The topics highlighted through this review, including the potential impact on health of the Portuguese population through the dietary exposure to aflatoxins, should represent an alert for the potential consequences of an incompletely explored perspective of climate change. Politics and decision-makers should be involved and committed to implement effective measures to deal with climate change issues and to reduce its possible consequences. This review constitutes a contribution for the prioritisation of strategies to face the unequal burden of effects of weather-related hazards in Portugal and across Europe.

Measurement and assessment of aflatoxin B1 and its producing molds in Iranian sausages and burgers

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Siavash Maktabi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 is one of the most well-known hepatocarcinogens in humans. Contamination of raw materials, used in the production of sausages and burgers, with aflatoxin producing molds can lead to increased level of aflatoxin in the final products and can impose hazards to human health. Unfortunately, aflatoxin is resistant to heating and freezing processes, etc. and can remain in these products untile consumption. Methods: During a six-month period, 45 sausage and 53 burger samples from valid brands across the country were randomly purchased from the stores. The samples were analyzed for AFB1 by ELISA technique. Meanwhile, the number of molds was calculated and aflatoxin producing molds were identified by direct and slide culture methods. Results: The findings showed that 2 susage samples (4.9% and 3 burger samples (6.3% were contaminated with >1 ng/g aflatoxin. Moreover, 4 burger samples (8.9% contaminated with mold included aspergillus flavus, aspergillus niger, mucor, and penicillium while, none of the susage samples showed mold contamination. Conclusion: The Iranian meat products had a relative aflatoxin B1 contamination during the study period, but the contamination rate was low and in allowable range. Standard hygienic preparation and packaging of meat products molds is recommended to reduce fungal contamination, especially aflatoxin-producing molds.

Aflatoxin Contamination of the Milk Supply: A Pakistan Perspective

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Naveed Aslam

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Improving both quality and quantity of food available is a pressing need especially when one eighth of the world’s population consumes less energy than is required for maintenance and is exposed to contaminated food, both of which lead to greater susceptibility to diseases. The Pakistani population depends heavily on milk for nutritional needs and 10% of household income is spent on milk. This commodity requires continuous monitoring and care from its site of production by smallholder dairy producers through to urban consumers along tradition milk marketing chains. Feed ingredients used as concentrate feed to enhance milk production are often contaminated with mycotoxins, which, after ingestion, are transferred into milk. Aflatoxins can contribute to the causation of liver cancers, immune system disorders, and growth-related issues in children. Moreover, deaths in both humans and animals have also been reported after ingestion of aflatoxin-contaminated food. Studies have shown contamination of food and feed ingredients with mycotoxins, especially aflatoxins. This review places the dairy industry into context, summarizes how milk and milk products are contaminated with aflatoxins, and discusses the present legislative regulation of milk quality implemented in Pakistan. There is a need to eliminate fungus-susceptible animal feed ingredients, which are the source of mycotoxins so prevalent in the milk marketed to the consumer in Pakistan.

Molecular detection of mycobiota and aflatoxin contamination of chili

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Gherbawy Youssuf A.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Capsicum annuum grows in warm areas. Pepper production conditions require the drying of fruits by sunlight. During the drying processes, the crop is exposed to contamination by microorganisms, especially fungi. In this article, the isolation of mycobiota from retail markets and food restaurants of Taif city was studied. Crushed chili showed a high fungal load compared to chili sauce and chili powder, while chili powder showed a high occurrence of total aflatoxins (AFs. Aspergillus, Eurotium and Penicillium were the most common genera isolated from chili samples. Thirty-four samples (out of 60 were naturally contaminated with AFs ranging from 20 to 200 ppb. The total aflatoxin potential of 35 isolates of A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. tamarri were studied. Seventy percent of A. flavus isolates were aflatoxigenic. The frequencies of aflatoxin biosynthesis genes aflR, nor-1, ver-1 and omtA were studied in aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus species collected in this study. All aflatoxigenic isolates (21 and 1 non-aflatoxigenic isolate of A. flavus showed DNA fragments that correspond to the complete set of the targeted genes. In conclusion, the high co-occurrence of Aspergillus species capable of producing aflatoxins, particularly in chili samples, suggests the need for more efficient control during processing and storage to reduce fungal contamination.

Aflatoxin M1 Contamination in Milk and Milk Products in Iran: A Review

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R. Kazemi Darsanaki

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds and have adverse effects on humans, animals, and crops. Those can cause illnesses and economic losses. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is one of the mycotoxins produced from the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1. It can be found in milk or milk products obtained from livestock that have ingested contaminated feed. In this paper, recent studies were reviewed in aflatoxin M1 contamination in milk and milk products in Iran.

Aflatoxin M1 Contamination in Milk and Milk Products in Iran: A Review

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R. Kazemi Darsanaki

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds and have adverse effects on humans, animals, and crops. Those can cause illnesses and economic losses. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is one of the mycotoxins produced from the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1. It can be found in milk or milk products obtained from livestock that have ingested contaminated feed. In this paper, recent studies were reviewed in aflatoxin M1 contamination in milk and milk products in Iran.

Effect of Gamma-irradiation on aflatoxin B1 produced by aspergillus parasiticus in barley containing antimicrobial food additives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, N.H.; Abd El-Rehim, L.M.; El-Far, M.A.

1999-01-01

Influence of gamma irradiation on, growth and aflatoxin B 1 produced by aspergillus parasiticus in ba supplemented with sodium chloride, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate was investigated. Total viable population of A. Parasiticus and aflatoxin B 1 production decreased significantly by increasing gamma irradiation doses. No growth or aflatoxin B 1 production occurred at 4.0 KGy. Increasing the concentration of NaCl reduced the total viable population A. Parasiticus as well as the accumulation of aflatoxin B 1 . No growth and aflatoxin B 1 production occurred in barley treated with 2.0 KGy and 6% NaCl. Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate at concentration 500 ppm reduced the population of A. Parasiticus and the levels of aflatoxin B 1 over 100 days. At 2.0 KGy, a sharp drop in aflatoxin B 1 level occurred in barley by 2% NaCl and 500 ppm potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. At 2.0 KGy, 2% NaCl and 1000 ppm potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate completely inhibited growth and aflatoxin B 1 production by A. parasiticus for 100 days of incubation

Aflatoxin effect on erythrocyte profile and histopathology of broilers given different additives

Science.gov (United States)

Karimy, M. F.; Sutrisno, B.; Agus, A.; Suryani, A. E.; Istiqomah, L.; Damayanti, E.

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate erythrocyte profile and microscopic changes effect of AF induces by low level (57.18 ppb) and chronic exposure (34 days) with administration of additive (Lactobacillus plantarum G7 and methionine). Aflatoxin-contaminated corn was prepared by inoculate Aspergillus flavus FNCC 6002 on corn. Total number of 576 broiler Lohman strain (MB202) unsexed DOC were allocated completely randomized into four treatments and 12 replicates, with 12 broiler chicks each. The treatments as follows: T1 = aflatoxin-contaminated diet, T2 = aflatoxin-contaminated diet + 1% of LAB (w/w), T3 = aflatoxin-contaminated diet + 0.8% of methionine (w/w), and T4 = aflatoxin-contaminated diet + 1% of LAB + 0.8% of methionine (w/w). The effect of treatments was evaluated using ANOVA and the difference among mean treatments were analyzed using DMRT. The result showed that administration of additives had no significant effect (P>0.05) on erythrocyte profile, liver, and bursa of Fabricius. The dose of additive in each treatment (T2, T3, T4) were insufficient to reduce adverse effect of chronic aflatoxicosis. It was concluded that the LAB dose for binding AF (57.18%) should be evaluated and the dose for methionine should be reduced for chronic treatment of aflatoxicosis.

Aflatoxin production in a meat mix model system in the presence of Pediococcus and Lactobacillus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchese, R.H.; Martins, J.F.P.; Harrigan, W.F.

1992-01-01

The effect on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus of eight individual strains of Pediococcus and Lactobacillus was determined. The study was conducted in an axenic cultural system in which irradiated meat was employed in the formulation of a meat medium. The medium composition and incubation temperatures were simulations of Brazilian salami processing conditions. All single cultures of A. parasiticus supported aflatoxin production. More aflatoxin was produced in samples treated by the addition of lactic acid than in nontreated ones. Aflatoxin was not detected when A. parasiticus was grown with lactic acid bacteria, although visible mold growth was observed in all such cultures

Presence of moulds and aflatoxin M1 in milk

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Janković Vesna V.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 appears in milk or dairy products as a direct result of the cattle's ingestion of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1. This study comprises mycological and mycotoxicological investigations of 23 milk samples (raw, infant food, pasteurized, whey and yoghurt. The mycological testing showed dominant presence of genus Geotrichum. G. candidum was found in 9 samples, with the highest contamination in the raw milk samples. The contamination level of AM1 is defined by using direct competitive enzyme- -linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. AFM1 was found in 9 samples. AFM1 levels were lower than the recommended limits. However, as AFM1 is considered a probable human carcinogen (2B type, it is necessary to achieve a low level of AFM1 in milk. Therefore, cows' feed samples from various cowsheds are supposed to be evaluated routinely for aflatoxin, and kept away from fungal contamination as much as possible.

Effect of boiling, frying, and baking on recovery of aflatoxin from naturally contaminated corn grits or cornmeal.

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Stoloff, L; Trucksess, M W

1981-05-01

Corn grits naturally contaminated with aflatoxins were used for making boiled grits, and portions of the boiled grits were used for making pan-fried grits; cornmeal naturally contaminated with aflatoxins was used for making corn muffins. Procedures and recipes were derived from cookbook and market package recommendations. From analyses of the products for aflatoxins before and after preparation of the table-ready products, it was determined that 72 +/- 9% (n = 15) of the aflatoxin found in the original grits could be recovered after the grits were boiled. The recovery of aflatoxin B1 after the grits were fried was either 66 +/- 10% (n = 6) or 47 +/- 8% (n = 9), depending on whether 3 cups of water or 4 cups of water per cup of grits, respectively, were used for preparing the boiled grits before frying. Similarly, it was determined that 87 +/- 4% (n = 9) of the aflatoxin B1 found in the original cornmeal could be recovered from the baked muffins. No detectable aflatoxin B2 a was present in the extracts from any of the table-ready products.

Aflatoxin M1 level in pasteurized and sterilized milk of Babol city

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Hashemi S J

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Aflatoxins are severe toxic secondary metabolites found in most plant products. When animals consume contaminated feed stuff to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, the toxin is metabolized by liver and is excreted as Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 via milk. Aflatoxins are acute toxic compounds, immunosuppressive, mutagen, tratogen and carcinogen."nMethods: During the winter of 2006, pasteurized and sterilized (ultra high temperature (UHT milk packages were collected from supermarkets in Babol city. 78 pasteurized and 33 sterilized milk, totally 111 samples were tested for AFM1 by competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA. Solid phase in plastic micro wells coated whit anti-Aflatoxin M1 antibodies. We added 100 microliter skimmed milk and Aflatoxin M1 standard solutions in each well. In each plate, we appointed seven wells for standards. Plates were incubated at 20-25 centigrade for 45 min. Each well was washed four times by washing buffer 20X concentration. Then 100 micro liter conjugated solution (100X was added to each well, and the plate was incubated at 20-25 centigrade for 15 min. After that, the wells were washed. After adding the substrates to wells, we incubated the plate at 20-25 centigrade in a dark place for 15 min. The reaction was stopped by stop solution. After one hour, light absorption was read at 450 nm by ELISA reader."nResults: AFM1 were detected in 100% of all samples. 100% of samples were above of European community regulations (50ng/l. AFM1 contamination mean levels pasteurized and sterilized milk were 230.5 and 221.66 respectively. Therefore more than four fold levels European community. There is not a significant relationship between AFM1 contamina-tion level and different months of winter applying statistical test."nConclusion: The results showed the need for introducing safety limits for AFM1 levels in child milk under Food Legislative liable of Iran. Aflatoxin M1 contamination is a serious problem for public health

The metabolism of aflatoxin B1 by hepatocytes isolated from rats following the in vivo administration of some xenobiotics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalfe, S.A.; Neal, G.E.

1983-01-01

Isolated rat hepatocytes, an intact cellular system capable of performing phase I and phase II metabolism, have been used to investigate metabolism of aflatoxin B1. These cells were found to metabolise [ 14 C]aflatoxin B1 to aflatoxins M1 and Q1, and to radiolabelled polar material, presumably conjugates, as analysed by h.p.l.c., t.l.c. and radioactive determination. In vivo administration of the mixed function oxidase inducers, phenobarbitone and 3-methylcholanthrene, resulted in enhanced hepatocyte phase I (microsomal) metabolism of aflatoxin B1. In contrast to metabolism of AFB1 by in vitro subcellular systems increased production of polar material (conjugated metabolites) derived from [ 14 C]aflatoxin B1 was also detected in hepatocytes isolated from these pretreated animals. Formation of aflatoxin Q1 by isolated hepatocytes appeared to be mediated by cytochrome P450-linked enzymes whereas cytochrome P448-linked enzymes were apparently involved in aflatoxin M1 production. Chronic feeding of aflatoxin B1 to rats enhanced hepatocyte production of conjugated material only and did not elevate cellular cytochrome P450 levels, thus suggesting that aflatoxin B1 is not an inducer of its own primary metabolism

Effect of UV irradiation on aflatoxin reduction: a cytotoxicity evaluation study using human hepatoma cell line.

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Patras, Ankit; Julakanti, Sharath; Yannam, Sudheer; Bansode, Rishipal R; Burns, Mallory; Vergne, Matthew J

2017-11-01

In this proof-of-concept study, the efficacy of a medium-pressure UV (MPUV) lamp source to reduce the concentrations of aflatoxin B 1 , aflatoxin B 2 , and aflatoxin G 1 (AFB 1, AFB 2 , and AFG 1 ) in pure water is investigated. Irradiation experiments were conducted using a collimated beam system operating between 200 to 360 nm. The optical absorbance of the solution and the irradiance of the lamp are considered in calculating the average fluence rate. Based on these factors, the UV dose was quantified as a product of average fluence rate and treatment time. Known concentrations of aflatoxins were spiked in water and irradiated at UV doses ranging from 0, 1.22, 2.44, 3.66, and 4.88 J cm -2 . The concentration of aflatoxins was determined by HPLC with fluorescence detection. LC-MS/MS product ion scans were used to identify and semi-quantify degraded products of AFB 1 , AFB 2 , and AFG 1 . It was observed that UV irradiation significantly reduced aflatoxins in pure water (p UV light may have caused photolysis of AFB 1 , AFB 2 , and AFG 1 molecules. In cell culture studies, our results demonstrated that the increase of UV dosage decreased the aflatoxin-induced cytotoxicity in HepG 2 cells. Therefore, our research finding suggests that UV irradiation can be used as an effective technique for the reduction of aflatoxins.

Biological control products for aflatoxin prevention in Italy: Commercial field evaluation of atoxigenic A.flavus active ingredients

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Since 2003, non-compliant aflatoxin concentrations have been detected in maize produced in Italy. The most successful worldwide experiments in aflatoxin prevention resulted from distribution of atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus to displace aflatoxin-producers during crop development. The disp...

Effects of Aflatoxin-Contaminated Feed on Immunological Parameters of Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio

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Amal Bitsayah

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Aflatoxin contamination is a common natural phenomenon that is difficult to avoid or control and it can occur during pre and post-harvest periods under high humidity and temperature conditions, and are potentially dangerous to fish. In the present study, a feeding trial evaluated the effects of diets contaminated with aflatoxin on certain immunological parameters of common carp. Methods: The immunotoxicity assessment of juvenile common carp was performed on 180 fish divided into five groups with triplicate: Control group received normal feed (Group I; group II was fed diets contaminated with extraction solution (methanol, acetone and diluted water as a positive control. Group III-V was respectively fed diets contaminated with 0.5, 0.7 and 1.4 mg kg-1 feed for 3 wk. Results: Lysozyme activities, total immunoglobulin contents, complement C3 and C4 activities in plasma of common carp fed with different concentrations of aflatoxins significantly decreased when compared to that of the control fish. Although plasma ACH50 contents remained unchanged in 0.5 mg kg-1 aflatoxins, ACH50 contents decreased in 0.7 and 1.4 mg kg-1 groups after 21 d of aflatoxin treatment. No significant changes were observed in immunological parameters between the control positive and control groups throughout the experimental periods. Conclusion: Oral exposure to aflatoxin (0.5 mg kg-1≤ could adversely affect immunological parameters of common carp.

Use of Probiotics to Control Aflatoxin Production in Peanut Grains

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Juliana Fonseca Moreira da Silva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Probiotic microorganisms (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, S. cerevisiae UFMG 905, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20 were evaluated as biological control agents to reduce aflatoxin and spore production by Aspergillus parasiticus IMI 242695 in peanut. Suspensions containing the probiotics alone or in combinations were tested by sprinkling on the grains followed by incubation for seven days at 25°C. All probiotic microorganisms, in live and inactivated forms, significantly reduced A. parasiticus sporulation, but the best results were obtained with live cells. The presence of probiotics also altered the color of A. parasiticus colonies but not the spore morphology. Reduction in aflatoxin production of 72.8 and 65.8% was observed for S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae, respectively, when inoculated alone. When inoculated in pairs, all probiotic combinations reduced significantly aflatoxin production, and the best reduction was obtained with S. boulardii plus L. delbrueckii (96.1% followed by S. boulardii plus S. cerevisiae and L. delbrueckii plus S. cerevisiae (71.1 and 66.7%, resp.. All probiotics remained viable in high numbers on the grains even after 300 days. The results of the present study suggest a different use of probiotics as an alternative treatment to prevent aflatoxin production in peanut grains.

Determination of aflatoxins in nuts of Tabriz confectionaries by ELISA and HPLC methods

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Siahi Shadbad Mohammad Reza

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Aflatoxins (AFs are a group of mycotoxins and secondary metabolites of various species of Aspergillus. There are various forms of aflatoxins including B1, B2, G1, G2, M1 and M2 types. Aflatoxins cause important health problems and have high potential effect on liver cancer. Therefore, numerous investigations have been conducted during last three decades. The aim of this work is to determine the contamination levels of nuts used by the confectionaries in Tabriz. Methods: A total of 142 samples including 35 almond , 26 walnut, 4 seeds of apricot, 6 sunflower seeds kernel, 6 sesame seed, 6 peanuts , 32 pistachio,13 hazelnuts and 14 cashews samples were collected from Tabriz confectionaries. The ELISA method was employed for the screening of total aflatoxins. Results: In 13 cases (28.1% of pistachios, 5.1% of walnuts and 7.1% of cashews contamination rate of higher than 15 ppb were observed. The HPLC method was applied for the confirmation of ELISA results. Aflatoxin B1 was the highest detected AFs. Conclusion: The overall results of the tested samples indicated that the rate of contamination of pistachios is higher than the other tested samples.

Development of an analytic outline for the aflatoxins analysis in grains and flours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sibaja Adams, Roxana

2000-01-01

The instrumental and analytic conditions were optimized for the aflatoxine determination B1, B2, 1 and G2 in corn and peanut byl iquid chromatography of high discharge following the analyzing method AOAC 994,08. Besides, it was defined a function for evaluating the dependence of the chromatographic discharge with the aflatoxine concentration. The analyzing method was validated, and four calibration curves were obtained for the aflatoxine B1, B2, G1 and G2, which turned to have a heterocedastico behavior. The applicability of this method was demonstrated, obtaining imagines of appropriate merit and comparable with those reported by the AOAC. Additionally, the applicability of the chromatographic method was demonstrated in fine layer for the presumptive analysis of aflatoxine, allowing both methods to propose an outline of reliable analysis of real samples [es

Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria as Poultry Probiotic Candidates with Aflatoxin B1 Binding Activities

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Damayanti, E.; Istiqomah, L.; Saragih, J. E.; Purwoko, T.; Sardjono

2017-12-01

Our previous studies have selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with antifungal activities from traditional fermented foods made from cassava (G7) and silage feed palm leaf (PDS5 and PDS3). In this study we evaluated their ability to bind aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and probiotic characteristic. The probiotic characteristic assays of LAB consisted of resistance to acidic conditions (pH 3), gastric juice and bile salts 0.3%. We also carried out an in vitro evaluation of LAB aflatoxin binding ability in viable and non-viable cell for 24 and 48 hours of incubation. The measurement of aflatoxin content was performed by ELISA method using AgraQuant Total Aflatoxin Assay kit. The results showed that all isolates were potential as probiotics and the G7 isolate had the highest viability among other isolates in pH 3 (92.61 %) and the bile salts assay (97.71 %). The percentage of aflatoxin reduction between viable and non-viable cell from each LAB isolate were different. The highest aflatoxin reduction in viable cell assay was performed by G7 isolate (69.11 %) whereas in non-viable cell assay was performed by PDS3 isolate (73.75 %) during incubation time 48 hours. In this study, G7 isolate performed the best probiotic characteristics with the highest viability in acid pH assay, bile salt 0.3% assay and percentage of aflatoxin B1 reduction in viable cell condition. Molecular identification using 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that G7 isolate had homology with Lactobacillus plantarum (99.9%). It was concluded that Lactobacillus plantarum G7 was potential as probiotic with aflatoxin binding activities.

Relationship between Aflatoxin Contamination and Physiological Responses of Corn Plants under Drought and Heat Stress

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Nacer Bellaloui

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Increased aflatoxin contamination in corn by the fungus Aspergillus flavus is associated with frequent periods of drought and heat stress during the reproductive stages of the plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between aflatoxin contamination and physiological responses of corn plants under drought and heat stress. The study was conducted in Stoneville, MS, USA under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. Five commercial hybrids, P31G70, P33F87, P32B34, P31B13 and DKC63-42 and two inbred germplasm lines, PI 639055 and PI 489361, were evaluated. The plants were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus (K-54 at mid-silk stage, and aflatoxin contamination was determined on the kernels at harvest. Several physiological measurements which are indicators of stress response were determined. The results suggested that PI 639055, PI 489361 and hybrid DKC63-42 were more sensitive to drought and high temperature stress in the non-irrigated plots and P31G70 was the most tolerant among all the genotypes. Aflatoxin contamination was the highest in DKC63-42 and PI 489361 but significantly lower in P31G70. However, PI 639055, which is an aflatoxin resistant germplasm, had the lowest aflatoxin contamination, even though it was one of the most stressed genotypes. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. These results suggested that the physiological responses were associated with the level of aflatoxin contamination in all the genotypes, except PI 639055. These and other physiological responses related to stress may help examine differences among corn genotypes in aflatoxin contamination.

Relationship between aflatoxin contamination and physiological responses of corn plants under drought and heat stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Kebede, Hirut; Abbas, Hamed K; Fisher, Daniel K; Bellaloui, Nacer

2012-11-20

Increased aflatoxin contamination in corn by the fungus Aspergillus flavus is associated with frequent periods of drought and heat stress during the reproductive stages of the plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between aflatoxin contamination and physiological responses of corn plants under drought and heat stress. The study was conducted in Stoneville, MS, USA under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. Five commercial hybrids, P31G70, P33F87, P32B34, P31B13 and DKC63-42 and two inbred germplasm lines, PI 639055 and PI 489361, were evaluated. The plants were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus (K-54) at mid-silk stage, and aflatoxin contamination was determined on the kernels at harvest. Several physiological measurements which are indicators of stress response were determined. The results suggested that PI 639055, PI 489361 and hybrid DKC63-42 were more sensitive to drought and high temperature stress in the non-irrigated plots and P31G70 was the most tolerant among all the genotypes. Aflatoxin contamination was the highest in DKC63-42 and PI 489361 but significantly lower in P31G70. However, PI 639055, which is an aflatoxin resistant germplasm, had the lowest aflatoxin contamination, even though it was one of the most stressed genotypes. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. These results suggested that the physiological responses were associated with the level of aflatoxin contamination in all the genotypes, except PI 639055. These and other physiological responses related to stress may help examine differences among corn genotypes in aflatoxin contamination.

Stability of aflatoxin B1 in animal feed candidate reference materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roos, A.H.; Mazijk, van R.J.; Tuinstra, L.G.M.T.; Huf, F.A.

1991-01-01

Two candidate reference materials animal feed were stored at a temperature of -18°C, 4 C, 20°C and 37°C. The stability of aflatoxin B1 was studied duringa period of two years. A significant decrease in the aflatoxin B1 content was measured in the samples stared at 20°C and 37°C. In the samples

Effects of milk yield, feed composition, and feed contamination with aflatoxin B1 on the aflatoxin M1 concentration in dairy cows’ milk investigated using Monte Carlo simulation modelling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fels, van der Ine; Camenzuli, Louise

2016-01-01

This study investigated the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AfM1) in dairy cows’ milk, given predefined scenarios for milk production, compound feed (CF) contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AfB1), and inclusion rates of ingredients, using Monte Carlo simulation modelling. The model simulated a typical

Oral administration of piperine for the control of aflatoxin intoxication in rats.

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Gagini, Thalita B; Silva, Robson E; Castro, Isabela S; Soares, Breno A; Lima, Marco E F; Brito, Marilene F; Mazur, Carlos; Direito, Glória M; Danelli, Maria das Graças M

2010-04-01

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins that have important toxic effects on human and animal health, even if consumed at low doses. The oral administration of piperine (1.12 mg/kg) during 23 days in rats seemingly interfered with the toxicity of aflatoxins, decreasing hepatic injuries and the leukocyte depletion in experimentally intoxicated animals.

Occurrence of Aflatoxins in Selected Processed Foods from Pakistan

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Muhammad Ashrafuzzaman

2012-07-01

Full Text Available A total of 125 (ready to eat processed food samples (70 intended for infant and 55 for adult intake belonging to 20 different food categories were analyzed for aflatoxins contamination using Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC with fluorescent detection. A solvent mixture of acetonitrile-water was used for the extraction followed by immunoaffinity clean-up to enhance sensitivity of the method. The limit of detection (LOD (0.01–0.02 ng·g⁻¹ and limit of quantification (LOQ (0.02 ng·g⁻¹ was established for aflatoxins based on signal to noise ratio of 3:1 and 10:1, respectively. Of the processed food samples tested, 38% were contaminated with four types of aflatoxins, i.e., AFB1 (0.02–1.24 μg·kg⁻¹, AFB2 (0.02–0.37 μg·kg⁻¹, AFG1 (0.25–2.7 μg·kg⁻¹ and AFG2 (0.21–1.3 μg·kg⁻¹. In addition, the results showed that 21% of the processed foods intended for infants contained AFB1 levels higher than the European Union permissible limits (0.1 μg·kg⁻¹, while all of those intended for adult consumption had aflatoxin contamination levels within the permitted limits.

Spatial Patterns of Aflatoxin Levels in Relation to Ear-Feeding Insect Damage in Pre-Harvest Corn

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Alisa Huffaker

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Key impediments to increased corn yield and quality in the southeastern US coastal plain region are damage by ear-feeding insects and aflatoxin contamination caused by infection of Aspergillus flavus. Key ear-feeding insects are corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, and brown stink bug, Euschistus servus. In 2006 and 2007, aflatoxin contamination and insect damage were sampled before harvest in three 0.4-hectare corn fields using a grid sampling method. The feeding damage by each of ear/kernel-feeding insects (i.e., corn earworm/fall armyworm damage on the silk/cob, and discoloration of corn kernels by stink bugs, and maize weevil population were assessed at each grid point with five ears. The spatial distribution pattern of aflatoxin contamination was also assessed using the corn samples collected at each sampling point. Aflatoxin level was correlated to the number of maize weevils and stink bug-discolored kernels, but not closely correlated to either husk coverage or corn earworm damage. Contour maps of the maize weevil populations, stink bug-damaged kernels, and aflatoxin levels exhibited an aggregated distribution pattern with a strong edge effect on all three parameters. The separation of silk- and cob-feeding insects from kernel-feeding insects, as well as chewing (i.e., the corn earworm and maize weevil and piercing-sucking insects (i.e., the stink bugs and their damage in relation to aflatoxin accumulation is economically important. Both theoretic and applied ramifications of this study were discussed by proposing a hypothesis on the underlying mechanisms of the aggregated distribution patterns and strong edge effect of insect damage and aflatoxin contamination, and by discussing possible management tactics for aflatoxin reduction by proper management of kernel-feeding insects. Future directions on basic and applied research related to aflatoxin contamination are also

Spatial patterns of aflatoxin levels in relation to ear-feeding insect damage in pre-harvest corn.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Xinzhi; Wilson, Jeffrey P; Buntin, G David; Guo, Baozhu; Krakowsky, Matthew D; Lee, R Dewey; Cottrell, Ted E; Scully, Brian T; Huffaker, Alisa; Schmelz, Eric A

2011-07-01

Key impediments to increased corn yield and quality in the southeastern US coastal plain region are damage by ear-feeding insects and aflatoxin contamination caused by infection of Aspergillus flavus. Key ear-feeding insects are corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, and brown stink bug, Euschistus servus. In 2006 and 2007, aflatoxin contamination and insect damage were sampled before harvest in three 0.4-hectare corn fields using a grid sampling method. The feeding damage by each of ear/kernel-feeding insects (i.e., corn earworm/fall armyworm damage on the silk/cob, and discoloration of corn kernels by stink bugs), and maize weevil population were assessed at each grid point with five ears. The spatial distribution pattern of aflatoxin contamination was also assessed using the corn samples collected at each sampling point. Aflatoxin level was correlated to the number of maize weevils and stink bug-discolored kernels, but not closely correlated to either husk coverage or corn earworm damage. Contour maps of the maize weevil populations, stink bug-damaged kernels, and aflatoxin levels exhibited an aggregated distribution pattern with a strong edge effect on all three parameters. The separation of silk- and cob-feeding insects from kernel-feeding insects, as well as chewing (i.e., the corn earworm and maize weevil) and piercing-sucking insects (i.e., the stink bugs) and their damage in relation to aflatoxin accumulation is economically important. Both theoretic and applied ramifications of this study were discussed by proposing a hypothesis on the underlying mechanisms of the aggregated distribution patterns and strong edge effect of insect damage and aflatoxin contamination, and by discussing possible management tactics for aflatoxin reduction by proper management of kernel-feeding insects. Future directions on basic and applied research related to aflatoxin contamination are also discussed.

Spatial Patterns of Aflatoxin Levels in Relation to Ear-Feeding Insect Damage in Pre-Harvest Corn

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Xinzhi; Wilson, Jeffrey P.; Buntin, G. David; Guo, Baozhu; Krakowsky, Matthew D.; Lee, R. Dewey; Cottrell, Ted E.; Scully, Brian T.; Huffaker, Alisa; Schmelz, Eric A.

2011-01-01

Key impediments to increased corn yield and quality in the southeastern US coastal plain region are damage by ear-feeding insects and aflatoxin contamination caused by infection of Aspergillus flavus. Key ear-feeding insects are corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, and brown stink bug, Euschistus servus. In 2006 and 2007, aflatoxin contamination and insect damage were sampled before harvest in three 0.4-hectare corn fields using a grid sampling method. The feeding damage by each of ear/kernel-feeding insects (i.e., corn earworm/fall armyworm damage on the silk/cob, and discoloration of corn kernels by stink bugs), and maize weevil population were assessed at each grid point with five ears. The spatial distribution pattern of aflatoxin contamination was also assessed using the corn samples collected at each sampling point. Aflatoxin level was correlated to the number of maize weevils and stink bug-discolored kernels, but not closely correlated to either husk coverage or corn earworm damage. Contour maps of the maize weevil populations, stink bug-damaged kernels, and aflatoxin levels exhibited an aggregated distribution pattern with a strong edge effect on all three parameters. The separation of silk- and cob-feeding insects from kernel-feeding insects, as well as chewing (i.e., the corn earworm and maize weevil) and piercing-sucking insects (i.e., the stink bugs) and their damage in relation to aflatoxin accumulation is economically important. Both theoretic and applied ramifications of this study were discussed by proposing a hypothesis on the underlying mechanisms of the aggregated distribution patterns and strong edge effect of insect damage and aflatoxin contamination, and by discussing possible management tactics for aflatoxin reduction by proper management of kernel-feeding insects. Future directions on basic and applied research related to aflatoxin contamination are also discussed. PMID

Inhibition of aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus by phenolic compounds extracted of Piper betle L.

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Yazdani, Darab; Mior Ahmad, Zainal Abidin; Yee How, Tan; Jaganath, Indu Bala; Shahnazi, Sahar

2013-12-01

Food contamination by aflatoxins is an important food safety concern for agricultural products. In order to identify and develop novel antifungal agents, several plant extracts and isolated compounds have been evaluated for their bioactivities. Anti-infectious activity of Piper betle used in traditional medicine of Malaysia has been reported previously. Crude methanol extract from P. betel powdered leaves was partitioned between chloroform and water. The fractions were tested against A. flavus UPMC 89, a strong aflatoxin producing strain. Inhibition of mycelial growth and aflatoxin biosynthesis were tested by disk diffusion and macrodillution techniques, respectively. The presence of aflatoxin was determined by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques using AFB1 standard. The chloroform soluble compounds were identified using HPLC-Tandem mass spectrometry technique. The results, evaluated by measuring the mycelial growth and quantification of aflatoxin B1(AFLB1) production in broth medium revealed that chloroform soluble compounds extract from P. betle dried leaves was able to block the aflatoxin biosynthesis pathway at concentration of 500μg/ml without a significant effect on mycelium growth. In analyzing of this effective fractions using HPLC-MS(2) with ESI ionization technique, 11 phenolic compounds were identified. The results showed that the certain phenolic compounds are able to decline the aflatoxin production in A. flavus with no significant effect on the fungus mycelia growth. The result also suggested P. betle could be used as potential antitoxin product.

Uptake of Zn/sup + +/ and aflatoxin from perlite and liquid culture by Zea mays seedlings

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Llewellyn, G C; Reynolds, J D; Hurst, L [Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond (USA). Dept. of Biology; Vance, R A; Dashek, W V [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown (USA). Dept. of Biology

1982-01-01

The present paper reports our attempts to determine whether in inclusion of 0.0014 mM Zn/sup + +/ within a hydroponic culture medium affects the ability of 12-day-old Zea mays, cv. 'SS-522' to take-up (/sup 3/H)-aflatoxin B/sub 1/. Data from the corollary experiment., i.e., whether inclusion of aflatoxin affects the ability of Zea mays, cvs. 'Truckers White', 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit' to take-up /sup 65/ZnCl/sub 2/ are presented also. This report is a preliminary to one regarding an in-progress analysis of whether pollutant levels of Zn/sup + +/ affect aflatoxin uptake and distribution. In the absence of irrigating seedlings, which were grown in Perlite containing /sup 65/ZnCl/sub 2/, with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the stem contained the greatest amount of label with root plus seed the next highest and the leaf the least for each of the cvs. In contrast, when the seedlings were irrigated with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the root plus seed contained either an amount nearly identical to (cv. 'Truckers White') or in excess of that within the stem (cvs. 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'). Calculation of the percentages of aflatoxin-induced diminutions in leaf, stem and root label suggested that the aflatoxins interfered with the translocation of /sup 65/ZnCl/sub 2/ from the root to the stem and leaf, at least for cvs 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'.

Genome-scale mutational signatures of aflatoxin in cells, mice, and human tumors

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Huang, Mi Ni; Yu, Willie; Teoh, Wei Wei; Ardin, Maude; Jusakul, Apinya; Ng, Alvin Wei Tian; Boot, Arnoud; Abedi-Ardekani, Behnoush; Villar, Stephanie; Myint, Swe Swe; Othman, Rashidah; Poon, Song Ling; Heguy, Adriana; Olivier, Magali; Hollstein, Monica; Tan, Patrick; Teh, Bin Tean; Sabapathy, Kanaga; Zavadil, Jiri; Rozen, Steven G.

2017-01-01

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a mutagen and IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) Group 1 carcinogen that causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we present the first whole-genome data on the mutational signatures of AFB1 exposure from a total of >40,000 mutations in four experimental systems: two different human cell lines, in liver tumors in wild-type mice, and in mice that carried a hepatitis B surface antigen transgene—this to model the multiplicative effects of aflatoxin exposure and hepatitis B in causing HCC. AFB1 mutational signatures from all four experimental systems were remarkably similar. We integrated the experimental mutational signatures with data from newly sequenced HCCs from Qidong County, China, a region of well-studied aflatoxin exposure. This indicated that COSMIC mutational signature 24, previously hypothesized to stem from aflatoxin exposure, indeed likely represents AFB1 exposure, possibly combined with other exposures. Among published somatic mutation data, we found evidence of AFB1 exposure in 0.7% of HCCs treated in North America, 1% of HCCs from Japan, but 16% of HCCs from Hong Kong. Thus, aflatoxin exposure apparently remains a substantial public health issue in some areas. This aspect of our study exemplifies the promise of future widespread resequencing of tumor genomes in providing new insights into the contribution of mutagenic exposures to cancer incidence. PMID:28739859

Application of Statistics to Evaluate Iranian Analytical Laboratories Proficiency: Case of Aflatoxins in Pistachio

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Leila Fotouhi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of a proficiency testing program among limited number of local laboratories as an alternative to the IUPAC/CITAC guide on proficiency testing with a limited number of participants, specially where international schemes are not accessible. As a sample scheme we planned to determine aflatoxins (B1, G1, B2, G2, total in Iranian pistachio matrix. A part of naturally contaminated pistachio sample was tested for sufficient homogeneity by a competent laboratory and then homogenized sub-samples were distributed among participants all across the country. The median of participants’ results was selected as assigned value. Student t-test was applied to show there is no significant difference between assigned and mean values of homogeneity test results obtained by the competent laboratory. Calculated z-scores showed that 6 out of 8 results in aflatoxin B1, 7 out of 8 results in aflatoxin B2, 5 out of 8 results in aflatoxin G1, 7 out of 8 results in aflatoxin G2 and 6 out of 9 results in aflatoxin total were in satisfactory range. Together our studies indicate that the approach described here is highly cost efficient and applicable for quality assurance of test results when there is no access to international proficiency testing providers.

The Potent of Aspergillus parasiticus to Produce Aflatoxin B1 on the Maize Flour During Storage

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Agus Selamat Duniaji

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 contamination caused by Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergiluus Aspergillus flavus is a great concern in maize production worldwide. A. parasiticus infection and aflatoxin B1 contamination are usually found in maize and their processed during storage, distribution and processing. Aflatoxin B1 contamination in food and feed can cause the cancer diseases in animal and human. This research was aimed to determinate the potency of A. parasiticus to produce aflatoxin B1 in maize during storage 0, 5, 10 and 15 days. The research methods was using Completed Random Design (CRD with three replicated. The research was investigation of a number of colony A. parasiticus in Petato Dextro Agar (PDA and Aflatoxin B1 content by using Enzym Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA. Result of research showed that A.parasiticus were susceptible to grow in maize flour and produce aflatoxin B1 during storage. The population of A. parasiticus in maize flour were  9.5 x 105 d in primary storage (0 days that was the total colony were increasing  .7 x 106 (storage 5 days, 2.5 x 107 (storage 10 days and 1.5 x 108 cfu/g with storage 15 days A. parasiticus was a potent to produce aflatoxin B1 in myzena flour with total of aflatoxin B1 is  66.50 ppb of mayzena flour during storage 5 days , 46.40 ppb with 10 days storage, 57.00 ppb during storage 15 days and was not found in 0 days.

Determination of total aflatoxines in dryed and nuted fruits present in macedinian market

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Hajrulai-Musliu Zehra

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Humans and animals are exposed to aflatoxins by consuming foods contaminated with products of fungal growth. Such exposure is difficult to avoid because fungal growth in foods is not easy to prevent. Even though heavily contaminated food supplies are not distributed at market in developed countries, concern still remains for the possible adverse effects as a consequence of long-term exposure to low levels of aflatoxins in the food supply. Thence the aim of this study was determination of total aflatoxins in dry fruits and nuts. Only products in the open market places such as peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and raisins, were analysed. Nineteen of 30 analysed samples (63.33% were over the detection limit, whereas 11 of analysed samples (36,6% were the same limit.The highr then allowed value of aflatoxins concentration was determined only in one sample of walnut (21 µg/kg.

Suppression of Aflatoxin Production in Aspergillus Species by Selected Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Stilbenoids.

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Sobolev, Victor; Arias, Renee; Goodman, Kerestin; Walk, Travis; Orner, Valerie; Faustinelli, Paola; Massa, Alicia

2018-01-10

Aspergillus flavus is a soil fungus that commonly invades peanut seeds and often produces carcinogenic aflatoxins. Under favorable conditions, the fungus-challenged peanut plant produces and accumulates resveratrol and its prenylated derivatives in response to such an invasion. These prenylated stilbenoids are considered peanut antifungal phytoalexins. However, the mechanism of peanut-fungus interaction has not been sufficiently studied. We used pure peanut stilbenoids arachidin-1, arachidin-3, and chiricanine A to study their effects on the viability of and metabolite production by several important toxigenic Aspergillus species. Significant reduction or virtually complete suppression of aflatoxin production was revealed in feeding experiments in A. flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and Aspergillus nomius. Changes in morphology, spore germination, and growth rate were observed in A. flavus exposed to the selected peanut stilbenoids. Elucidation of the mechanism of aflatoxin suppression by peanut stilbenoids could provide strategies for preventing plant invasion by the fungi that produce aflatoxins.

Role of relative humidity in controlling rate of aflatoxin contamination in certain medicinal herbs under prolonged storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elbazza, Z.E.; Mahmoud, M.I.; Roushdy, H.M.; Farrag, H.A.; Tablawy, S.Y.E.I.

1995-01-01

The effect of water activity on growth of aspergillus flavus test strain and aflatoxin production was studied in sabouraoud's yeast broth regulated with glycerol. Aflatoxin production increased with increasing the a w . The minimal a w was 0.92 for fungal growth and aflatoxins production. Growth of A.flavus test strain and aflatoxin production at 26+- I o and two relative humidities of 85% and 92.9% along four months incubation period on caraway, khlla, shih balady and wild chamomile samples were investigated. At 92.9% Rh, growth of A.flavus on caraway and khella samples was noticed after 20 days of incubation and increased with time incubation and increased with time. Aflatoxin production was detected after 30 days and decreased with prolonged incubation. Fungal growth and aflatoxin production were not observed on shih balady and wild chamomile samples at 92.9% Rh, and on the for studied herbs at 85%, Rh. 3 tabs

Structure and Oxidation of Pyrrole Adducts Formed between Aflatoxin B2a and Biological Amines.

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Rushing, Blake R; Selim, Mustafa I

2017-06-19

Aflatoxin B 2a has been shown to bind to proteins through a dialdehyde intermediate under physiological conditions. The proposed structure of this adduct has been published showing a Schiff base interaction, but adequate verification using structural elucidation instrumental techniques has not been performed. In this work, we synthesized the aflatoxin B 2a amino acid adduct under alkaline conditions, and the formation of a new product was determined using high performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The resulting accurate mass was used to generate a novel proposed chemical structure of the adduct in which the dialdehyde forms a pyrrole ring with primary amines rather than the previously proposed Schiff base interaction. The pyrrole structure was confirmed using 1 H, 13 C, correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single quantum correlation, and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation NMR and tandem mass spectrometry. Reaction kinetics show that the reaction is overall second order and that the rate increases as pH increases. Additionally, this study shows for the first time that aflatoxin B 2a dialdehyde forms adducts with phosphatidylethanolamines and does so through pyrrole ring formation, which makes it the first aflatoxin-lipid adduct to be structurally identified. Furthermore, oxidation of the pyrrole adduct produced a product that was 16 m/z heavier. When the aflatoxin B 2a -lysine (ε) adduct was oxidized, it gave a product with an accurate mass, mass fragmentation pattern, and 1 H NMR spectrum that match aflatoxin B 1 -lysine, which suggest the transformation of the pyrrole ring to a pyrrolin-2-one ring. These data give new insight into the fate and chemical properties of biological adducts formed from aflatoxin B 2a as well as possible interferences with known aflatoxin B 1 exposure biomarkers.

Histopathological study of common carp (Cyprinus carpio fed aflatoxin-contaminated diets

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Shima Shahafve

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aflatoxin-contaminated diet on histopathological alterations of the gill, liver, kidney and intestine tissues in common carp. Fish were randomly distributed into 15 tanks, i.e. in five experimental groups; (I control fed with normal diet without solvent and aflatoxin, (II positive control received feed with only solvent, and (III-V fed on diets containing 0.5, 0.7 and 1.4 mg kg-1 of aflatoxin, respectively. After 21-days, 12 fish per treatment were randomly caught, anesthetized and euthanized. Then, histological sections of the tissues were prepared. The main aflatoxicosis symptoms in the gills were fusion and disorganisation of the secondary gill lamellae, shortening of the secondary lamellae, inflammation of mucous membranes, and exfoliation of the gill epithelium. Liver of the infected fish indicated cloudy swelling of hepatocytes, cellular hypertrophy, formation of vacuoles in the cytoplasm, and necrosis of liver parenchyma. Expansion of Bowman’s space, necrosis of urinary tract, exfoliation and degeneration of the urinary tract epithelium, expansion of the urinary lumen and dilation of the urinary space were observed symptoms in the kidney. Changes in the intestine of the aflatoxin-treated fish were; expansion of goblet cells, necrosis of mucous layers, exfoliation of the mucous epithelium, and bleeding in the intestinal wall. The results indicates that feeding common carp with diets contaminated with aflatoxin, even in low concentrations (≤ 1.4 mg kg-1 feed can cause histopathological damages and disturb their physiological balance.

The antioxidant effects of pumpkin seed oil on subacute aflatoxin poisoning in mice.

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Eraslan, Gökhan; Kanbur, Murat; Aslan, Öznur; Karabacak, Mürsel

2013-12-01

This study was aimed at the investigation of the antioxidant effect of pumpkin seed oil against the oxidative stress-inducing potential of aflatoxin. For this purpose, 48 male BALB/c mice were used. Four groups, each comprising 12 mice, were established. Group 1 was maintained as the control group. Group 2 was administered with pumpkin seed oil alone at a dose of 1.5 mL/kg.bw/day (∼1375mg/kg.bw/day). Group 3 received aflatoxin (82.45% AFB1 , 10.65% AFB2 , 4.13% AFG1, and 2.77% AFG2 ) alone at a dose of 625 μg/kg.bw/day. Finally, group 4 was given both 1.5 mL/kg.bw/day pumpkin seed oil and 625 μg/kg.bw/day aflatoxin. All administrations were oral, performed with the aid of a gastric tube and continued for a period of 21 days. At the end of day 21, the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, heart, and spleen of the animals were excised, and the extirpated tissues were homogenized appropriately. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined in tissue homogenates. In conclusion, it was determined that aflatoxin exhibited adverse effects on most of the oxidative stress markers. The administration of pumpkin seed oil diminished aflatoxin-induced adverse effects. In other words, the values of the group, which was administered with both aflatoxin and pumpkin seed oil, were observed to have drawn closer to the values of the control group. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Achievements and Prospects in Electrochemical-Based Biosensing Platforms for Aflatoxin M1 Detection in Milk and Dairy Products

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Ana-Maria Gurban

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins, which are mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and parasiticus growing on plants and products stored under inappropriate conditions, represent the most studied group of mycotoxins. Contamination of human and animal milk with aflatoxin M1, the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1, is an important health risk factor due to its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Due to the low concentration of this aflatoxin in milk and milk products, the analytical methods used for its quantification have to be highly sensitive, specific and simple. This paper presents an overview of the analytical methods, especially of the electrochemical immunosensors and aptasensors, used for determination of aflatoxin M1.

Sexuality generates diversity in the aflatoxin gene cluster: evidence on a global scale

Science.gov (United States)

The worldwide costs associated with aflatoxin monitoring and crop losses are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Aflatoxins also account for considerable health risks, even in countries where food contamination is regulated. Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are the most common agents of af...

Characterization of the maize lipoxygenase gene family in relation to aflatoxin accumulation resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Oluwaseun F. Ogunola; Leigh K. Hawkins; Erik Mylroie; Michael V. Kolomiets; Eli Borrego; Juliet D. Tang; Paul W. Williams; Marilyn L. Warburton

2017-01-01

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important staple food crop prone to contamination by aflatoxin, a carcinogenic secondary metabolite produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. An efficient approach to reduce accumulation of aflatoxin is the development of germplasm resistant to colonization and toxin...

Climate change and the health impact of aflatoxins exposure in Portugal - an overview

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Viegas, Susana

2018-01-01

Climate change has been indicated as a driver for food safety issues worldwide, mainly due to the impact on the occurrence of food safety hazards at various stages of food chain. Mycotoxins, natural contaminants produced by fungi, are among the most important of such hazards. Aflatoxins, which have...... the highest acute and chronic toxicity of all mycotoxins, assume particular importance. A recent study predicted aflatoxin contamination in maize and wheat crops in Europe within the next 100 years and aflatoxin B1 is predicted to become a food safety issue in Europe, especially in the most probable scenario...

Antifungal Activity and Aflatoxin Degradation of Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Lactobacillus Fermentum Against Toxigenic Aspergillus Parasiticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazvini, Roshanak Daie; Kouhsari, Ebrahim; Zibafar, Ensieh; Hashemi, Seyed Jamal; Amini, Abolfazl; Niknejad, Farhad

2016-01-01

Food and feedstuff contamination with aflatoxins (AFTs) is a serious health problem for humans and animals, especially in developing countries. The present study evaluated antifungal activities of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB ) against growth and aflatoxin production of toxigenic Aspergillus parasiticus . The mycelial growth inhibition rate of A. parasiticus PTCC 5286 was investigated in the presence of Bifidobacterium bifidum PTCC 1644 and Lactobacillus fermentum PTCC 1744 by the pour plate method. After seven days incubation in yeast extract sucrose broth at 30°C, the mycelial mass was weighed after drying. The inhibitory activity of LAB metabolites against aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus was evaluated using HPLC method. B. bifidum and L. fermentum significantly reduced aflatoxin production and growth rate of A. parasiticus in comparison with the controls (p≤0.05). LAB reduced total aflatoxins and B 1 , B 2 , G 1 and G 2 fractions by more than 99%. Moreover, LAB metabolites reduced the level of standard AFB 1 , B 2 , G 1 and G 2 from 88.8% to 99.8% (p≤0.05). Based on these findings, B. bifidum and L. fermentum are recommended as suitable biocontrol agents against the growth and aflatoxin production by aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species.

Aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize in Europe increases due to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Battilani, P.; Toscano, P.; van der Fels-Klerx, H. J.; Moretti, A.; Camardo Leggieri, M.; Brera, C.; Rortais, A.; Goumperis, T.; Robinson, T.

2016-04-01

Climate change has been reported as a driver for emerging food and feed safety issues worldwide and its expected impact on the presence of mycotoxins in food and feed is of great concern. Aflatoxins have the highest acute and chronic toxicity of all mycotoxins; hence, the maximal concentration in agricultural food and feed products and their commodities is regulated worldwide. The possible change in patterns of aflatoxin occurrence in crops due to climate change is a matter of concern that may require anticipatory actions. The aim of this study was to predict aflatoxin contamination in maize and wheat crops, within the next 100 years, under a +2 °C and +5 °C climate change scenario, applying a modelling approach. Europe was virtually covered by a net, 50 × 50 km grids, identifying 2254 meshes with a central point each. Climate data were generated for each point, linked to predictive models and predictions were run consequently. Aflatoxin B1 is predicted to become a food safety issue in maize in Europe, especially in the +2 °C scenario, the most probable scenario of climate change expected for the next years. These results represent a supporting tool to reinforce aflatoxin management and to prevent human and animal exposure.

Potential aflatoxin and ochratoxin a production by Aspergillus species in poultry feed processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraga, M E; Curvello, F; Gatti, M J; Cavaglieri, L R; Dalcero, A M; da Rocha Rosa, C A

2007-04-01

Poultry feeds are prone to fungal growth and mycotoxin production during processing. The identification of biota with the ability to produce mycotoxins is essential. The aims of this study were (1) to monitor the mycobiota counts at different stages of poultry feed processing; (2) to determine the occurrence of Aspergillus species; (3) to evaluate the natural incidence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. The ability of Aspergillus spp. and its teleomorphs isolated here to produce these toxins was also investigated. Samples (144) were collected at random from a factory in Brazil. The occurrence of Aspergillus and Eurotium species was demonstrated on DRBC and DG18 media and the production of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A and their natural incidence were determined by TLC and HPLC methods. A. flavus and E. chevalieri were the most prevalent species isolated. Fungal contamination was not found after the pelleting process, though Aspergillus and Eurotium species were recovered from trough samples. High levels of aflatoxin and ochratoxin A producers were found at all stages of poultry feed processing. Also, high natural contamination with aflatoxins and ochratoxin A was found in the samples. Contact of feed with remainder poultry feed could lead to fungal contamination, so the risk of aflatoxin and/or ochratoxin A contamination of feed must be taken into account.

Development of narrow-band fluorescence index for the detection of aflatoxin contaminated corn

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Haibo; Hruska, Zuzana; Kincaid, Russell; Ononye, Ambrose; Brown, Robert L.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2011-06-01

Aflatoxin is produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus when the fungus invades developing corn kernels. Because of its potent toxicity, the levels of aflatoxin are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, allowing 20 ppb (parts per billion) limits in food, and feed intended for interstate commerce. Currently, aflatoxin detection and quantification methods are based on analytical tests. These tests require the destruction of samples, can be costly and time consuming, and often rely on less than desirable sampling techniques. Thus, the ability to detect aflatoxin in a rapid, non-invasive way is crucial to the corn industry in particular. This paper described how narrow-band fluorescence indices were developed for aflatoxin contamination detection based on single corn kernel samples. The indices were based on two bands extracted from full wavelength fluorescence hyperspectral imagery. The two band results were later applied to two large sample experiments with 25 g and 1 kg of corn per sample. The detection accuracies were 85% and 95% when 100 ppb threshold was used. Since the data acquisition period is significantly lower for several image bands than for full wavelength hyperspectral data, this study would be helpful in the development of real-time detection instrumentation for the corn industry.

Peanuts, Aflatoxins and Undernutrition in Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Innocent Mupunga

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea is an important and affordable source of protein in most of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA and a popular commodity and raw material for peanut butter, paste and cooking oil. It is a popular ingredient for foods used at the point of weaning infants from mother’s milk. It is at this critical point that childhood undernutrition occurs and the condition manifests as stunting, wasting and growth restriction and accounts for nearly half of all deaths in children under five years of age in SSA. Undernutrition is multi-factorial but weaning foods contaminated with microbiological agents (bacteria and fungi and natural toxins have been shown to play a big part. While peanuts may provide good nutrition, they are also highly prone to contamination with mycotoxigenic fungi. The high nutritive value of peanuts makes them a perfect substrate for fungal growth and potential aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic and mutagenic mycotoxins. This article reviews the nutritional value and aflatoxin contamination of peanuts, the role they play in the development of childhood malnutrition (including the different theories of aetiology and immunological problems in children. We also discuss the control strategies that have been explored and advocacy work currently taking shape in Africa to create more awareness of aflatoxins and thus combat their occurrence with the goal of reducing exposure and enhancing trade and food safety.

Reduction of Aflatoxin M1 in Milk Using Kefir Starter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siavash Kamyar

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Mycotoxins naturally occur in foods. Aflatoxins can cause serious health problems in consumers. Nowadays, biological detoxification method is considered to decrease the aflatoxins level in foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of kefir starter microorganisms to decrease the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 levels in milk. Methods: The study was carried out at Shabestar branch, Islamic Azad University in 2016. AFM1 at three levels 150, 200 and 250 ng/L was added to milk samples. Then a pool of lactic acid bacteria (LAB, yeasts and full kefir starter culture was added to milk samples. After cool storage of samples in 4 °C for 7 d, all samples were collected and the level of AFM1 determined by HPLC method. All samples were prepared in triplicate. Results: The highest reduction percentage of AFM1 was observed in yeast (65.33%-68.89% and LAB pool (65%. Samples with full kefir starter showed the reduction percent range of 11.67-34.66% that was lower in compare with other treatment groups. Conclusion: These findings support the ability of LAB and yeasts to bind to aflatoxins in foods. Kefir drink in countries with high contamination by AFM1 in milk can be a safe dairy product choice for consumers.

Effect of irradiation on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hitoshi; Jintana Bunnak; Guzman, Z.M. de; Ishigaki, Isao

1991-01-01

The effects of repeated exposure to gamma irradiation on Aspergillus flavus var. columnaris S46 was studied in terms of the development of increased radioresistance and mutations. Original D 10 value was obtained as 0.22 kGy and increased a little after 6 times exposure at a dose of 0.8 kGy. Mutation ratios such as morphological changes and aflatoxin production were not remarkably changed even after 6 times exposure. A little stimulation of production of aflatoxin B 1 occurred by irradiation of spores of strains S46, E11 and E14 at 0.4 and 0.6 kGy in Synthetic Low Salts broth after incubation for 10 days at 25degC. The levels of aflatoxin B 1 was also increased 13 to 40% by incubation of irradiated spores of S46 strain at 1 kGy on autoclaved polished rice, black pepper and red pepper. However, these stimulation effects were not Observed after infection of these cultivates of irradiated sores to fresh media. (author)

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of and Aspergillus flavus Aflatoxin Accumulation Resistance in Maize

Science.gov (United States)

Marilyn L. Warburton; Juliet D. Tang; Gary L. Windham; Leigh K. Hawkins; Seth C. Murray; Wenwei Xu; Debbie Boykin; Andy Perkins; W. Paul Williams

2015-01-01

Contamination of maize (Zea mays L.) with aflatoxin, produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus Link, has severe health and economic consequences. Efforts to reduce aflatoxin accumulation in maize have focused on identifying and selecting germplasm with natural host resistance factors, and several maize lines with significantly...

7 CFR 983.50 - Aflatoxin regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... the approval of the Secretary, such aflatoxin sampling, analysis, and inspection requirements applicable to pistachios to be shipped for domestic human consumption as will contribute to orderly marketing or be in the public interest. No handler shall ship, for human consumption, pistachios that exceed an...

Effect of gamma radiation on the inactivation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghanem, I; Orfi, M; Shamma, M [Atomic Energy Commission, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic), Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

2008-09-15

Samples of food crops (peanut, peeled pistachio, unpeeled pistachio, rice, and corn) and feed (barley, bran, corn) were autoclave-sterilized, and inoculated with 106 of spore suspension of an isolate of Aspergillus flavus fungus known to produce aflatoxin B1. Food and feed samples were irradiated with gamma radiation at the doses 4, 6, and 10 kGy. Results indicated that degradation of Aflatoxin B1 was positively correlated with the increase in the applied dose of gamma ray for each tested sample. At a dose of 4 KGy percentages of aflatoxin B1 degradation were 8.4, 9.7, 16.6 and 23.5, and 43.97% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, respectively. Whereas, at a dose of 10 KGy percentages of aflatoxin degradation reached highest values at 58.6, 68.8, 84.6, 81.1 and 87.8% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, respectively. In feed samples percentages of aflatoxin degradation were 45, 66, and 90% in barley, 47, 75 and 86% in bran and 31, 72 and 84% in corn for the doses of 4, 6 and 10 KGy, respectively, Aflatoxin degradation in food samples correlated negatively with oil content in irradiated samples. Thus, in peanuts, which contained the highest oil content, percentage of aflatoxin degradation at 10 KGy was not more than 56.6% whereas, the corresponding value in corn, which contained the highest oil content, reached as high as 80%. The above results indicate the possibility of using gamma radiation as a means of degradation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops to levels lower than the maximum allowed levels.(author)

Effect of gamma radiation on the inactivation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghanem, I.; Orfi, M.; Shamma, M.

2008-01-01

Samples of food crops (peanut, peeled pistachio, unpeeled pistachio, rice, and corn) and feed (barley, bran, corn) were autoclave-sterilized, and inoculated with 106 of spore suspension of an isolate of Aspergillus flavus fungus known to produce aflatoxin B1. Food and feed samples were irradiated with gamma radiation at the doses 4, 6, and 10 kGy. Results indicated that degradation of Aflatoxin B1 was positively correlated with the increase in the applied dose of gamma ray for each tested sample. At a dose of 4 KGy percentages of aflatoxin B1 degradation were 8.4, 9.7, 16.6 and 23.5, and 43.97% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, respectively. Whereas, at a dose of 10 KGy percentages of aflatoxin degradation reached highest values at 58.6, 68.8, 84.6, 81.1 and 87.8% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, respectively. In feed samples percentages of aflatoxin degradation were 45, 66, and 90% in barley, 47, 75 and 86% in bran and 31, 72 and 84% in corn for the doses of 4, 6 and 10 KGy, respectively, Aflatoxin degradation in food samples correlated negatively with oil content in irradiated samples. Thus, in peanuts, which contained the highest oil content, percentage of aflatoxin degradation at 10 KGy was not more than 56.6% whereas, the corresponding value in corn, which contained the highest oil content, reached as high as 80%. The above results indicate the possibility of using gamma radiation as a means of degradation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops to levels lower than the maximum allowed levels.(author)

Solvent-dependent transformation of aflatoxin B1 in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, James M; Rushing, Blake R; Selim, Mustafa I

2017-08-01

To date, all studies of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) transformation in soil or in purified mineral systems have identified aflatoxins B 2 (AFB 2 ) and G 2 (AFG 2 ) as the primary transformation products. However, identification in these studies was made using thin layer chromatography which has relatively low resolution, and these studies did not identify a viable mechanism by which such transformations would occur. Further, the use of methanol as the solvent delivery vehicle in these studies may have contributed to formation of artifactual transformation products. In this study, we investigated the role of the solvent vehicle in the transformation of AFB 1 in soil. To do this, we spiked soils with AFB 1 dissolved in water (93:7, water/methanol) or methanol and used HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS to identify the transformation products. Contrasting previous published reports, we did not detect AFB 2 or AFG 2 . In an aqueous-soil environment, we identified aflatoxin B 2a (AFB 2a ) as the single major transformation product. We propose that AFB 2a is formed from hydrolysis of AFB 1 with the soil acting as an acid catalyst. Alternatively, when methanol was used, we identified methoxy aflatoxin species likely formed via acid-catalyzed addition of methanol to AFB 1 . These results suggest that where soil moisture is adequate, AFB 1 is hydrolyzed to AFB 2a and that reactive organic solvents should be avoided when replicating natural conditions to study the fate of AFB 1 in soil.

Aflatoxin M1 Contamination in Ice-Cream

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Kazemi Darsanaki

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 that it can be found in milk and dairy products. In this study, ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay technique was used for detection of AFM1 in ice-cream in Guilan province (Northern Iran. A total of 90 ice-cream samples was randomly obtained from different supermarkets. In 62 of the 90 ice-cream samples examined (68.88%, the presence of AFM1 was detected in concentrations between 8.4 -147.7 ng/l. The mean level of AFM1 in positive samples was 40.36 ng/l. AFM1 levels in 11 samples (12.22% were higher than the maximum tolerance limit (50 ng/l accepted by ISIRI, European Community and Codex Alimentarius.

Influence of sodium chloride on aflatoxin production by irradiated and non-irradiated spores of aspergillus flavus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Bazza, Z.E.

1991-01-01

A liquid medium consisting of 2% yeast extract, 4% sucrose and 0-10% sodium chloride was inoculated with aspergillus flavus and incubated at 22.30 and 37 degree C for 8 days. Aflatoxin was determined in the medium by thin layer chromatography. Aflatoxin production was enhanced by 2 and 4% sodium chloride at 22 and 30 degree C and by 2-6% sodium chloride at 37 degree C. Aflatoxin was decreased by 8 and 10% sodium chloride at the three temperatures. Exposure of Asp. flavus spores to gamma radiation enhanced aflatoxin at 1 kGy and inhibited it at 2 kGy, with the different concentrations of sodium chloride.2 tab

Modelling approach to limit aflatoxin B1 contamination in dairy cattle compound feed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouzembrak, Y.; Fels-Klerx, van der H.J.

2016-01-01

Feeding dairy cattle with safe compound feed helps farmers to ensure food safety. However, several ingredients often used in compound feed production can be contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), which may result into milk contaminated with aflatoxin M1. Given the number of ingredients and their

10522 ASSESSMENT OF AFLATOXINS B1, B2, G1 AND G2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2013-04-13

Apr 13, 2013 ... occurs when high concentrations of aflatoxins are consumed. Symptoms of acute aflatoxicosis include vomiting, weight loss, abdominal pain, jaundice, liver damage and ..... Pitt JI Application of the food safety objective concept to the problem of aflatoxins in peanuts. Mitt. Lebensm. Hyg, 2004; 95: 52-58. 19.

DISTRIBUTION Of AFLATOXIN B1 FROM POULTRY FEED TO DIFFERENT BODY TISSUES OF BROILERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farida Begum, A. Rehman1, G. Maliha and J. Nuzhat

2001-07-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to know the distribution of aflatoxin B1 In various edible tissues of broilers from poultry feed at the stage of marketing. For this purpose liver, kidney, dressed meat and poultry feed of the representative flocks were collected and oven dried. The aflatoxin B1 contents of the samples were .e; determined through thin layer chromatography, The data thus collected were statistically analyzed and the results showed that the aflatoxin B1 level was higher (P<0.01 in liver as compared to kidneys and meat.

Total aflatoxins in complementary foods produced at community levels using locally available ingredients in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayelign, Abebe; Woldegiorgis, Ashagrie Zewdu; Adish, Abdulaziz; De Saeger, Sarah

2018-06-01

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and levels of total aflatoxins in complementary foods (CFs) and their ingredients. A total of 126 samples collected from 20 Districts from Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions were analysed for levels of total aflatoxins using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Aflatoxins were detected in 62 out of 66 pre-milling samples with mean range of 0.3-9.9 µg/kg. Aflatoxins were also detected in 19 out of 20 post-production CFs and in all of the one-month stored CFs at households and grain banks, with a mean range of 0.5-8.0, 3.6-11.3, and 0.2-12.4 µg/kg, respectively. Overall, 3 out of 126 samples exceeded the maximum limit (10 µg/kg). Although most aflatoxin levels were below the maximum limit and thus considered to be safe for consumption, more effort should be implemented to reduce contamination, as these CFs are intended for consumption by young children.

(CultiAF) Reducing maize-based aflatoxin contamination

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

In Zimbabwe, testing of harvested maize has revealed high levels of contamination by aflatoxins, ... and other private sector partners will increase the availability of improved grain storage containers. Researchers will work with the Ministry of ...

Mycobiota and identification of aflatoxin gene cluster in marketed spices in West Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gnonlonfin, G. J. B.; Adjovi, Y. C.; Tokpo, A. F.

2013-01-01

Fungal infection and aflatoxin contamination were evaluated on 114 samples of dried and milled spices such as ginger, garlic and black pepper from southern Benin and Togo collected in November 2008 -January 2009. These products are dried to preserve them for lean periods available throughout...... of Aspergillus were dominant on all marketed dried and milled spices irrespective of country. Gene characterization and amplification analysis showed that most of the Aspergillus flavus isolates possess the cluster genes for aflatoxin production. Aflatoxin B1 assessment by Thin Layer Chromatography showed...... further for other products such as dried and milled spices. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

Fluorescence imaging spectroscopy (FIS) for comparing spectra from corn ears naturally and artificially infected with aflatoxin producing fungus

Science.gov (United States)

In an effort to address the aflatoxin problem in grain, the current study assessed the spectral differences of aflatoxin production in kernels from a cornfield inoculated with spores from two different strains of toxigenic Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin production in corn from the same field due to n...

Influence of Gamma Irradiation, Soaking and Cooking the Detoxification of Aflatoxin β1 and sensory characteristics of Cowpea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahrous, S.R.

2004-01-01

The present work deals with the effect of gamma irradiation, soaking in water and cooking on reducing or removal of aflatoxin β 1 as well as on sensory characteristics of cow peas. Long-time soaking (12 h) of gamma irradiated (5-10 kGy) Cowpea caused remarkable reduction in the levels of aflatoxin β 1 by about 88.4 to 97.28% . Cooking under pressure of gamma irradiated cowpea was more effective in detoxifying aflatoxin β 1 than ordinary cooking under pressure of 6 hours pre-soaked 7.5 kGy irradiated cowpea detoxified aflatoxin β 1 by 95.92% and there was no aflatoxin β 1 in 10 kGy irradiated cowpea. The sensory evaluation of pre-soaked and cooking under pressure of 10 kGy irradiated cowpea improved the overall acceptability of cowpea. In general, gamma irradiation, soaking and cooking (ordinary or under pressure) detoxified aflatoxin β 1 and did not induce any significant effect on the sensory profile in the cowpea

A review on aflatoxin contamination and its implications in the developing world

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gnonlonfin, Gbemenou Joselin Benoit; Hell, K.; Adjovi, Y.

2013-01-01

Mycotoxins contamination in some agricultural food commodities seriously impact human and animal health and reduce the commercial value of crops. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate agricultural commodities pre- or postharvest. Africa is one...... of the continents where environmental, agricultural and storage conditions of food commodities are conducive of Aspergillus fungi infection and aflatoxin biosynthesis. This paper reviews the commodity-wise aetiology and contamination process of aflatoxins and evaluates the potential risk of exposure from common...... African foods. Possible ways of reducing risk for fungal infection and aflatoxin development that are relevant to the African context. The presented database would be useful as benchmark information for development and prioritization of future research. There is need for more investigations on food...

Effect of gamma radiation on the inactivation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghanem, I; Orfi, M; Shamma, M [Atomic Energy Commission, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic), Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

2007-08-15

Samples of food crops (peanut, peeled pistachio, unpeeled pistachio, rice, and corn) and feed (barley, bran, corn) were sterilized then inoculated with 10{sup 6} of spore suspension of an isolate of Aspergillus flavus fungus known to produce aflatoxin B1 . Food and feed samples were irradiated with gamma radiation at the doses 4, 6, and 10 kGy. Results indicated that degradation of Aflatoxin B1 was positively correlated with the increase in the applied dose of gamma ray for each tested sample. For example, at a dose of 4 KGy. Percentages of aflatoxin B1 degradation were 8.4, 9.7, 16.6 and 23.5, and 43.97% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, consecutively . Whereas, at a dose of 10 KGy percentages of aflatoxin degradation reached highest values at 58.6, 68.8, 84.6, 81.1 and 87.8% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, consecutively In feed samples percentages of aflatoxin degradation were 45, 66, and 90% in barley, 47, 75, and 86% in bran, and 31, 72, and 84% in corn for the doses of 4, 6, and 10 KGy, consecutively. Aflatoxin degradation in food samples correlated negatively with oil content in irradiated samples. Thus, in peanuts, which contained the highest oil content, percentage of aflatoxin degradation at 10 KGy was not more than 56.6%, whereas, the corresponding value in corn, which contained the highest oil content, reached as high as 80%. The above results indicate the possibility of using gamma irradiation as a means of degradation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops to lower than the maximum allowed levels using a maximum dose of radiation of 10 KGy which represents the permitted dose of radiation for such type of crops.(author)

Effect of gamma radiation on the inactivation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghanem, I.; Orfi, M.; Shamma, M.

2007-08-01

Samples of food crops (peanut, peeled pistachio, unpeeled pistachio, rice, and corn) and feed (barley, bran, corn) were sterilized then inoculated with 10 6 of spore suspension of an isolate of Aspergillus flavus fungus known to produce aflatoxin B1 . Food and feed samples were irradiated with gamma radiation at the doses 4, 6, and 10 kGy. Results indicated that degradation of Aflatoxin B1 was positively correlated with the increase in the applied dose of gamma ray for each tested sample. For example, at a dose of 4 KGy. Percentages of aflatoxin B1 degradation were 8.4, 9.7, 16.6 and 23.5, and 43.97% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, consecutively . Whereas, at a dose of 10 KGy percentages of aflatoxin degradation reached highest values at 58.6, 68.8, 84.6, 81.1 and 87.8% for peanuts, peeled pistachios, unpeeled pistachios, corn and rice, consecutively In feed samples percentages of aflatoxin degradation were 45, 66, and 90% in barley, 47, 75, and 86% in bran, and 31, 72, and 84% in corn for the doses of 4, 6, and 10 KGy, consecutively. Aflatoxin degradation in food samples correlated negatively with oil content in irradiated samples. Thus, in peanuts, which contained the highest oil content, percentage of aflatoxin degradation at 10 KGy was not more than 56.6%, whereas, the corresponding value in corn, which contained the highest oil content, reached as high as 80%. The above results indicate the possibility of using gamma irradiation as a means of degradation of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed crops to lower than the maximum allowed levels using a maximum dose of radiation of 10 KGy which represents the permitted dose of radiation for such type of crops.(author)

Survey of aflatoxins in retail samples of whole and ground black and white peppercorns.

Science.gov (United States)

Adzahan, N; Jalili, M; Jinap, S

2009-01-01

A total of 126 local and imported samples of commercial white and black pepper in Malaysia were analysed for aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2) content using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector (FD). An acetonitrile-methanol-water (17 : 29 : 54; v/v) mixture was used as a mobile phase and clean-up was using an immunoaffinity column (IAC). Seventy out of 126 (55.5%) samples were contaminated with total aflatoxins, although only low levels of aflatoxins were found ranging from 0.1 to 4.9 ng g(-1). Aflatoxin B1 showed the highest incidence of contamination and was found in all contaminated samples. There was a significant difference between type of samples and different brands (p < 0.05). The results showed black peppers were more contaminated than white peppers.

Assessment of aflatoxin B1 in livestock feed and feed ingredients by high-performance thin layer chromatography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korrapati Kotinagu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: Detection of aflatoxin B1 in Livestock compound Feed and feed ingredients by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC. Materials and Methods: Chromatography was performed on HPTLC silica gel 60 F 254, aluminum sheets by CAMAG automatic TLC sampler 4, with mobile phase condition chloroform:acetone:water (28:4:0.06. Extraction of aflatoxin B1 from samples was done as per AOAC method and screening and quantification done by HPTLC Scanner 4 under wavelength 366 nm. Results: A total of 97 livestock feed (48 and feed ingredients (49 samples received from different livestock farms and farmers were analyzed for aflatoxin B1of which 29 samples were contaminated, constituting 30%. Out of 48 livestock compound feed samples, aflatoxin B1 could be detected in 16 samples representing 33%, whereas in livestock feed ingredients out of 49 samples, 13 found positive for aflatoxin B1 representing 24.5%. Conclusion: HPTLC assures good recovery, precision, and linearity in the quantitative determination of aflatoxin B1 extracted from Livestock compound feed and feed ingredients. As more number of feed and feed ingredients are contaminated with aflatoxin B1 which causes deleterious effects in both animal and human beings, so there is a need for identifying the source of contamination, executing control measures, enabling better risk assessment techniques, and providing economic benefits.

Reducing maize-based aflatoxin contamination and exposure

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

super bags' in which to store their grain. The control households will continue using traditional storage techniques. Researchers will assess the extent of aflatoxin contamination in grain stored by both groups and levels of exposure in mothers ...

The biodiversity of Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins in the Brazilian peanut production chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martins, Ligia Manoel; de Souza Sant'Ana, Anderson; Pelegrinelli Fungaro, Maria Helena

2017-01-01

, the potential for aflatoxin production by the isolates was tested using the agar plug technique and the presence of aflatoxins in peanuts was assessed using an immunoaffinity column followed by quantification using HPLC with reverse phase column and fluorescence detection. The limit of detection...

Effect of pH and pulsed electric field process parameters on the aflatoxin reduction in model system using response surface methodology: Effect of pH and PEF on Aflatoxin Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayalakshmi, Subramanian; Nadanasabhapathi, Shanmugam; Kumar, Ranganathan; Sunny Kumar, S

2018-03-01

The presence of aflatoxin, a carcinogenic and toxigenic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus species, in food matrix has been a major worldwide problem for years now. Food processing methods such as roasting, extrusion, etc. have been employed for effective destruction of aflatoxins, which are known for their thermo-stable nature. The high temperature treatment, adversely affects the nutritive and other quality attributes of the food, leading to the necessity of application of non-thermal processing techniques such as ultrasonication, gamma irradiation, high pressure processing, pulsed electric field (PEF), etc. The present study was focused on analysing the efficacy of the PEF process in the reduction of the toxin content, which was subsequently quantified using HPLC. The process parameters of different pH model system (potato dextrose agar) artificially spiked with aflatoxin mix standard was optimized using the response surface methodology. The optimization of PEF process effects on the responses aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin reduction (%) by pH (4-10), pulse width (10-26 µs) and output voltage (20-65%), fitted 2FI model and quadratic model respectively. The response surface plots obtained for the processes were of saddle point type, with the absence of minimum or maximum response at the centre point. The implemented numerical optimization showed that the predicted and actual values were similar, proving the adequacy of the fitted models and also proved the possible application of PEF in toxin reduction.

Aflatoxins and fumonisin contamination of marketed maize, maize ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aflatoxins and fumonisin contamination of marketed maize, maize bran and maize used as animal feed in northern ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development.

Aflatoxin M1 contamination of raw and pasteurized milk produced in Sanandaj, Iran

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Mafakheri, Sh.

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the levels of aflatoxin M1 in raw and pasteurized milk samples during different seasons by Enzyme- Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay in Sanandaj, Iran. In 257 (94.49% out of 272 milk samples the presence of aflatoxin M1 was detected in concentrations ranging between 0.007 and 115.930 ng/l. AFM1 level in 12 (4.4% of positive samples were higher than the maximum tolerance limit (50 ng/l accepted by Iran and European Union countries. Statistical evaluations showed that the differences between raw and pasteurized samples were not significant (p<0.05. There was no significant difference between spring and summer but the differences between other seasons were statistically significant. Winter samples with 22.35 ng/l and summer samples with 5.14 ng/l had the highest and lowest concentration, respectively (p<0.05. Since contamination of milk with aflatoxin is a potential risk for human health, milk and milk products should be controlled periodically for Aflatoxin contamination.

Inhibition of aflatoxin B production of Aspergillus flavus, isolated from soybean seeds by certain natural plant products.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Y L; Shashikala, J

2006-11-01

The inhibitory effect of cowdung fumes, Captan, leaf powder of Withania somnifera, Hyptis suaveolens, Eucalyptus citriodora, peel powder of Citrus sinensis, Citrus medica and Punica granatum, neem cake and pongamia cake and spore suspension of Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus niger on aflatoxin B(1) production by toxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus isolated from soybean seeds was investigated. Soybean seed was treated with different natural products and fungicide captan and was inoculated with toxigenic strain of A. flavus and incubated for different periods. The results showed that all the treatments were effective in controlling aflatoxin B(1) production. Captan, neem cake, spore suspension of T. harzianum, A. niger and combination of both reduced the level of aflatoxin B(1) to a great extent. Leaf powder of W. somnifera, H. suaveolens, peel powder of C. sinensis, C. medica and pongamia cake also controlled the aflatoxin B(1) production. All the natural product treatments applied were significantly effective in inhibiting aflatoxin B(1) production on soybean seeds by A. flavus. These natural plant products may successfully replace chemical fungicides and provide an alternative method to protect soybean and other agricultural commodities from aflatoxin B(1) production by A. flavus.

Separation of aflatoxin B1 from synthetic physiological fluids using talc and diatomite: Kinetic and isotherm aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprynskyy, Myroslav; Krzemień-Konieczka, Iwona; Gadzała-Kopciuch, Renata; Buszewski, Bogusław

2018-01-01

The objective of the study was to examine adsorption of the aflatoxin B1 from synthetic gastric fluid and synthetic intestinal fluid by talc, raw and calcined diatomite. The kinetic and equilibrium adsorption processes were studied in the batch adsorption experiments applying high performance liquid chromatography for the aflatoxin B1 determination. The kinetic study showed a very fast adsorption of the aflatoxin B1 onto the selected adsorbents from the both physiological fluids with reaching equilibrium within 1-15min. The aflatoxin B1 was almost completely adsorbed in initial linear step of the kinetic process that can be described well by the zero-order kinetics model. The experimental data of the equilibrium adsorption were characterized using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The high adsorption effectiveness was found in a range of 90%-100% and 60%-100% for the diatomite samples and the talc respectively at the initial concentrations of the aflatoxin B1 as 31-300ng/mL. The possible mechanisms of the aflatoxin adsorption onto the used mineral adsorbents are also discussed in the work. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of aflatoxins B1 and M1 in animal feeds and liquid milk using thin layer chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Njue, W.; Gitu, L.; Kaberia, F.

1996-01-01

Animal feed samples were collected from feeding troughs and analysed for levels of aflatoxins B 1 , a toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin. When aflatoxin B 1 is consumed by dairy cattle some of it is hydroxylated to form aflatoxin M 1 , which can appear in milk. Since aflatoxin M 1 , is also toxic and carcinogenic, it was determined in liquid milk. The determinations were carried out using thin-layer chromatography. Some of the feed samples were found to contain concentrations of aflatoxin B 1 that were above maximum tolerated values in foods and feeds in various countries. Brewers grain and used poultry feed contained 133.4 ppb, while the barley husks had a maximum value of 27.4 ppb. The details of the experimental results and analytical methods used are presented.(author)

Economical Appraisal of Total Aflatoxin Level in the Poultry Feeds by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherazai, S.T.H.; Shar, Z.; Iqbal, M.; Sumbal, G.A.

2013-01-01

Single-bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been used for the quantitative determination of total aflatoxins in the broiler poultry feed. An FTIR calibration spanning the range 1-70 micro g/L aflatoxin standards in (70:30, v/v) methanol-water solvent system based on partial least square (PLS) model, developed by relating mid IR region between 3755-950 cm/ sub -1/. The excellent coefficient of various (using 0.998) was achieved with 1.49 relative mean square error of calibration (RMSEC). Aflatoxins from each of eight poultry feeds was extracted and the determined by the widely used commercially available Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) procedure and the SB-ATR/FTIR method. The SB-ATR/FTIR aflatoxins predictions were related to those determined by the ELISA method by linear regression, producing an R value of 0.989 and a SD of +- 2.80 micro g/L. The result of the study clearly indicated that FT-IR spectroscopy due to its rapidity and simplicity along with data manipulation by advance computer software could be effectively used for routine determination of aflatoxins present in the poultry feeds at very low level. (author)

Examining environmental drivers of spatial variability in aflatoxin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Examining environmental drivers of spatial variability in aflatoxin accumulation in Kenyan maize: potential utility in risk prediction models. ... however, because of high sampling cost and lack of affordable and accurate analytical methods.

Process Development for Spray Drying a Value-Added Extract from Aflatoxin Contaminated Peanut Meal

Science.gov (United States)

Peanut meal, the primary byproduct of commercial oil crushing operations, is an excellent source of protein though aflatoxin contamination often limits applications for this material. Naturally aflatoxin contaminated (59 ppb) peanut meal dispersions were adjusted to pH 2.1 or pH 9.1, with or without...

Evaluation of Morphometrical and Histomorphometrical Changes of Testes, Fertility Potential and Sperm Quality in Mice Treated with Aflatoxin

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abbas Ahamdi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Aflatoxin is the most important mycotoxin toxicity and can enter the animal or human reproductive systems and cause some problems in relation to semen quality and fertility decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aflatoxin on histological structure of the testes and sperm characteristics and cellular targets in spermatogenic compartment and blood level of testosterone and fertility potential. Methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult male mice were divided into 4 groups as the control and experimental groups. Experimental groups have received aflatoxin (100, 350, 700µg/kg by gastric intubation daily. After 45 days, the mice were sacrificed and sperm samples were collected from cauda epididyms in order to evaluate the sperm parameters and perform the in-vitro fertilization analyses. Results: Analyses of sperm parameters demonstrated that sperm motility decreased remarkably (P<0.05 in all three groups of aflatoxin in comparison with the control. Moreover, the percentage of sperms with DNA disintegrity and nuclear immaturity were significantly increased in aflatoxin groups (P<0.05. Results from IVF showed that aflatoxin have been significantly decreased the sperm fertilization potential, preimplantation embryonic development, embryonic quality and percentage of 2-cells embryos and blasocyste in comparison with the control group. Percentage of arrested embryos with high lysis and fragmantation have been increased significantly in aflatoxin-treated groups (P<0.05. Conclusion: Totally, the present results highly support the idea that aflatoxin induces testicular toxicity with adverse effect on sperm quality and fertility potential in a dose-dependent manner. 

Citrate coated silver nanoparticles with modulatory effects on aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus parasiticus

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, Chandrani

The manufacture and usage of silver nanoparticles has drastically increased in recent years (Fabrega et al. 2011a). Hence, the levels of nanoparticles released into the environment through various routes have measurably increased and therefore are concern to the environment and to public health (Panyala, Pena-Mendez and Havel 2008). Previous studies have shown that silver nanoparticles are toxic to various organisms such as bacteria (Kim et al. 2007), fungi (Kim et al. 2008), aquatic plants (He, Dorantes-Aranda and Waite 2012a), arthropods (Khan et al. 2015), and mammalian cells (Asharani, Hande and Valiyaveettil 2009) etc. Most of the toxicity studies are carried out using higher concentrations or lethal doses of silver nanoparticles. However, there is no information available on how the fungal community reacts to the silver nanoparticles at nontoxic concentrations. In this study, we have investigated the effect of citrate coated silver nanoparticles (AgNp-cit) at a size of 20nm on Aspergillus parasiticus, a popular plant pathogen and well-studied model for secondary metabolism (natural product synthesis). A. parasiticus produces 4 major types of aflatoxins. Among other aflatoxins, aflatoxin B1 is considered to be one of most potent naturally occurring liver carcinogen, and is associated with an estimated 155,000 liver cancer cases globally (Liu and Wu 2010); therefore, contaminated food and feed are a significant risk factor for liver cancer in humans and animals (CAST 2003; Liu and Wu 2010). In this study, we have demonstrated the uptake of AgNp-cit (20nm) by A. parasiticus cells from the growth medium using a time course ICP-OES experiment. It was observed that the uptake of AgNp-cit had no effect on fungal growth and significantly decreased intracellular oxidative stress. It also down-regulated aflatoxin biosynthesis at the level of gene expression of aflatoxin pathway genes and the global regulatory genes of secondary metabolism. We also observed that the

Reduction of Aflatoxins in Apricot Kernels by Electronic and Manual Color Sorting

OpenAIRE

Zivoli, Rosanna; Gambacorta, Lucia; Piemontese, Luca; Solfrizzo, Michele

2016-01-01

The efficacy of color sorting on reducing aflatoxin levels in shelled apricot kernels was assessed. Naturally-contaminated kernels were submitted to an electronic optical sorter or blanched, peeled, and manually sorted to visually identify and sort discolored kernels (dark and spotted) from healthy ones. The samples obtained from the two sorting approaches were ground, homogenized, and analysed by HPLC-FLD for their aflatoxin content. A mass balance approach was used to measure the distributi...

The frequency of occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk on the territory of Vojvodina

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Polovinski-Horvatović Miroslava S.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin is one of the most common mycotoxins which can be found in milk. It represents a natural metabolite of aflatoxin B1 that occurs as a result of animal metabolism and the body's attempt to detoxificate it. It is excreted in milk, feces and urine of animals that consumed contaminated feed with aflatoxin B1. The carry-over from feed to milk depends on many factors, ranging from 0.3 to 6.2%. Aflatoxin M1 is in the first group of carcinogens according to the IRAC classification from 2002, but it is considered to have only 10% of carcinogenicity from its precursor aflatoxin B1. Legislation in member countries of European Union for this mycotoxin in milk intended for people is 0.05 μg/l, while the rest of the countries that also have legislation for this mycotoxin allow the concentration that is ten times higher, and that is 0.5 μg/l. In this paper, we have tried to provide on insight into the quality of milk, food often consumed by children, from the standpoint of mycotoxicology, and to compare the obtained data with data available from literature, from countries in the region that have similar climatic and agricultural conditions. From a total of 65 samples of processed milk, aflatoxin M1 was found in 18 samples and none of the samples exceeded the level of 0.05 μg/l, which is allowed by the legislation of the European Union.

The frequency of presence of aflatoxin B1 in foodstuffs of vegetable origin

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Gojković Vesna S.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cereals, nuts and spices are foods that are used in the daily human diet. According to FAO the average consumption of foods of vegetable origin in people’s diet is increasing. Due to inadequate conditions during storage of foods of vegetable origin, there is possibility of contamination by mold that produces mycotoxins. Since the intake of these products in organism has been increased, there is a risk of exposure to mycotoxins and their harmful effect on the consumers’ health. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of aflatoxin B1 in products of vegetable origin (cereals, nuts and spices. Aflatoxin B1 was determined by enzyme-imunochemical method (ELISA, using commercial kit. 38 samples were tested. In 25 analyzed samples, the content of aflatoxin B1 was higher than 1 μg/kg (1 μg/kg is limit of detection. Out of the total number of tested samples, in 18 samples the content of aflatoxin B1 was determined higher than the allowed amount for this product group by the current regulations (2 μg/kg for cereals, 2 μg/kg for nuts and 5 μg/kg for spices.

Aflatoxins Associated with Storage Fungi in Fish Feed

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Timothy Ademakinwa

This study investigates storage fungi and aflatoxin in fish feed stored under three different ... secondary metabolites of fungi which are formed ... Department of Marine Sciences, Faculty of ... antibiotic is to inhibit the growth of any bacterial.

Common African cooking processes do not affect the aflatoxin binding efficacy of refined calcium montmorillonite clay.

Science.gov (United States)

Elmore, Sarah E; Mitchell, Nicole; Mays, Travis; Brown, Kristal; Marroquin-Cardona, Alicia; Romoser, Amelia; Phillips, Timothy D

2014-03-01

Aflatoxins are common contaminants of staple crops, such as corn and groundnuts, and a significant cause of concern for food safety and public health in developing countries. Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) has been implicated in the etiology of acute and chronic disease in humans and animals, including growth stunting, liver cancer and death. Cost effective and culturally acceptable intervention strategies for the reduction of dietary AFB 1 exposure are of critical need in populations at high risk for aflatoxicosis. Fermented gruels consisting of cornmeal are a common source for such exposure and are consumed by both children and adults in many countries with a history of frequent, high-level aflatoxin exposure. One proposed method to reduce aflatoxins in the diet is to include a selective enterosorbent, Uniform Particle Size NovaSil (UPSN), as a food additive in contaminated foods. For UPSN to be effective in this capacity, it must be stable in complex, acidic mixtures that are often exposed to heat during the process of fermented gruel preparation. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to test the ability of UPSN to sorb aflatoxin while common cooking conditions were applied. The influence of fermentation, heat treatment, acidity, and processing time were investigated with and without UPSN. Analyses were performed using the field-practical Vicam assay with HPLC verification of trends. Our findings demonstrated that UPSN significantly reduced aflatoxin levels (47-100%) in cornmeal, regardless of processing conditions. Upon comparison of each element tested, time appeared to be the primary factor influencing UPSN efficacy. The greatest decreases in AFB 1 were reported in samples allowed to incubate (with or without fermentation) for 72 hrs. This data suggests that addition of UPSN to staple corn ingredients likely to contain aflatoxins would be a sustainable approach to reduce exposure.

Sexuality generates diversity in the aflatoxin gene cluster: evidence on a global scale.

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Geromy G Moore

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in oil-rich seed and grain crops and are a serious problem in agriculture, with aflatoxin B₁ being the most carcinogenic natural compound known. Sexual reproduction in these species occurs between individuals belonging to different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs. We examined natural genetic variation in 758 isolates of A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. minisclerotigenes sampled from single peanut fields in the United States (Georgia, Africa (Benin, Argentina (Córdoba, Australia (Queensland and India (Karnataka. Analysis of DNA sequence variation across multiple intergenic regions in the aflatoxin gene clusters of A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. minisclerotigenes revealed significant linkage disequilibrium (LD organized into distinct blocks that are conserved across different localities, suggesting that genetic recombination is nonrandom and a global occurrence. To assess the contributions of asexual and sexual reproduction to fixation and maintenance of toxin chemotype diversity in populations from each locality/species, we tested the null hypothesis of an equal number of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-type individuals, which is indicative of a sexually recombining population. All samples were clone-corrected using multi-locus sequence typing which associates closely with VCG. For both A. flavus and A. parasiticus, when the proportions of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 were significantly different, there was more extensive LD in the aflatoxin cluster and populations were fixed for specific toxin chemotype classes, either the non-aflatoxigenic class in A. flavus or the B₁-dominant and G₁-dominant classes in A. parasiticus. A mating type ratio close to 1∶1 in A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. minisclerotigenes was associated with higher recombination rates in the aflatoxin cluster and less pronounced chemotype differences in populations. This work shows that the reproductive nature of

Association between Urinary Aflatoxin (AFM₁) and Dietary Intake among Adults in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Siti Husna; Jamaluddin, Rosita; Sabran, Mohd Redzwan

2018-04-07

Aflatoxin is a food contaminant and its exposure through the diet is frequent and ubiquitous. A long-term dietary aflatoxin exposure has been linked to the development of liver cancer in populations with high prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the association between urinary aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), a biomarker of aflatoxin exposure, with the dietary intake among adults in Hulu Langat district, Selangor, Malaysia. Certain food products have higher potential for aflatoxin contamination and these were listed in a Food Frequency Questionnaire, which was given to all study participants. This allowed us to record consumption rates for each food product listed. Concomitantly, urine samples were collected, from adults in selected areas in Hulu Langat district, for the measurement of AFM₁ levels using an ELISA kit. Of the 444 urine samples collected and tested, 199 were positive for AFM₁, with 37 of them exceeding the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.64 ng/mL. Cereal products showed the highest consumption level among all food groups, with an average intake of 512.54 g per day. Chi-square analysis showed that consumption of eggs ( X ² = 4.77, p = 0.03) and dairy products ( X ² = 19.36, p food groups were having a phi and Cramer's V value that less than 0.3, which indicated that the association between these food groups' consumption and AFM₁ level in urine was weak.

Inhibitory effect of essential oil on aflatoxin activities

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-04-19

Apr 19, 2010 ... Key words: Aflatoxins, essential oils, antioxidant, oxidative stress. INTRODUCTION .... of ROS mutagenesis in human cancer. It is of interest that the ..... black pepper, cumin and coriander were tested for their ability to suppress ...

Interaction of Wild Strains of Aspergilla with Aspergillus parasiticus ATCC15517 and Aflatoxin Production †

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, H. Marina; Almeida, Inês; Marques, Marta; Bernardo, Fernando

2008-01-01

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some competent mould strains of Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. These compounds have been extensively studied with regards to their toxicity for animals and humans; they are able to induce liver cancer and may cause a wide range of adverse effects in living organisms. Aflatoxins are found as natural contaminants of food and feed; the main line of the strategy to control them is based on the prevention of the mould growth in raw vegetable or during its storage and monitoring of each crop batch. Mould growth is conditioned by many ecological factors, including biotic ones. Hazard characterization models for aflatoxins in crops must take into consideration biotic interactions between moulds and their potential effects on growth development. The aim of this work is to study the effect of the biotic interaction of 14 different wild strains of Aspergilla (different species), with a competent strain (Aspergillus parasiticus ATCC 15517) using an in vitro production model. The laboratory model used was a natural matrix (humidified cracked corn), on which each wild strain challenged the aflatoxin production of a producer strain. Cultures were incubated at 28°C for 12 days and sampled at the 8th and 12th. Aflatoxin detection and quantification was performed by HPLC using a procedure with a MRPL = 1 μg/kg. Results of those interactive cultures revealed both synergic and antagonistic effects on aflatoxin biosynthesis. Productivity increases were particularly evident on the 8th day of incubation with wild strains of A. flavipes (+ 70.4 %), A. versicolor (+ 54.9 %) and A. flavus 3 (+ 62.6 %). Antagonistic effects were found with A. niger (− 69.5%), A. fumigatus (− 47.6 %) and A. terreus (− 47.6 %) on the 12th day. The increased effects were more evident on the 8th of incubation and the decreases were more patent on the 12th day. Results show that the development of Aspergilla strains concomitantly with

Phytochemicals reduce aflatoxin-induced toxicity in chicken embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxins (AF) are toxic metabolites produced by molds, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which frequently contaminate poultry feed ingredients. Ingestion of AF-contaminated feed by chickens leads to deleterious effects, including decreased bird performance and reduced egg production....

The effects of necrotic enteritis, aflatoxin B1, and virginiamycin on growth performance, necrotic enteritis lesion scores, and mortality in young broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Cravens, R L; Goss, G R; Chi, F; De Boer, E D; Davis, S W; Hendrix, S M; Richardson, J A; Johnston, S L

2013-08-01

The effects of increasing aflatoxin B1 concentration (0, 0.75, 1.5 mg/kg) on broilers with or without necrotic enteritis or virginiamycin were determined. In the 23-d study, 22 male Cobb 500 chicks per pen were allotted to 12 treatments (3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement) with 8 replications. Intestines of 5 birds per pen were examined for lesions on d 21. Birds were allowed to consume feed and water ad libitum. Aflatoxin was included in the diets from d 0. All birds received a 10× dose of coccidiosis vaccine on d 10. Pens of birds where necrotic enteritis was being induced were on Clostridium perfringens pathogen (CPP) contaminated litter from d 0. Aflatoxin decreased gain and feed intake and resulted in poorer feed:gain, increased mortality, and higher lesion scores. Inducing necrotic enteritis increased lesion scores and decreased feed intake and gain. Adding virginiamycin to the diets improved gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and decreased mortality. There was a 3-way interaction (aflatoxin × virginiamycin × CPP) on gain; increasing aflatoxin decreased gain and the effects of CPP and virginiamycin were dependent on aflatoxin concentration. In the absence of aflatoxin virginiamycin increased gain but was unable to prevent the growth suppression caused by CPP. At 0.75 mg/kg of aflatoxin virginiamycin no longer increased growth in non-CPP challenged birds but was able to increase growth in CPP-challenged birds. At the 1.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin concentration, virginiamycin increased gain in non-CPP-challenged birds but challenging birds with CPP had no effect on gain. Virginiamycin improved overall feed conversion with the greatest improvement at 1.5 mg/kg (aflatoxin × virginiamycin, P broiler performance and interact to decrease weight gain, virginiamycin helps improve gain in challenged birds at 0.75 mg/kg of aflatoxin, but not at 1.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin.

Rapid on-site sensing aflatoxin B1 in food and feed via a chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaowei Zhang

Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 poses grave threats to food and feed safety due to its strong carcinogenesis and toxicity, thus requiring ultrasensitive rapid on-site determination. Herein, a portable immunosensor based on chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was developed for sensitive and on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed samples. Chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay offered a magnified positive signal and low signal-to-noise ratio in time-resolved mode due to the absence of noise interference caused by excitation light sources. Compared with the immunosensing performance in previous studies, this platform demonstrated a wider dynamic range of 0.2-60 μg/kg, lower limit of detection from 0.06 to 0.12 µg/kg, and considerable recovery from 80.5% to 116.7% for different food and feed sample matrices. It was found to be little cross-reactivity with other aflatoxins (B2, G1, G2, and M1. In the case of determination of aflatoxin B1 in peanuts, corn, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and mouse feed, excellent agreement was found when compared with aflatoxin B1 determination via the conversational high-performance liquid chromatography method. The chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay affords a powerful alternative for rapid on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 and holds a promise for food safety in consideration of practical food safety and environmental monitoring.

Rapid on-site sensing aflatoxin B1 in food and feed via a chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhaowei; Tang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Du; Zhang, Qi; Li, Peiwu; Ding, Xiaoxia

2015-01-01

Aflatoxin B1 poses grave threats to food and feed safety due to its strong carcinogenesis and toxicity, thus requiring ultrasensitive rapid on-site determination. Herein, a portable immunosensor based on chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was developed for sensitive and on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed samples. Chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay offered a magnified positive signal and low signal-to-noise ratio in time-resolved mode due to the absence of noise interference caused by excitation light sources. Compared with the immunosensing performance in previous studies, this platform demonstrated a wider dynamic range of 0.2-60 μg/kg, lower limit of detection from 0.06 to 0.12 µg/kg, and considerable recovery from 80.5% to 116.7% for different food and feed sample matrices. It was found to be little cross-reactivity with other aflatoxins (B2, G1, G2, and M1). In the case of determination of aflatoxin B1 in peanuts, corn, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and mouse feed, excellent agreement was found when compared with aflatoxin B1 determination via the conversational high-performance liquid chromatography method. The chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay affords a powerful alternative for rapid on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 and holds a promise for food safety in consideration of practical food safety and environmental monitoring.

Fluorescent sensor systems based on nanostructured polymeric membranes for selective recognition of Aflatoxin B1.

Science.gov (United States)

Sergeyeva, Tetyana; Yarynka, Daria; Piletska, Elena; Lynnik, Rostyslav; Zaporozhets, Olga; Brovko, Oleksandr; Piletsky, Sergey; El'skaya, Anna

2017-12-01

Nanostructured polymeric membranes for selective recognition of aflatoxin B1 were synthesized in situ and used as highly sensitive recognition elements in the developed fluorescent sensor. Artificial binding sites capable of selective recognition of aflatoxin B1 were formed in the structure of the polymeric membranes using the method of molecular imprinting. A composition of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) membranes was optimized using the method of computational modeling. The MIP membranes were synthesized using the non-toxic close structural analogue of aflatoxin B1, ethyl-2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate as a dummy template. The MIP membranes with the optimized composition demonstrated extremely high selectivity towards aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Negligible binding of close structural analogues of AFB1 - aflatoxins B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), and ochratoxin A (OTA) was demonstrated. Binding of AFB1 by the MIP membranes was investigated as a function of both type and concentration of the functional monomer in the initial monomer composition used for the membranes' synthesis, as well as sample composition. The conditions of the solid-phase extraction of the mycotoxin using the MIP membrane as a stationary phase (pH, ionic strength, buffer concentration, volume of the solution, ratio between water and organic solvent, filtration rate) were optimized. The fluorescent sensor system based on the optimized MIP membranes provided a possibility of AFB1 detection within the range 14-500ngmL -1 demonstrating detection limit (3Ϭ) of 14ngmL -1 . The developed technique was successfully applied for the analysis of model solutions and waste waters from bread-making plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aflatoxin-Related Immune Dysfunction in Health and in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease

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Yi Jiang

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Both aflatoxin and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV cause immune suppression and millions of HIV-infected people in developing countries are chronically exposed to aflatoxin in their diets. We investigated the possible interaction of aflatoxin and HIV on immune suppression by comparing immune parameters in 116 HIV positive and 80 aged-matched HIV negative Ghanaians with high (≥0.91 pmol/mg albumin and low (<0.91 pmol/mg albumin aflatoxin B1 albumin adduct (AF-ALB levels. AF-ALB levels and HIV viral load were measured in plasma and the percentages of leukocyte immunophenotypes and cytokine expression were determined using flow cytometry. The cross-sectional comparisons found that (1 among both HIV positive and negative participants, high AF-ALB was associated with lower perforin expression on CD8+ T-cells (P=.012; (2 HIV positive participants with high AF-ALB had significantly lower percentages of CD4+ T regulatory cells (Tregs; P=.009 and naive CD4+ T cells (P=.029 compared to HIV positive participants with low AF-ALB; and (3 HIV positive participants with high AF-ALB had a significantly reduced percentage of B-cells (P=.03 compared to those with low AF-ALB. High AF-ALB appeared to accentuate some HIV associated changes in T-cell phenotypes and in B-cells in HIV positive participants.

Hepatoprotective Role of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum in Meat Type Chicken Fed Aflatoxin B1 Contaminated Feed

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Din Muhammad, Naila Chand, Sarzamin Khan*, Asad Sultan, Mohammad Mushtaq and Rafiullah

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Milk thistle was added in aflatoxin B1 contaminated poultry feed to investigate and compare its hepatoprotective effects with a commercial toxin binder. Two hundred and forty, day-old broilers were randomly allocated into four major groups A, B, C and D. Group A was kept as control, having aflatoxin free feed, while group B was fed aflatoxin contaminated feed, group C was raised on aflatoxin contaminated feed with toxin binder “Mycoad” @ 3g/kg of feed, while group D was provided aflatoxin contaminated feed along with milk thistle @10g/kg of feed. Aflatoxin B1 was present at the level of 80 µg/kg feed during the first week and 520 µg/kg feed in the remaining experimental period. Serum total protein was significantly (P<0.05 higher in group D, followed by group A, C and B. Serum enzymes including, alkaline phosphatase (ALP, aspartate aminotransferase (AST and alanine aminotransferase (ALT values were significantly (P<0.05 lower in group D, followed by C, A and B, which are indicative of hepatoprotective role of milk thistle. Body weight gain and feed intake was decreased by aflatoxin contaminated feed (group B in comparison with group A and group D. Milk thistle supplementation improved body weight gain and feed intake and was similar to toxin binder treated birds. Average feed conversion ratio (FCR was significantly (P<0.05 higher (poor in group B and were the same in all other groups. Present study demonstrated that milk thistle can potentially be used as mycotoxin binder and to minimize the adverse effects of toxin contaminated feed in broilers production.

Detection of Pistachio Aflatoxin Using Raman Spectroscopy and Artificial Neural Networks

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R Mohammadigol

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Pistachio contamination to aflatoxin has been known as a serious problem for pistachio exportation. With regards to the increasing demand for Raman spectroscopy to detect and classify different materials and also the current experimental and technical problems for measuring toxin (such as being expensive and time-consuming, the main objective of this study was to detect aflatoxin contamination in pistachio by using Raman spectroscopy technique and artificial neural networks. Three sets of samples were prepared: non-contaminated (healthy and contaminated samples with 20 and 100 ppb of the total aflatoxins (B1+B2+G1+G2. After spectral acquisition, considering to the results, spectral data were normalized and then principal components (PCs were extracted to reduce the data dimensions. For classification of the samples spectra, an artificial neural network was used with a feed forward back propagation algorithm for 4 inputs and 3 neurons in hidden layer. Mean overall accuracy was achieved to be 98 percent; therefore, non-liner Raman spectra data modeling by ANN for samples classification was successful.

75 FR 68681 - Pistachios Grown in California, Arizona, and New Mexico; Modification of the Aflatoxin Regulations

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-09

... FIR] Pistachios Grown in California, Arizona, and New Mexico; Modification of the Aflatoxin..., Arizona, and New Mexico pistachio marketing order (order). The interim rule streamlined the aflatoxin sampling and testing procedures under the order's rules and regulations for pistachios to be shipped for...

Investigation of Non-Covalent Interactions of Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2, and M1 with Serum Albumin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miklós Poór

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are widely spread mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus species. Consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods and drinks causes serious health risks for people worldwide. It is well-known that the reactive epoxide metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 forms covalent adducts with serum albumin. However, non-covalent interactions of aflatoxins with human serum albumin (HSA are poorly characterized. Thus, in this study the complex formation of aflatoxins was examined with HSA applying spectroscopic and molecular modelling studies. Our results demonstrate that aflatoxins form stable complexes with HSA as reflected by binding constants between 2.1 × 104 and 4.5 × 104 dm3/mol. A binding free energy value of −26.90 kJ mol−1 suggests a spontaneous binding process between AFB1 and HSA at room-temperature, while the positive entropy change of 55.1 JK−1 mol−1 indicates a partial decomposition of the solvation shells of the interacting molecules. Modeling studies and investigations with site markers suggest that Sudlow’s Site I of subdomain IIA is the high affinity binding site of aflatoxins on HSA. Interaction of AFB1 with bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumins was also investigated. Similar stabilities of the examined AFB1-albumin complexes were observed suggesting the low species differences of the albumin-binding of aflatoxins.

HRAS: a webserver for early warning of human health risk brought by aflatoxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Ruifeng; Zeng, Xu; Gao, Weiwei; Wang, Qian; Liu, Zhihua

2013-02-01

Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health, but many do not know that indoor air pollution can also exhibit significant negative health effects. Fungi parasitizing in air conditioning and ventilation systems can be one of indoor air pollution sources. Aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) became a central focus of indoor air pollution, especially in farmer markets. Therefore we developed an early warning system, Health Risk Assessment System, to estimate the growth rate of A. flavus, predict the amount of aflatoxin and provide early warning information. Firstly, the growth of A. flavus and the production of aflatoxin under different conditions were widely obtained through a comprehensive literature review. Secondly, three mathematical models were established to predict the A. flavus colony growth rate, lag phase duration and aflatoxin content, as functions of temperature and water activity based on present studies. Finally, all the results were evaluated by the user-supplied data using PHP programming language. We utilized the web page to show the results and display warning information. The JpGraph library was used to create a dynamic line chart, refreshing the warning information dynamically in real-time. The HARS provides accurate information for early warning purposes to let us take timely steps to protect ourselves.

F420H2-dependent degradation of aflatoxin and other furanocoumarins is widespread throughout the actinomycetales.

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Gauri V Lapalikar

Full Text Available Two classes of F(420-dependent reductases (FDR-A and FDR-B that can reduce aflatoxins and thereby degrade them have previously been isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis. One class, the FDR-A enzymes, has up to 100 times more activity than the other. F(420 is a cofactor with a low reduction potential that is largely confined to the Actinomycetales and some Archaea and Proteobacteria. We have heterologously expressed ten FDR-A enzymes from diverse Actinomycetales, finding that nine can also use F(420H(2 to reduce aflatoxin. Thus FDR-As may be responsible for the previously observed degradation of aflatoxin in other Actinomycetales. The one FDR-A enzyme that we found not to reduce aflatoxin belonged to a distinct clade (herein denoted FDR-AA, and our subsequent expression and analysis of seven other FDR-AAs from M. smegmatis found that none could reduce aflatoxin. Certain FDR-A and FDR-B enzymes that could reduce aflatoxin also showed activity with coumarin and three furanocoumarins (angelicin, 8-methoxysporalen and imperatorin, but none of the FDR-AAs tested showed any of these activities. The shared feature of the compounds that were substrates was an α,β-unsaturated lactone moiety. This moiety occurs in a wide variety of otherwise recalcitrant xenobiotics and antibiotics, so the FDR-As and FDR-Bs may have evolved to harness the reducing power of F(420 to metabolise such compounds. Mass spectrometry on the products of the FDR-catalyzed reduction of coumarin and the other furanocoumarins shows their spontaneous hydrolysis to multiple products.

The aflatoxin-affair: the invisible victims of crime in the food-sector

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Kerschke-Risch Pamela

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aflatoxin affair is an example which can be assumed as a typical offence committed in the food sector in a globalized world. In 2013 mouldy Serbian feed was distributed by an international logistics company to Germany. The exceptional danger of aflatoxin infested feed is the carry over effect, which means that harmful substances devolve into animal products like milk. Generally speaking victims are identifiable persons who have been physically injured or suffer from financial losses or psychological damage. In contrast to e.g. victims of violence we know almost nothing about the effects of victimization as a result of offences committed in the food sector. The aim of this article is to show and discuss the possible effects of the aflatoxin scandal on consumers who have been victimized. As a result it suggests that victimization effects of offences related to food in general are ignored hitherto both by policy and criminologists.

Monitoring of Aflatoxins in Peanuts

OpenAIRE

UÇKUN, Okşan; VAR, Işıl

2014-01-01

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are one of the most important oilseed crops and snack foods in the world Agro-food trade market. The major producers/exporters of peanuts are the United States, China, Argentina, Sudan, Senegal, and Brazil. Peanuts are a perishable commodity, easily spoiled by fungi. Aflatoxins are a group of natural compounds mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They have been found to be carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic to humans and animal...

Interferences in radioimmunoassay of aflatoxins in food and fodder samples of plant origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rauch, P.; Fukal, L.; Brezina, P.; Kas, J.

1988-01-01

Cross-reactions and resulting nonspecific binding of substances with structures resembling aflatoxins (derivatives of coumarin, and cinnamonic and benzoic acids, etc.) were investigated. The concentrations of these substances causing erroneously high or false positive values in radioimmunoassay were determined. One μg aflatoxin B 1 /kg sample may be simulated by the occurrence of 5 g coumarin, 10 g caffeic acid, 16 g chlorogenic acid, or 15 g vanillin/kg fodder or food sample

Enhanced aflatoxin production by aspergillus parasiticus and aspergillus flavus after low dose gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hitoshi

1992-01-01

Spores of Aspergillus parasiticus IFO 30179 and A. flavus var. columnaris S46 were irradiated at 0.05, 0.2 and 0.4 kGy in the synthetic low salts (SL) broth, and the effect on aflatoxin production was examined after 10 days incubation at 30 or 25degC. In these two strains, irradiation of spores at 0.05 kGy resulted in higher B1 or G1 production than the non-irradiated controles. However, spores of the both strains irradiated at 0.2 or 0.4 kGy produced less aflatoxins than non-irradiated controles. In the SL broth, apparent stimulation by low dose irradiation was slight, and these enhanced effects were not observed after reinfection to fresh SL broth. In the case of food samples, the levels of aflatoxin B 1 and G 1 with A. parasiticus were increased from 15 to 90% by incubation of irradiated spores at 1 kGy in autoclaved polished rice, black pepper, white pepper and red pepper. These enhancement would be induced by change of composition in each substrates. Mutations of fungi induced by irradiation is not effective for enhancement of aflatoxin production. (author)

Evaluation of maize inbred lines for resistance to pre-harvest aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in the field

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Baozhu Guo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Two important mycotoxins, aflatoxin and fumonisin, are among the most potent naturally occurring carcinogens, contaminating maize (Zea mays and affecting crop yield and quality. Resistance of maize to pre-harvest mycotoxin contamination, specifically aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and fumonisin produced by Fusarium verticillioides, is a goal in breeding programs that screen for these important traits with the aim of developing resistant commercial hybrids. We conducted two years of field evaluations on 87 inbred lines originating primarily in China and Mexico and not previously screened for resistance. The objectives of our study were to identify resistant germplasm for breeding purposes and to examine possible relationships between resistances to the two mycotoxins. Aflatoxin and fumonisin were present in samples harvested from all lines in both years. Concentrations of total aflatoxin ranged from 52.00 ± 20.00 to 1524.00 ± 396.00 μg kg−1, while those of fumonisin ranged from 0.60 ± 0.06 to 124.00 ± 19.50 mg kg−1. The inbred lines TUN15, TUN61, TUN37, CY2, and TUN49 showed the lowest aflatoxin accumulation and CN1, GT601, TUN09, TUN61, and MP717 the lowest fumonisin accumulation. TUN61 showed the lowest accumulation of both mycotoxins. This study confirmed previous observations that high levels of aflatoxin can coexist with fumonisin, with 55 maize lines showing a positive correlation coefficient between the concentrations of aflatoxin and fumonisin and 32 lines showing a negative correlation coefficient. These selected lines, particularly TUN61, may provide sources of resistance to mycotoxin contamination in breeding programs. However, the mechanism of resistance in this germplasm remains to be identified. Future research should also address factors that influence the fungus–plant interaction, such as herbivory and environmental stress.

Association between Urinary Aflatoxin (AFM1) and Dietary Intake among Adults in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Siti Husna

2018-01-01

Aflatoxin is a food contaminant and its exposure through the diet is frequent and ubiquitous. A long-term dietary aflatoxin exposure has been linked to the development of liver cancer in populations with high prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the association between urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a biomarker of aflatoxin exposure, with the dietary intake among adults in Hulu Langat district, Selangor, Malaysia. Certain food products have higher potential for aflatoxin contamination and these were listed in a Food Frequency Questionnaire, which was given to all study participants. This allowed us to record consumption rates for each food product listed. Concomitantly, urine samples were collected, from adults in selected areas in Hulu Langat district, for the measurement of AFM1 levels using an ELISA kit. Of the 444 urine samples collected and tested, 199 were positive for AFM1, with 37 of them exceeding the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.64 ng/mL. Cereal products showed the highest consumption level among all food groups, with an average intake of 512.54 g per day. Chi-square analysis showed that consumption of eggs (X2 = 4.77, p = 0.03) and dairy products (X2 = 19.36, p food groups were having a phi and Cramer’s V value that less than 0.3, which indicated that the association between these food groups’ consumption and AFM1 level in urine was weak. PMID:29642443

Radiation degradation of biological waste (aflatoxins) produced in food laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovschi, Vladimir Dias

2009-01-01

Many filamentous fungi can produce secondary metabolites, called mycotoxins, which can be found in food and agricultural products. One of the main genera of myco toxigenic fungi related to the food chain is the Aspergillus spp. There are over 400 mycotoxins described in the literature, the most common the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2. The mycotoxins are commonly found in foods and are considered one of the most dangerous contaminants. The aflatoxin B1 is classified in group one by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. Aflatoxins resisting for more than one hour in autoclave making it necessary to other means of degradation of these toxins. This work aimed to observe the effects of gamma radiation of 60 Co and electron beams in the degradation of aflatoxins and compare the damage caused on the morphology of the Aspergillus flavus. The fungus was grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) for 10 days and was subsequently transferred to coconut agar medium, and maintained for 14 days at 25 degree C. After this step the coconut agar was ground to become a homogeneous pasty and was irradiated with doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 kGy. The samples used in scanning electron microscopy were irradiated with doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 kGy with sources of 60 Co and electron beams. Irradiation with electron accelerator showed a slightly higher degradation to gamma radiation, reducing 29.93 %, 34.50 %, 52.63 % and 72.30 % for doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 kGy, respectively. The Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that doses of 2.5 to 10 kGy did not cause damage to the fungus, but with a dose of 20 kGy it can be observed fungal damage to structures. (author)

Determination of aflatoxins in medicinal plants by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddique, Nadeem A; Mujeeb, Mohd; Ahmad, Sayeed; Panda, Bibhu P; Makhmoor, Mohd

2013-01-01

The intention of the proposed work is to study the presence of the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in medicinal plants, namely Mucuna pruriens, Delphinium denudatum and Portulaca oleraceae. The aflatoxins were extracted, purified by immunoaffinity column chromatography and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry with electrospray ionisation (HPLC-MS/MS). Fungal count was carried out in PDA media. A good linear relationship was found for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 at 1-10 ppb (r>0.9995). The analyte accuracy under three different spiking levels was 86.7-108.1 %, with low per cent relative standard deviations in each case. The aflatoxins can be separated within 5 to7 min using an Agilent XDB C18-column. We found that AFB1 and AFB2 were in trace amounts below the detection limit in M. pruriens whilst they were not detected in D. denudatum. P. oleraceae was found to be contaminated with AFB1 and AFB2. AFG1 and AFG2 were not detected in M. pruriens, P. oleraceae and were below the detection limit in D. denudatum. This was consistent with very low numbers of fungal colonies observed after 6 hr of incubation. The analytical method developed is simple, precise, accurate, economical and can be effectively used to determine the aflatoxins in medicinal plants and therefore to control the quality of products. The aflatoxin levels in the plant extracts examined were related to the minimal fungal load in the medicinal plants examined.

The effect of zinc and phytic acid on the incorporation of 1-14C-acetate into aflatoxin by resting mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, S.K.; Venkitasubramanian, T.A.

1975-01-01

The effect of zinc and phytic acid on [1- 14 C]-acetate incorporation into aflatoxins by resting mycelium was studied. When different levels of ZnSO 4 were used to study its effect on the incorporation of [1- 14 C]-acetate into aflatoxins, it was found that the specific radioactivity incorporation into aflatoxins was maximum at the level of 10 mM-ZnSO 4 . At this concentration the change in the specific radioactivities of aflatoxins B 1 + B 2 and aflatoxins G 1 + G 2 were +74.61% and +29.66%, respectively. On the other hand, phytic acid had an inhibitory effect on the incorporation of [1- 14 C]-acetate. These observations have been correlated in order to find out why soyabean is unable to produce aflatoxins by Aspergillus parasiticus. (orig.) [de

The Adsorption Study of Aflatoxin B1 by Nanocellulose Conjugated with Aptamer in acidic, alkali, and Neutral Conditions

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T Mirdehghan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Aflatoxin leads to liver cancer, its removal in the foodstuff is very important. The aim of this study is to investigate the adsorption of aflatoxin B1 by nanocellulose conjugated with aptamer in acidic, alkali, and neutral conditions. Methods: First, nanocellulose was synthesized by acid hydrolysis and then conjugated with aptamer by cross-linker. Then, serial concentrations of conjugated nanocellulose (0.6, 1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL were separately mixed with aflatoxin solution (1000µg/mL, and incubated at  37 °C for 0.5 h at pH of 1, 7, and 13. Then, the percentage of aflatoxin adsorption was measured at 340 nm.   Results: The decrease of pH led to increase of adsorption up to 40%. Statistically, there was significant difference between the quantity of adsorption at acidic condition and the quantity of adsorption at alkali and neutral conditions (P<0.05. Conclusion: Aflatoxin could be adsorbed by conjugated nanocellulose, and this power of adsorption is increased at acidic condition.

Assessment of pre-harvest aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of pre-harvest aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize in Babati District, Tanzania. ... African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ... As well as participating in a development program, Africa Research in ...

Efficacy of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in the control of Aspergillus parasiticus growth and aflatoxins production on pistachio.

Science.gov (United States)

Siahmoshteh, Fatemeh; Siciliano, Ilenia; Banani, Houda; Hamidi-Esfahani, Zohreh; Razzaghi-Abyaneh, Mehdi; Gullino, Maria Lodovica; Spadaro, Davide

2017-08-02

Pistachio (Pistacia vera) is an important nut for its economic, nutritional and health aspects but it can be contaminated by aflatoxigenic fungi in the field and during storage. Biological control could be considered as an alternative to chemical treatment. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic capability of two Bacillus spp. both in vitro and on pistachio kernels. In in vitro conditions, both strains were able to reduce the mycelial growth and they were able to degrade the four aflatoxins during the first three days after inoculation. AFG 1 and AFG 2 were rapidly degraded within two days of incubation with the bacterial strains. No aflatoxin was found in the bacterial cell walls, permitting exclusion of mycotoxin adsorption and hypothesis of an in vitro biodegradation as a mode of action. The cultivar of pistachio most susceptible to fungal colonization was 'Ahmad-Aghaei', selected among four main Iranian cultivars. A. parasiticus was able to grow and produce aflatoxins on pistachios, but at longer inoculation periods, a natural decrease of aflatoxins was registered. Both strains were able to reduce the fungal incidence and number of spores on pistachio with a stronger effect during the first 5dpi. The effect on aflatoxin content in vivo was less pronounced than in vitro, with a maximum effect at 8dpi. At longer times, there was a contrasting effect due to the lower activity of Bacillus spp. in stationary phase and higher growth of Aspergillus species. This consideration could explain the lack of aflatoxin reduction at 12dpi. Both bacterial strains showed good antifungal activity and aflatoxin reduction in in vitro conditions and on pistachio kernels. Altogether, these results indicate that Bacillus species could be considered as potential biocontrol agents to combat toxigenic fungal growth and subsequent aflatoxin contamination of nuts and agricultural crops in practice. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Production of aflatoxins during storage of gamma-irradiated wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behere, A.G.; Sharma, A.; Padwaldesai, S.R.; Nadkarni, G.B.

1978-01-01

A correlation between relative humidity (RH) during storage and moisture content was obtained in wheat subjected to gamma irradiation at 20 krad. The samples were assessed for storage up to 6 months with and without artificial loading of grains with conidia of Aspergillus flavus. The mycotoxin production seemed to be determined by a critical level of moisture in the grain (13%) at RH over 80% at 28 0 +- 2 0 C. The total aflatoxin produced in the irradiated grains was observed to be lower than in the unirradiated controls. The amount of toxin contained in grains, artificially infected with A. flavus before or after irradiation, did not show appreciable differences. The results, while defining the storage conditions with reference to humidity, did not indicate any alterations in wheat relating to aflatoxin producing potential

A simple steady-state model for carry-over of aflatoxins from feed to cow's milk.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijkeren, Jan C H van; Bakker, Martine I; Zeilmaker, Marco J

2006-01-01

A simple steady-state model is derived from two kinetic one-compartment models for the disposition of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in the lactating cow. The model relates daily intake of AFB1 in feed of dairy cattle and the cow's lactation status to resulting concentrations of AFM1 in

Evaluation of maize inbred lines for resistance to pre-harvest aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in the field

Science.gov (United States)

Two important mycotoxins, aflatoxin and fumonisin, are among the most potent naturally occurring carcinogens, contaminating maize (Zea mays L.) and affecting the crop yield and quality. Resistance of maize to pre-harvest mycotoxin contamination, specifically aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus ...

Using biotechnology to enhance host resistance to aflatoxin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Host resistance is the most widely explored strategy for eliminating aflatoxin contamination by Aspergillus flavus. Breeding strategies for developing resistant corn germplasm have been enhanced by the development of new screening tools for field inoculation and for laboratory screening. RFLP analysis of corn populations ...

Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolites: more than just aflatoxins

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus flavus is best known for producing the family of potent carcinogenic secondary metabolites known as aflatoxins. However, this opportunistic plant and animal pathogen also produces numerous other secondary metabolites, many of which have also been shown to be toxic. While about forty of t...

An outbreak of aflatoxin poisoning in dogs associated with aflatoxin B1-contaminated maize products.

Science.gov (United States)

Wouters, Angelica Terezinha Barth; Casagrande, Renata Assis; Wouters, Flademir; Watanabe, Tatiane Terumi Negrão; Boabaid, Fabiana Marques; Cruz, Cláudio Estêvão Farias; Driemeier, David

2013-03-01

An aflatoxicosis outbreak affected 65 dogs from 9 different farms after they were fed diets with cooked corn meal as a common ingredient. Of the dogs, 60 died. Numerous dogs died on additional farms, but those dogs were not included in the study. The farmers acquired the contaminated maize products, in the form of whole corn grain or as corn meal, from the same supplier. The corn product was mixed with meat that was left over from home or commercial rations to form corn polenta, which was fed to the dogs. Necropsy was performed on 3 dogs. Two of the dogs died after a few days of refusing food, showing anorexia, polydipsia, icteric mucous membranes, hematemesis, hematochezia, or melena, and bleeding of the skin, eye, ear, and mouth. The primary necropsy findings included jaundice, hemorrhages in several organs, and yellowish enlarged liver with enhanced lobular pattern. The dog that experienced chronic ascites had a yellowish liver with reduced volume, irregular surface, and increased consistency. The main histological findings included hepatocyte fatty degeneration, biliary duct hyperplasia, cholestasis and, in the chronic case, hepatic fibrosis. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the corn meal from 2 affected farms revealed 1,640 ppb and 1,770 ppb of aflatoxin B1, respectively. The current study demonstrates an additional way that dogs can be exposed to, poisoned, and killed by aflatoxin.

Revising the role of pH and thermal treatments in aflatoxin content reduction during the tortilla and deep frying processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, P; Guzmán-Ortiz, M; Ramírez-Wong, B

2001-06-01

Naturally aflatoxin-contaminated corn (Zea mays L.) was made into tortillas, tortilla chips, and corn chips by the traditional and commercial alkaline cooking processes. The traditional nixtamalization (alkaline-cooking) process involved cooking and steeping the corn, whereas the commercial nixtamalization process only steeps the corn in a hot alkaline solution (initially boiling). A pilot plant that includes the cooker, stone grinder, celorio cutter, and oven was used for the experiments. The traditional process eliminated 51.7, 84.5, and 78.8% of the aflatoxins content in tortilla, tortilla chips, and corn chips, respectively. The commercial process was less effective: it removed 29.5, 71.2, and 71.2 of the aflatoxin in the same products. Intermediate and final products did not reach a high enough pH to allow permanent aflatoxin reduction during thermal processing. The cooking or steeping liquor (nejayote) is the only component of the system with a sufficiently high pH (10.2-10.7) to allow modification and detoxification of aflatoxins present in the corn grain. The importance of removal of tip, pericarp, and germ during nixtamalization for aflatoxin reduction in tortilla is evident.

Proteome analysis of Aspergillus flavus isolate-specific responses to oxidative stress in relationship to aflatoxin production capability

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic pathogen that infects host plants such as maize and peanut under conducive conditions such as drought stress resulting in significant aflatoxin production. Drought-associated oxidative stress is known to exacerbate aflatoxin production by A. flavus. The object...

Effect of Plant Essential Oils and Gamma Irradiation on Growth and Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus Flavus Isolated from Wheat Grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salem, E.A.; Shalaby, Kh.

2016-01-01

The antifungal potential of essential oils of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and camphor ( Eucalyptus rostrata L.) was determined on Aspergillus flavus link isolated from wheat grains on Potato dextrose agar (PDA). They inhibited completely mycelia growth of the fungus at 1000 and 2000 ppm, and prevented aflatoxin production at sub lethal dose 500 and 1000 ppm respectively. Gamma radiation was used to control mycelia growth of Aspergillus flavus Link and inhibiting aflatoxin production. A dose level of 3.5 KGy gamma radiation prevented the fungal growth and aflatoxin production by A. flavus link, where a dose of 2.5 K Gy ( the sub lethal dose) prevented about 85% of aflatoxin production

Complex agricultural livelihoods and aflatoxin exposure in rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Processed foods are easily accessible by many households, from the numerous trading centres established within villages. This paper gives background information on heterogeneity of household diets and seasonal trends in food consumption in rural Uganda and by so doing, identifies potential risk factors for aflatoxin ...

Association between Urinary Aflatoxin (AFM1 and Dietary Intake among Adults in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Husna Sulaiman

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin is a food contaminant and its exposure through the diet is frequent and ubiquitous. A long-term dietary aflatoxin exposure has been linked to the development of liver cancer in populations with high prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the association between urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1, a biomarker of aflatoxin exposure, with the dietary intake among adults in Hulu Langat district, Selangor, Malaysia. Certain food products have higher potential for aflatoxin contamination and these were listed in a Food Frequency Questionnaire, which was given to all study participants. This allowed us to record consumption rates for each food product listed. Concomitantly, urine samples were collected, from adults in selected areas in Hulu Langat district, for the measurement of AFM1 levels using an ELISA kit. Of the 444 urine samples collected and tested, 199 were positive for AFM1, with 37 of them exceeding the limit of detection (LOD of 0.64 ng/mL. Cereal products showed the highest consumption level among all food groups, with an average intake of 512.54 g per day. Chi-square analysis showed that consumption of eggs (X2 = 4.77, p = 0.03 and dairy products (X2 = 19.36, p < 0.01 had significant associations with urinary AFM1 but both food groups were having a phi and Cramer’s V value that less than 0.3, which indicated that the association between these food groups’ consumption and AFM1 level in urine was weak.

Genotypic Regulation of Aflatoxin Accumulation but Not Aspergillus Fungal Growth upon Post-Harvest Infection of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. Seeds

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Walid Ahmed Korani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination is a major economic and food safety concern for the peanut industry that largely could be mitigated by genetic resistance. To screen peanut for aflatoxin resistance, ten genotypes were infected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP—expressing Aspergillus flavus strain. Percentages of fungal infected area and fungal GFP signal intensity were documented by visual ratings every 8 h for 72 h after inoculation. Significant genotypic differences in fungal growth rates were documented by repeated measures and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC analyses. SICIA (Seed Infection Coverage and Intensity Analyzer, an image processing software, was developed to digitize fungal GFP signals. Data from SICIA image analysis confirmed visual rating results validating its utility for quantifying fungal growth. Among the tested peanut genotypes, NC 3033 and GT-C20 supported the lowest and highest fungal growth on the surface of peanut seeds, respectively. Although differential fungal growth was observed on the surface of peanut seeds, total fungal growth in the seeds was not significantly different across genotypes based on a fluorometric GFP assay. Significant differences in aflatoxin B levels were detected across peanut genotypes. ICG 1471 had the lowest aflatoxin level whereas Florida-07 had the highest. Two-year aflatoxin tests under simulated late-season drought also showed that ICG 1471 had reduced aflatoxin production under pre-harvest field conditions. These results suggest that all peanut genotypes support A. flavus fungal growth yet differentially influence aflatoxin production.

Genotypic Regulation of Aflatoxin Accumulation but Not Aspergillus Fungal Growth upon Post-Harvest Infection of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Korani, Walid Ahmed; Chu, Ye; Holbrook, Corley; Clevenger, Josh; Ozias-Akins, Peggy

2017-07-12

Aflatoxin contamination is a major economic and food safety concern for the peanut industry that largely could be mitigated by genetic resistance. To screen peanut for aflatoxin resistance, ten genotypes were infected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Aspergillus flavus strain. Percentages of fungal infected area and fungal GFP signal intensity were documented by visual ratings every 8 h for 72 h after inoculation. Significant genotypic differences in fungal growth rates were documented by repeated measures and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) analyses. SICIA (Seed Infection Coverage and Intensity Analyzer), an image processing software, was developed to digitize fungal GFP signals. Data from SICIA image analysis confirmed visual rating results validating its utility for quantifying fungal growth. Among the tested peanut genotypes, NC 3033 and GT-C20 supported the lowest and highest fungal growth on the surface of peanut seeds, respectively. Although differential fungal growth was observed on the surface of peanut seeds, total fungal growth in the seeds was not significantly different across genotypes based on a fluorometric GFP assay. Significant differences in aflatoxin B levels were detected across peanut genotypes. ICG 1471 had the lowest aflatoxin level whereas Florida-07 had the highest. Two-year aflatoxin tests under simulated late-season drought also showed that ICG 1471 had reduced aflatoxin production under pre-harvest field conditions. These results suggest that all peanut genotypes support A. flavus fungal growth yet differentially influence aflatoxin production.

Nanocapsular Dispersion of Cinnamaldehyde for Enhanced Inhibitory Activity against Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus flavus

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Hongbo Li

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Cinnamaldehyde (CA is marginally soluble in water, making it challenging to evenly disperse it in foods, and resulting in lowered anti-A. flavus efficacy. In the present study, nano-dispersed CA (nano-CA was prepared to increase its aqueous solubility. Free and nano-dispersed CA were compared in terms of their inhibitory activity against fungal growth and aflatoxin production of A. flavus both in Sabouraud Dextrose (SD culture and in peanut butter. Our results indicated that free CA inhibited the mycelia growth and aflatoxin production of A. flavus with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC value of 1.0 mM, but promoted the aflatoxin production at some concentrations lower than the MIC. Nano-CA had a lower MIC value of 0.8 mM against A. flavus, and also showed improved activity against aflatoxin production without the promotion at lower dose. The solidity of peanut butter had an adverse impact on the antifungal activity of free CA, whereas nano-dispersed CA showed more than 2-fold improved activity against the growth of A. flavus. Free CA still promoted AFB1 production at the concentration of 0.25 mM, whereas nano-CA showed more efficient inhibition of AFB1 production in the butter.

Hepatocellular carcinoma and impact of aflatoxin difuranocoumarin derivative system: A case report

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Ilić Miroslav

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is the most frequent type of liver malignancy. As a carcinogen, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 causes HCC by inducing deoxyribonucleic acid adducts that lead to genetic changes in liver cells and may be the cause of HCC in up to 30% of cases. The incidence of HCC has been on the rise and is an issue in the countries of the Western Balkans. Case Outline. This paper presents a case of a 37-year-old woman who was diagnosed with HCC, without hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or liver cirrhosis. The patient consumed milk and dairy products in quantities of over two liters per day over the course of 20 years, which indicates the impact of aflatoxin in milk on HCC. A positive signal for the presence of AFB1 was detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in-house using immunoperoxidase screening test. Conclusion. As carcinogenic difuranocoumarin derivative, aflatoxin B1 is the most likely cause of malignant transformation of hepatocytes, which resulted in hepatocellular carcinoma in this patient.

Radiation degradation of biological residues (Aflatoxins) produced in food laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Aquino, Simone; Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Trindade, Reginaldo A.; Villavicencio, Anna L.C.H.; Zorzete, Patricia; Correa, Benedito

2007-01-01

Some molds have the capacity to produce substances that are toxic and generally cancer-causing agents, such as aflatoxins, that stand between the most important carcinogenic substances (class one of the agents which are certainly carcinogenous for human people according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer). Aspergillus spp. is present in world-wide distribution, with predominance in tropical and subtropical regions growing in any substratum. The aim of this work is establish a minimum dose of radiation that degrades aflatoxins produced by fungi Aspergillus spp. The Aspergillus spp. colonies will be cultivated in coconut agar medium and the samples will be conditioned in appropriate bags for irradiation treatment of contaminated material and processed in the Gammacell 220 with dose of 20 kGy. (author)

Radiation degradation of biological residues (Aflatoxins) produced in food laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Aquino, Simone; Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Trindade, Reginaldo A.; Villavicencio, Anna L.C.H. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (brazil)]. E-mails: vladrogo@yahoo.com.br; villavic@ipen.br; Zorzete, Patricia; Correa, Benedito [Universidade de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Ciencias Biomedicas]. E-mail: correabe@usp.br

2007-07-01

Some molds have the capacity to produce substances that are toxic and generally cancer-causing agents, such as aflatoxins, that stand between the most important carcinogenic substances (class one of the agents which are certainly carcinogenous for human people according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer). Aspergillus spp. is present in world-wide distribution, with predominance in tropical and subtropical regions growing in any substratum. The aim of this work is establish a minimum dose of radiation that degrades aflatoxins produced by fungi Aspergillus spp. The Aspergillus spp. colonies will be cultivated in coconut agar medium and the samples will be conditioned in appropriate bags for irradiation treatment of contaminated material and processed in the Gammacell 220 with dose of 20 kGy. (author)

Graphene oxide: an adsorbent for the extraction and quantification of aflatoxins in peanuts by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Li; Li, Peiwu; Zhang, Qi; Zhang, Wen; Ding, Xiaoxia; Wang, Xiupin

2013-11-29

In this paper, graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized and specifically selected by centrifugation to extract four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) as an effective adsorbent. Then, the amount of aflatoxins was quantitatively measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The GO was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer. Several parameters that could affect the extraction efficiency, including the GO amount, methanol concentration in the extraction solvent, spiked amount, extraction time, and elution cycle, were also investigated and optimized in this work. Under optimal conditions, good linear relationships were achieved with the correlation coefficient (r) ranging from 0.99217 to 0.99995. The detection limit of this method for the four aflatoxins ranged from 0.08 to 0.65ng/g. Finally, the proposed method has been successfully applied to determine aflatoxins in peanut samples. The results show that the recoveries of the four aflatoxins range from 85.1% to 100.8% with the relative standard deviations between 2.1% and 7.9%. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A method for the measurement of in line pistachio aflatoxin concentration based on the laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paghaleh, Soodeh Jamali; Askari, Hassan Ranjbar; Marashi, Seyed Mohammad Bagher; Rahimi, Mojtaba; Bahrampour, Ali Reza

2015-01-01

Contamination of pistachio nuts with aflatoxin is one of the most significant issues related to pistachio health and expert. A fast pistachio aflatoxin concentration measurement method based on the laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) is proposed. The proposed method from theoretical and experimental points of view is analyzed. In our experiments XeCl Excimer laser is employed as an Ultra Violet (UV) source (λ=308 nm) and a UV–visible (UV–vis) spectrometer is used for fluorescent emission detection. Our setup is employed to measure the concentration of different type of Aflatoxins in pistachio nuts. Measurements results obtained by the LIFS method are compared with those are measured by the standard HPLC method. Aflatoxins concentrations are in good agreement with those are obtained by the HPLC method. The proposed laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy can be used as an in line aflatoxins concentrations measurement instrument for industrial applications. - Highlights: • XeCl Excimer laser is employed as an UV source for measurement of AFs in pistachio nuts. • Results are compared with those are measured by the standard HPLC method. • LIFS is an online AFs concentration measurement method for industrial applications

Effect of supplementing lactating goats fed on aflatoxin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

The fungal spores are found worldwide, in air and soil, and infest both living and dead plants and animals. An experiment was conducted to investigate the concentration, total excretion and .... nutritionally inert adsorbents (calcium bentonite or activated charcoal) reduced the concentration of aflatoxin M1 in milk. (Table 1).

The effect of nano-selenium particles and sodium selenite on humoral immunity indices of quails using foods contaminated with aflatoxin B1

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Ebrahim Talebi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This experiment was conducted to evaluate the ability of inhibition of aflatoxin B1 by various sources of selenium and to compare the effect of nano selenium and sodium selenite on humoral immunity of quails. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design (CRD using six treatments and four replicates of ten quail chicks per replicate. Two hundred forty quails were divided in six groups vis. control: without aflatoxin B1 and without selenium. Group2: 1ppm aflatoxin B1 and without selenium. Group3: 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 and 0.3 ppm nano selenium. Group4: 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 and 0.3 ppm sodium selenite. Group5: 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 and 0.6 ppm nano selenium. Group6: 1ppm aflatoxin B1 and 0.6 ppm sodium selenite. To evaluate the humoral immunity response 0.2­ml of sheep red blood cell (SRBC solution was injected into breast muscle of quails at day 35 and blood sampling was conducted after a week. Newcastle vaccine was injected at day 28 and the antibody titer was determined after two weeks. The highest level of titer of antibody against the SRBC solution was related to the group which received 0.06 ppm nano selenium (p

Non-linear relationships between aflatoxin B1 levels and the biological response of monkey kidney vero cells

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxin (AF)-producing fungi contaminate food and feed during preharvest, storage and processing periods. Once consumed, AF accumulates in tissues, causing illnesses in animals and humans. At least 20 different types of AFs have been identified, and of these, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most ubiqui...

Improving the control of aflatoxin-contaminated foods in Haiti | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

They are regularly found among staple food commodities such as peanuts, ... Factors influencing the adoption of control methods by farmers, harvesters, ... viable non-food/feed-related value chain for rejected aflatoxin-contaminated peanuts.

The Knowledge, Attitude & Practice of Women Referred to Health Centers of Yazd on Moldy Food Contaminated with Aflatoxin

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M Soltani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain fungi in/on foods and feeds. The damage they do to DNA can be mutagenic, and also carcinogenic with liver cancer. The aim of this study was to The effect of education on knowledge, attitude & practice of women referred to health centers of Yazd on moldy food contaminated with aflatoxin. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross sectional-descriptive study that was done in 2014. One hundred and fifty - two women were selected among women who were referred to health centers of Yazd. The Sampling was conducted in multi stages. The data was collected by a researcher-developed questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire have been confirmed by content validity, face validity and equivalent reliability. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS20. Results: 107 (70% of the patients studied to the poor knowledge of aflatoxins and Only 6.2% of them were relatively good knowledge. The performance levels were a 38 (25%, good performance, 108 (1/71%, moderate performance and 6 (9/3% had poor performance. 0.25%, 74.3% and 0.7% Participant to the hazards food contaminated with aflatoxins were moldy and positive, average and negative attitude, respectively. Conclusions: Based on our findings, Poor knowledge of participants to aflatoxin, and the average of the attitudes and performance of most of the participants. Is necessary to provide strategies to increase public awareness in order to increase the level of attitude and function and reduce exposure to aflatoxin.

Effect of low level of dietary aflatoxins on baladi rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelhamid, A M; el-Shawaf, I; el-Ayoty, S A; Ali, M M; Gamil, T

1990-01-01

Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 & G2 were administered in a low concentration (100 ppb of each aflatoxin (AN] in a mash offered to Baladi rabbits. An other group of rabbits were fed on the same contaminated mash in addition to 0.25% charcoal (CC). The two groups were compared to control animals fed on AN-free mash. Inclusion of AN in the diet decreased feed and water consumption, body weight and survival rate. Charcoal improved somewhat feed and water consumption and growth rate than AN-group. However, CC-group affected digestibility of organic matter more than AN-group. Relative weights of liver, kidneys, heart and adrenal glands were significantly higher in AN and CC groups than the control group. Blood haemoglobin content, packed cell volume percentage and sedimentation rate were lower in AN group. Although there were an increase in each of serum, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, cholesterol, phospholipids and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase in AN group, yet the serum nitrogen and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase were reduced. Charcoal had alleviated AN-effects concerning N, GPT and phospholipids. Chemical analysis revealed elevation of water, ash and silica contents of liver and water content of muscles from AN-animals. On the other hand, fat content, GOT and vitamin A in the liver as well as muscles ash were reduced. Addition of CC to the diet reduced AN-effects on liver fat, ash and silica but resulted in a rise of the water content of liver and muscles and liver GPT activity. Charcoal also resulted in a sharp decrease in vitamin A content of the liver. Aflatoxin treatments (in AN and CC groups) reduced bone ash, silica and magnesium as well as bone volume. Charcoal administration increased Ca-content of bones. Aflatoxin feeding (in AN group) resulted in a high residual percentage of AN in muscles, serum, liver, heart and kidneys with relationships of 51 :24 : 3 :2 : 1, respectively. Only 1.42% of the fed AN was excreted in the faeces. Charcoal usage had a good effect as

Antifungal Activity and Aflatoxin Degradation of Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Lactobacillus Fermentum Against Toxigenic Aspergillus Parasiticus

OpenAIRE

Ghazvini, Roshanak Daie; Kouhsari, Ebrahim; Zibafar, Ensieh; Hashemi, Seyed Jamal; Amini, Abolfazl; Niknejad, Farhad

2016-01-01

Food and feedstuff contamination with aflatoxins (AFTs) is a serious health problem for humans and animals, especially in developing countries. The present study evaluated antifungal activities of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against growth and aflatoxin production of toxigenic Aspergillus parasiticus. The mycelial growth inhibition rate of A. parasiticus PTCC 5286 was investigated in the presence of Bifidobacterium bifidum PTCC 1644 and Lactobacillus fermentum PTCC 1744 by the pour plate m...

The Aspergillus flavus Homeobox Gene, hbx1, Is Required for Development and Aflatoxin Production

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Jeffrey W. Cary

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Homeobox proteins, a class of well conserved transcription factors, regulate the expression of targeted genes, especially those involved in development. In filamentous fungi, homeobox genes are required for normal conidiogenesis and fruiting body formation. In the present study, we identified eight homeobox (hbx genes in the aflatoxin-producing ascomycete, Aspergillus flavus, and determined their respective role in growth, conidiation and sclerotial production. Disruption of seven of the eight genes had little to no effect on fungal growth and development. However, disruption of the homeobox gene AFLA_069100, designated as hbx1, in two morphologically different A. flavus strains, CA14 and AF70, resulted in complete loss of production of conidia and sclerotia as well as aflatoxins B1 and B2, cyclopiazonic acid and aflatrem. Microscopic examination showed that the Δhbx1 mutants did not produce conidiophores. The inability of Δhbx1 mutants to produce conidia was related to downregulation of brlA (bristle and abaA (abacus, regulatory genes for conidiophore development. These mutants also had significant downregulation of the aflatoxin pathway biosynthetic genes aflC, aflD, aflM and the cluster-specific regulatory gene, aflR. Our results demonstrate that hbx1 not only plays a significant role in controlling A. flavus development but is also critical for the production of secondary metabolites, such as aflatoxins.

Screening of self-assembled monolayer for aflatoxin B1 detection using immune-capacitive sensor

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Alvaro V. Gutierrez R

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A capacitive biosensor was used for detection of aflatoxin B1. Two different methods for cleaning gold electrodes were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry in the presence of ferricyanide as redox couple. The methods involve use of a sequence of cleaning steps avoiding the use of Piranha solution and plasma cleaner. Anti-aflatoxin B1 was immobilized on self-assembled monolayers (SAM. The immune-capacitive biosensor is able to detect aflatoxin B1 concentrations in a linear range of 3.2 × 10−12 M to 3.2 × 10−9 M when thiourea was used to form the SAM; 3.2 × 10−9 M to 3.2 × 10−7 M when thioctic acid was used. When the gold surface was isolated with tyramine-electropolymerization linear ranges of 3.2 × 10−13 M to 3.2 × 10−7 M and 3.2 × 10−9 M to 3.2 × 10−7 M where obtained, respectively. The results obtained show the difference in linear range, limit of detection, and limit of quantification when different self-assembled monolayers are used for aflatoxin B1 detection.

Study the Effect of Processing of Commercial Kashk Making on Aflatoxin M1 Residue

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B Hajimohammadi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is a highly toxic compound which is stable during milk processing, and Storage. Hence, it may be found as contaminant in milk and dairy products with hazardous effects for human beings. In this regard, several studies have demonstrated the potential of process to remove Aflatoxin M1 from dairy product. Therefore, the aims of this study were to assess the ability commercial kashk making to reduce Aflatoxin M1 artificially contaminated milk using a natural process of kashk making. Methods: In this study the commercial cheese from cow's milk (skim milk which was contaminated artificially at a level of 0.25 micrograms per liter of aflatoxin M1 was produced at three replications, and the effects of kashk making process on the AFM1 contents were investigated. The HPLC method was used to determine the presence and levels of AFM1. Results: In the commercial kashk production in same concentration between initial milk and commercial kashk caused losses of AFM1 about 91%. These losses were found to be statistically significant (P <0.052 in same concentration between initial milk and commercial kashk. Conclusion: The results of this work demonstrate that the processing of commercial kashk could help to reduce harmful effects of AFM1 humans through consumption of contaminated milk or dairy products.

Prevention of Aflatoxin B1-Induced DNA Breaks by β-D-Glucan

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Eduardo Madrigal-Bujaidar

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are a group of naturally-occurring carcinogens that are known to contaminate different human and animal foodstuffs. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 is the most genotoxic hepatocarcinogenic compound of all of the aflatoxins. In this report, we explore the capacity of β-D-glucan (Glu to reduce the DNA damage induced by AFB1 in mouse hepatocytes. For this purpose, we applied the comet assay to groups of animals that were first administered Glu in three doses (100, 400 and 700 mg/kg bw, respectively and, 20 min later, 1.0 mg/kg of AFB1. Liver cells were obtained at 4, 10 and 16 h after the chemical administration and examined. The results showed no protection of the damage induced by AFB1 with the low dose of the polysaccharide, but they did reveal antigenotoxic activity exerted by the two high doses. In addition, we induced a co-crystallization between both compounds, determined their fusion points and analyzed the molecules by UV spectroscopy. The data suggested the formation of a supramolecular complex between AFB1 and β-D-glucan.

effectof extrusion conditions on aflatoxin content of corn–peanut flakes

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aynadis

metabolites which can be observed on food stuffs or ... Extrusion cooking technologies are used to ..... effective interaction to reduce aflatoxin B1in the ..... Drug. Administration, “Guidance for industry: Action levels for poisonous or deleterious.

Aflatoxin B(1) in affecting broiler's performance, immunity, and gastrointestinal tract: a review of history and contemporary issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Yunus, Agha W; Razzazi-Fazeli, E; Bohm, Josef

2011-06-01

Aflatoxin B(1) is a common contaminant of poultry feeds in tropical and subtropical climates. Research during the last five decades has well established the negative effects of the mycotoxin on health of poultry. However, the last ten years of relevant data have accentuated the potential of low levels of aflatoxin B(1) to deteriorate broiler performance. In this regard, any attempt to establish a dose-effect relationship between aflatoxin B(1) level and broiler performance is also complicated due to differences in types of broilers and length of exposure to the mycotoxin in different studies. Contrary to the prevalent notion regarding literature saturation with respect to aflatoxicosis of chicken, many areas of aflatoxicosis still need to be explored. Literature regarding effects of the mycotoxin on the gastrointestinal tract in this regard is particular scanty and non-conclusive. In addition to these issues, the metabolism of aflatoxin B(1) and recently proposed hypotheses regarding biphasic effects of the mycotoxin in broilers are briefly discussed.

Mycological Survey and Total Aflatoxin Analyze in Silage from Qaemshahr City (Northern Iran

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M. Hashemi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, 42 samples of silage were collected in Qaemshahr city in Iran during fall 2011. Samples were tested by competitive ELISA for total aflatoxins. Seven samples (16.7% (Mean±se:1.24 from 42 silage samples were positive with total aflatoxin (1.1-27.3 ppb in Nov., Dec. and Oct. The highest contamination was observed in Oct., three samples (21.4% from 14 samples were contaminated with total aflatoxin by 22.2 ppb, 25.6 and 27.3 ppb. The culture results of samples showed that the most toxinigenic fungi among 57 colonies were Aspergillus sp. with fifteen (% 31.5, Fusarium sp. With thirteen (% 22.8, Alternaria spp. With twelve (21.05%, Penicillium spp. with nine (%15.78 and Acremonium sp. with five (8.77% and also the most nontoxigenic fungi were cladosporium spp. with fifteen (% 37.5, Rhizopus spp. with nine (% 22.5, Mucor spp. with six (15%, yeast with six (15% and Scopulariopsis spp. with four (10% colonies isolated in culture medium among 40 colonies of nontoxigenic fungi.

Aflatoxin variations in maize flour and grains collected from various ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In Kenya, maize remains an important staple food in every household. ... upper limit is 10ppb, indicating good manufacturing practices (GMP) by the millers. ... In summary, the study found aflatoxin contamination in maize grains especially in ...

Natural occurrence of aflatoxins in bread in Nigeria | Efuntoye ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was conducted in Nigeria on samples of brown bread for growth of moulds and natural occurrence of aflatoxins. Mycological analysis showed the presence of six genera of filamentous fungi, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucor, Penicillium, Alternaria and Geotrichum. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis of bread ...

The Inhibition of aflatoxin production from Aspergillus parasiticus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The inhibition of Aflatoxin production from Aspergillus parasiticus strain NRRL 2999 was investigated using ethanol extracts of Aframommon danielli flower at concentrations of 250ìg/g, 500ìg/g, 750ìg/g and 1000ìg/g with whole wheat bread as a substrate. Aspergillus parasiticus grew abundantly on whole wheat bread; ...

Effect of Bread Making Process on Aflatoxin Level Changes

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Jafar Milani

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Wheat flour is a commodity with a high risk of aflatoxins (AFs contamination. During the bread making there are many processes that can affect the AFs stability. The effect of bread making process using different yeast types on AFs levels was investigated. For this purpose, standards of AFs including B and Gwere added to flour and then bread loaves were prepared. Three types of commercially available yeast including active dry yeast, instant dry yeast and compressed yeast were used for dough preparation. AFs levels in flour, dough, and bread were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC with fluorescence detector. The results showed that maximum reduction in aflatoxin levels observed during first proof while the least decline was seen for the baking stage. The order of AFs reduction in bread making process was AFB1>AFB2>AFG1. Furthermore, the results indicated that the most effective yeast for AFs reduction was instant dry yeast.

Aflatoxin Contamination in Food and Body Fluids in Relation to Malnutrition and Cancer Status in Cameroon

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Félicité M. Tchouanguep

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are food contaminants usually associated with hepatitis, immunodepression, impairment of fertility and cancer. The present work was to determine the presence of aflatoxins in eggs, milk, urine, and blood samples that were collected from various sources and periods; and hepatitis B virus antigen in blood samples. Aflatoxin was found in eggs (45.2%, cow raw milk (15.9%, breast milk (4.8%, urine from kwashiorkor and marasmic kwashiorkor children (45.5%, and sera from primary liver cancer patients (63.9%; HbsAg was also detected in 69.4% of the serum samples, but there was no association between both factors. Both AF and hepatitis B virus seem to be risk factors that could increase the incidence and prevalence rates of malnutrition and cancer in Cameroon.

Sensitive quantification of aflatoxin B1 in animal feeds, corn feed grain, and yellow corn meal using immunomagnetic bead-based recovery and real-time immunoquantitative-PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Babu, Dinesh; Muriana, Peter M

2014-12-02

Aflatoxins are considered unavoidable natural mycotoxins encountered in foods, animal feeds, and feed grains. In this study, we demonstrate the application of our recently developed real-time immunoquantitative PCR (RT iq-PCR) assay for sensitive detection and quantification of aflatoxins in poultry feed, two types of dairy feed (1 and 2), horse feed, whole kernel corn feed grains, and retail yellow ground corn meal. Upon testing methanol/water (60:40) extractions of the above samples using competitive direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, the aflatoxin content was found to be effect in samples containing aflatoxin levels higher than the quantification limits (0.1-10 μg/kg), addressed by comparing the quantification results of undiluted and diluted extracts. In testing the reliability of the immuno-PCR assay, samples were spiked with 200 μg/kg of aflatoxin B1, but the recovery of spiked aflatoxin was found to be poor. Considering the significance of determining trace levels of aflatoxins and their serious implications for animal and human health, the RT iq-PCR method described in this study can be useful for quantifying low natural aflatoxin levels in complex matrices of food or animal feed samples without the requirement of extra sample cleanup.

Cross-sectional Survey of Urinary Aflatoxins and Diet Recall in Haiti

Data.gov (United States)

US Agency for International Development — Aflatoxins (AFs) are hepatocarcinogenic mycotoxins that can contaminate grains and oil seeds in tropical and sub-tropical areas and have been detected in maize and...

Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels

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Titilayo D. O. Falade

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination is associated with the development of aflatoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on food grains. This study was aimed at investigating metabolites produced during fungal development on maize and their correlation with aflatoxin levels. Maize cobs were harvested at R3 (milk, R4 (dough, and R5 (dent stages of maturity. Individual kernels were inoculated in petri dishes with four doses of fungal spores. Fungal colonisation, metabolite profile, and aflatoxin levels were examined. Grain colonisation decreased with kernel maturity: milk-, dough-, and dent-stage kernels by approximately 100%, 60%, and 30% respectively. Aflatoxin levels increased with dose at dough and dent stages. Polar metabolites including alanine, proline, serine, valine, inositol, iso-leucine, sucrose, fructose, trehalose, turanose, mannitol, glycerol, arabitol, inositol, myo-inositol, and some intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA—also known as citric acid or Krebs cycle were important for dose classification. Important non-polar metabolites included arachidic, palmitic, stearic, 3,4-xylylic, and margaric acids. Aflatoxin levels correlated with levels of several polar metabolites. The strongest positive and negative correlations were with arabitol (R = 0.48 and turanose and (R = −0.53, respectively. Several metabolites were interconnected with the TCA; interconnections of the metabolites with the TCA cycle varied depending upon the grain maturity.

Prevalance of aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut in Ghana: Population structure, distribution, and toxigenicity of the causal agents

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Aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut is perennial in Ghana with substantial health and economic burden on the population. The present study examined for the first time the prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut in major producing regions across three agroecological zo...

Determination of aflatoxin B1 in food and feedstuffs in Cuba (1990 through 1996) using an immunoenzymatic reagent kit (Aflacen).

Science.gov (United States)

Escobar, Arturo; Regueiro, Olga Sanchez

2002-01-01

The presence of aflatoxin B1 was analyzed in imported food and feedstuffs of national production in the period of 1990 through 1996, destined to animal and human consumption using an immunoenzymatic reagent kit (Aflacen, Ckure, la Habana, Cuba) with a detection limit of 0.3 microg/kg. It was found that the 17.04% of a total of 4,594 analyzed samples presented aflatoxin B1, and the biggest percentages were in sorghum and peanut with an 83.3 and 40.4%, respectively. The corn, oat, wheat, and soy are fundamental raw ingredients in the elaboration of concentrates. Percentages of contamination with aflatoxin B1 of 23.3, 10.7, 25, and 4.6 were found in corn, oat, wheat, and soy, respectively. Other analyzed foods like rice, beans, and peas presented percentages of contamination with aflatoxin B1 inferior to 5% of the analyzed samples. It was found that more than 455 samples surpassed the value of 10 microg/kg. Corn and peanut products present a high demand in population showing levels of contamination superior to 50 microg/kg. The 11.3% of the samples contaminated with aflatoxin B1 have values between 1 and 20 microg/kg, where peanut and concentrates show the highest percentages (21.9 and 18.7), respectively. These results show levels of aflatoxin B1 in the population that constitute a great risk for human and animal health.

RNA Sequencing of Contaminated Seeds Reveals the State of the Seed Permissive for Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination and Points to a Potential Susceptibility Factor

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Josh Clevenger

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination (PAC is a major problem facing peanut production worldwide. Produced by the ubiquitous soil fungus, Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin is the most naturally occurring known carcinogen. The interaction between fungus and host resulting in PAC is complex, and breeding for PAC resistance has been slow. It has been shown that aflatoxin production can be induced by applying drought stress as peanut seeds mature. We have implemented an automated rainout shelter that controls temperature and moisture in the root and peg zone to induce aflatoxin production. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, seeds meeting the following conditions were selected: infected with Aspergillus flavus and contaminated with aflatoxin; and not contaminated with aflatoxin. RNA sequencing analysis revealed groups of genes that describe the transcriptional state of contaminated vs. uncontaminated seed. These data suggest that fatty acid biosynthesis and abscisic acid (ABA signaling are altered in contaminated seeds and point to a potential susceptibility factor, ABR1, as a repressor of ABA signaling that may play a role in permitting PAC.

RNA Sequencing of Contaminated Seeds Reveals the State of the Seed Permissive for Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination and Points to a Potential Susceptibility Factor

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Clevenger, Josh; Marasigan, Kathleen; Liakos, Vasileios; Sobolev, Victor; Vellidis, George; Holbrook, Corley; Ozias-Akins, Peggy

2016-01-01

Pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination (PAC) is a major problem facing peanut production worldwide. Produced by the ubiquitous soil fungus, Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin is the most naturally occurring known carcinogen. The interaction between fungus and host resulting in PAC is complex, and breeding for PAC resistance has been slow. It has been shown that aflatoxin production can be induced by applying drought stress as peanut seeds mature. We have implemented an automated rainout shelter that controls temperature and moisture in the root and peg zone to induce aflatoxin production. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), seeds meeting the following conditions were selected: infected with Aspergillus flavus and contaminated with aflatoxin; and not contaminated with aflatoxin. RNA sequencing analysis revealed groups of genes that describe the transcriptional state of contaminated vs. uncontaminated seed. These data suggest that fatty acid biosynthesis and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling are altered in contaminated seeds and point to a potential susceptibility factor, ABR1, as a repressor of ABA signaling that may play a role in permitting PAC. PMID:27827875

Isolation and identification of fungi from a meju contaminated with aflatoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yu Jung; Chung, Soo Hyun; Lee, Hyo Ku; Chun, Hyang Sook; Hong, Seung Beom

2012-12-01

A home-made meju sample contaminated naturally with aflatoxins was used for isolation of fungal strains. Overall, 230 fungal isolates were obtained on dichloran rosebengal chloramphenicol (DRBC) and dichloran 18% glycerol (DG18) agar plates. Morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of a partial beta-tubulin gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA were used for the identification of the isolates. The fungal isolates were divided into 7 genera: Aspergillus, Eurotium, Penicillium, Eupenicillium, Mucor, Lichtheimia, and Curvularia. Three strains from 56 isolates of the A. oryzae/flavus group were found to be aflatoxigenic A. flavus, by the presence of the aflatoxin biosynthesis genes and confirmatory aflatoxin production by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The predominant isolate from DRBC plates was A. oryzae (42 strains, 36.2%), whereas that from DG18 was A. candidus (61 strains, 53.5%). Out of the 230 isolates, the most common species was A. candidus (34.3%) followed by A. oryzae (22.2%), Mucor circinelloides (13.0%), P. polonicum (10.0%), A. tubingensis (4.8%), and L. ramosa (3.5%). A. flavus and E. chevalieri presented occurrence levels of 2.2%, respectively. The remaining isolates of A. unguis, P. oxalicum, Eupenicillium cinnamopurpureum, A. acidus, E. rubrum, P. chrysogenum, M. racemosus, and C. inaequalis had lower occurrence levels of < 2.0%.

Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures in Response to Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus flavus.

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Renesh Bedre

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are toxic and potent carcinogenic metabolites produced from the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins can contaminate cottonseed under conducive preharvest and postharvest conditions. United States federal regulations restrict the use of aflatoxin contaminated cottonseed at >20 ppb for animal feed. Several strategies have been proposed for controlling aflatoxin contamination, and much success has been achieved by the application of an atoxigenic strain of A. flavus in cotton, peanut and maize fields. Development of cultivars resistant to aflatoxin through overexpression of resistance associated genes and/or knocking down aflatoxin biosynthesis of A. flavus will be an effective strategy for controlling aflatoxin contamination in cotton. In this study, genome-wide transcriptome profiling was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in response to infection with both toxigenic and atoxigenic strains of A. flavus on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. pericarp and seed. The genes involved in antifungal response, oxidative burst, transcription factors, defense signaling pathways and stress response were highly differentially expressed in pericarp and seed tissues in response to A. flavus infection. The cell-wall modifying genes and genes involved in the production of antimicrobial substances were more active in pericarp as compared to seed. The genes involved in auxin and cytokinin signaling were also induced. Most of the genes involved in defense response in cotton were highly induced in pericarp than in seed. The global gene expression analysis in response to fungal invasion in cotton will serve as a source for identifying biomarkers for breeding, potential candidate genes for transgenic manipulation, and will help in understanding complex plant-fungal interaction for future downstream research.

Presence of aflatoxins in cereals from Serbia

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Kos Jovana J.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins (AFs, one of the most toxic and the strongest natural carcinogens can be found in a variety of food commodities, including cereals. For that purpose, the aim of this study was to investigate occurrence of AFs (AFB1, AFG1, AFB2 and AFG2 in 130 cereal samples. AFs content was determined by direct competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA method. Samples with AFs content higher than 1 μg/kg were analyzed again with confirmatory High Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD. Analyses showed that none of the analyzed wheat (30, barley (20, oats (20 and rye (20 samples was contaminated with AFs. On the other hand, among 40 analyzed maize samples 24 of them (60% were contaminated in the following way: 6 (25% samples had AFs concentration between 1 and 10 μg/kg, 14 (58% samples between 10 and 50 μg/kg and 4 (17% between 50 and 70.3 μg/kg. The most predominant aflatoxin was AFB1 which was detected in all contaminated maize samples. AFG1, AFB2 and AFG2 were found in 12, 5 and 1 sample, respectively. This study represents the first investigation of the occurrence of AFs in five different cereals from Serbia.

FUNGAL POPULATION, AFLATOXIN AND FREE FATTY ACID CONTENTS OF PEANUTS PACKED IN DIFFERENT BAG TYPES

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SONIA S.P. BULAONG

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Shelled peanuts of Gajah var. with initial moisture content of 7% were stored at 11 kg/bag in four bag types namely: jute bag, polypropylene bag, jute bag doubled with thin polyethylene (PE, and jute bag doubled with thick PE. Storage was done for six months under warehouse conditions with monitoring of relative humidity and temperature. Samples taken at the be ginning of storage and every month thereafter were analyzed for moisture content, fungal population, aflatoxin and free fatty acid contents. Statistical analyses showed that moisture content, fungal population, and free fatty acid contents were signifi cantly higher in jute and polypropylene bags than in PE-dou,bled jute bags. No significant differences were obtained in aflatoxin contents among bag types but at the end of six months storage, toxin level in jute bag exceeded the 30 ppb limit. Polypropylene had second highest toxin level at 23 ppb. The PE-doubled bags ha d 17 and 19 ppb total aflatoxins for thin and thick films, respectively. The results indicated that the immediate packag ing of dried shelled peanuts at safe moisture level in plastic films with water vapor transmission rated of 1 g/m2/24 hr or lower is recommended. This p ackaging will delay critical increases in moisture content, fungal population, aflatoxin and free fatty acid contents of peanut kernels at ambient storage conditions.

Comparison of the side-needle and knife techniques for inducing Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin accumulation in corn hybrids

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Aflatoxin in corn grain is a problem in many areas of the world. Any combination of environmentally stressful or agronomically unfavorable conditions can increase the likelihood of Aspergillus flavus infection and production of aflatoxin in the corn grain. In the absence of a consistent natural A....

The proportion of non-aflatoxigenic strains of the Aspergillus flavus/oryzae complex from meju by analyses of the aflatoxin biosynthetic genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Seung-Beom; Lee, Mina; Kim, Dae-Ho; Chung, Soo-Hyun; Shin, Hyeon-Dong; Samson, Robert A

2013-12-01

Strains of the Aspergillus flavus/oryzae complex are frequently isolated from meju, a fermented soybean product, that is used as the starting material for ganjang (soy sauce) and doenjang (soybean paste) production. In this study, we examined the aflatoxin producing capacity of A. flavus/oryzae strains isolated from meju. 192 strains of A. flavus/oryzae were isolated from more than 100 meju samples collected from diverse regions of Korea from 2008 to 2011, and the norB-cypA, omtA, and aflR genes in the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster were analyzed. We found that 178 strains (92.7%) belonged to non-aflatoxigenic group (Type I of norB-cypA, IB-L-B-, IC-AO, or IA-L-B- of omtA, and AO type of aflR), and 14 strains (7.3%) belonged to aflatoxin-producible group (Type II of norB-cypA, IC-L-B+/B- or IC-L-B+ of omtA, and AF type of aflR). Only 7 strains (3.6%) in the aflatoxin-producible group produced aflatoxins on Czapek yeast-extract medium. The aflatoxin-producing capability of A. flavus/oryzae strains from other sources in Korea were also investigated, and 92.9% (52/56) strains from air, 93.9% (31/33) strains from rice straw, 91.7% (11/12) strains from soybean, 81.3% (13/16) strains from corn, 82% (41/50) strains from peanut, and 73.2% (41/56) strains from arable soil were included in the non-aflatoxigenic group. The proportion of non-aflatoxigenicity of meju strains was similar to that of strains from soybean, air and rice straw, all of which have an effect on the fermentation of meju. The data suggest that meju does not have a preference for non-aflatoxigenic or aflatoxin-producible strains of A. flavus/oryzae from the environment of meju. The non-aflatoxigenic meju strains are proposed to be named A. oryzae, while the meju strains that can produce aflatoxins should be referred to A. flavus in this study.

Extrahepatic disposition of 3H-aflatoxin B1 in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, P.; Tjaelve, H.; Ngethe, S.; Ingebrigtsen, K.

1992-01-01

Whole-body autoradiography in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) after oral and intravenous administration of 3 H-labelled aflation B 1 showed labelling of several extrahepatic tissues, such as the uveal melanin and the vitreous humour of the eyes, the trunk and head kidney, the olfactory rosettes and the pyloric caecae. Liquid chromatography of extracts of the vitreous humour showed that unmetabolized 3 H-AFB 1 was the main labelled material present at this site. Liquid chromatography of extracts of the uveal melanin showed presence of aflatoxicol and aflatoxin B 1 in proportions of about 3:1. The binding to the pigment is probably due to a hydrophobic type of interaction with the melanin. Microautoradiography showed that melanin-containing cells in the trunk and head kidney and in the olfactory rosettes also accumulated high amounts of radioactivity. In the trunk kidney there was, in addition, a labelling of the second segment of the proximal tubules and of the distal tubules and the collecting ducts. Studies in vitro with microsomal and 12,000xg supernatant preparations of the trunk kidney showed formation of DNA- and protein-bound metabolites from the aflatoxin B 1 . It is probable that the bioactivation of the aflatoxin B 1 is confined to the second segment of the proximal tubules. The labelling of the distal tubules and the collecting ducts, which was confined to the cytoplasm of the cells, may be related to excretion and/or absorption processes. Microautoradiography of the olfactory rosettes, showed labelling of the sensory epithelium, but not the indifferent epithelium. A low formation of protein-bound aflatoxin B 1 -metabolites was found in incubations with microsomal preparations of this tissue. The same observation was made in incubations with microsomal preparations of the head kidney. In the pyloric caeca bound metabolites were observed in vivo at a level comparable to that found in the trunk kidney. Our results suggest that retention and metabolism

Assessment of Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize, Peanut Meal and Poultry Feed Mixtures from Different Agroecological Zones in Cameroon

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Jean Raphaël Kana

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Mycotoxins affect poultry production by being present in the feed and directly causing a negative impact on bird performance. Carry-over rates of mycotoxins in animal products are, in general, small (except for aflatoxins in milk and eggs therefore representing a small source of mycotoxins for humans. Mycotoxins present directly in human food represent a much higher risk. The contamination of poultry feed by aflatoxins was determined as a first assessment of this risk in Cameroon. A total of 201 samples of maize, peanut meal, broiler and layer feeds were collected directly at poultry farms, poultry production sites and poultry feed dealers in three agroecological zones (AEZs of Cameroon and analyzed for moisture content and aflatoxin levels. The results indicate that the mean of the moisture content of maize (14.1% was significantly (P < 0.05 higher than all other commodities (10.0%–12.7%. Approximately 9% of maize samples were positive for aflatoxin, with concentrations overall ranging from <2 to 42 µg/kg. Most of the samples of peanut meal (100%, broiler (93.3% and layer feeds (83.0% were positive with concentrations of positive samples ranging from 39 to 950 µg/kg for peanut meal, 2 to 52 µg/kg for broiler feed and 2 to 23 µg/kg for layer feed. The aflatoxin content of layer feed did not vary by AEZ, while the highest (16.8 µg/kg and the lowest (8.2 µg/kg aflatoxin content of broiler feed were respectively recorded in Western High Plateau and in Rainforest agroecological zones. These results suggest that peanut meal is likely to be a high risk feed, and further investigation is needed to guide promotion of safe feeds for poultry in Cameroon.

Sensitive Quantification of Aflatoxin B1 in Animal Feeds, Corn Feed Grain, and Yellow Corn Meal Using Immunomagnetic Bead-Based Recovery and Real-Time Immunoquantitative-PCR

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Dinesh Babu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are considered unavoidable natural mycotoxins encountered in foods, animal feeds, and feed grains. In this study, we demonstrate the application of our recently developed real-time immunoquantitative PCR (RT iq-PCR assay for sensitive detection and quantification of aflatoxins in poultry feed, two types of dairy feed (1 and 2, horse feed, whole kernel corn feed grains, and retail yellow ground corn meal. Upon testing methanol/water (60:40 extractions of the above samples using competitive direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, the aflatoxin content was found to be <20 μg/kg. The RT iq-PCR assay exhibited high antigen hook effect in samples containing aflatoxin levels higher than the quantification limits (0.1–10 μg/kg, addressed by comparing the quantification results of undiluted and diluted extracts. In testing the reliability of the immuno-PCR assay, samples were spiked with 200 μg/kg of aflatoxin B1, but the recovery of spiked aflatoxin was found to be poor. Considering the significance of determining trace levels of aflatoxins and their serious implications for animal and human health, the RT iq-PCR method described in this study can be useful for quantifying low natural aflatoxin levels in complex matrices of food or animal feed samples without the requirement of extra sample cleanup.

Aflatoxin Toxicity Reduction in Feed by Enhanced Binding to Surface-Modified Clay Additives

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Jaynes, William F.; Zartman, Richard E.

2011-01-01

Animal feeding studies have demonstrated that clay additives, such as bentonites, can bind aflatoxins in ingested feed and reduce or eliminate the toxicity. Bentonite deposits are found throughout the world and mostly consist of expandable smectite minerals, such as montmorillonite. The surfaces of smectite minerals can be treated with organic compounds to create surface-modified clays that more readily bind some contaminants than the untreated clay. Montmorillonites treated with organic cations, such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) and phenyltrimethylammonium (PTMA), more effectively remove organic contaminants, such as benzene and toluene, from water than untreated clay. Similarly, montmorillonite treated with PTMA (Kd = 24,100) retained more aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) from aqueous corn flour than untreated montmorillonite (Kd = 944). Feed additives that reduced aflatoxin toxicity in animal feeding studies adsorbed more AfB1 from aqueous corn flour than feed additives that were less effective. The organic cations HDTMA and PTMA are considered toxic and would not be suitable for clay additives used in feed or food, but other non-toxic or nutrient compounds can be used to prepare surface-modified clays. Montmorillonite (SWy) treated with choline (Kd = 13,800) and carnitine (Kd = 3960) adsorbed much more AfB1 from aqueous corn flour than the untreated clay (Kd = 944). A choline-treated clay prepared from a reduced-charge, high-charge montmorillonite (Kd = 20,100) adsorbed more AfB1 than the choline-treated high-charge montmorillonite (Kd = 1340) or the untreated montmorillonite (Kd = 293). Surface-modified clay additives prepared using low-charge smectites and nutrient or non-toxic organic compounds might be used to more effectively bind aflatoxins in contaminated feed or food and prevent toxicity. PMID:22069725

Risk Assessment on Dietary Exposure to Aflatoxin B1 in Post-Harvest Peanuts in the Yangtze River Ecological Region

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Ding, Xiaoxia; Wu, Linxia; Li, Peiwu; Zhang, Zhaowei; Zhou, Haiyan; Bai, Yizhen; Chen, Xiaomei; Jiang, Jun

2015-01-01

Based on the 2983 peanut samples from 122 counties in six provinces of China’s Yangtze River ecological region collected between 2009–2014, along with the dietary consumption data in Chinese resident nutrition and health survey reports from 2002 and 2004, dietary aflatoxin exposure and percentiles in the corresponding statistics were calculated by non-parametric probability assessment, Monte Carlo simulation and bootstrap sampling methods. Average climatic conditions in the Yangtze River ecological region were calculated based on the data from 118 weather stations via the Thiessen polygon method. The survey results found that the aflatoxin contamination of peanuts was significantly high in 2013. The determination coefficient (R2) of multiple regression reflected by the aflatoxin B1 content with average precipitation and mean temperature in different periods showed that climatic conditions one month before harvest had the strongest impact on aflatoxin B1 contamination, and that Hunan and Jiangxi provinces were greatly influenced. The simulated mean aflatoxin B1 intake from peanuts at the mean peanut consumption level was 0.777–0.790 and 0.343–0.349 ng/(kg·d) for children aged 2–6 and standard adults respectively. Moreover, the evaluated cancer risks were 0.024 and 0.011/(100,000 persons·year) respectively, generally less than China’s current liver cancer incidence of 24.6 cases/(100,000 persons·year). In general, the dietary risk caused by peanut production and harvest was low. Further studies would focus on the impacts of peanut circulation and storage on aflatoxin B1 contamination risk assessment in order to protect peanut consumers’ safety and boost international trade. PMID:26501322

Genotypic regulation of aflatoxin accumulation but not Aspergillus fungal growth upon post-harvest infection of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds

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Aflatoxin contamination is a major economic and food safety concern for the peanut industry that largely could be mitigated by genetic resistance. To screen peanut for aflatoxin resistance, Ten genotypes were infected with green fluorescent protein (GFP) - expression Aspergillus flavus strain. Per...

Dietary intake of aflatoxins in the adult Malaysian population - an assessment of risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, C K; Abdullah, A; Sugita-Konishi, Y

2012-01-01

Exposure to aflatoxins in the adult Malaysian diet was estimated by analysing aflatoxins in 236 food composites prepared as "ready for consumption". Dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) ranged from 24.3 to 34.00 ng/kg b.w./day (lower to upper bound), with peanuts being the main contributor. Estimated liver cancer risk from this exposure was 0.61-0.85 cancers/100,000 population/year, contributing 12.4%-17.3% of the liver cancer cases. Excluding AFB1 occurrence data higher than 15 µg/kg reduced exposure by 65%-91% to 2.27-11.99 ng/kg b.w./day, reducing the cancer risk to 0.06-0.30 cancers/100,000 population/year (contributing 1.2%-6.1% liver cancer cases). Reducing further the ML of AFB1 from 15 to 5 µg/kg yielded 3%-7% greater drop in the exposure to 0.47-10.26 ng/kg b.w./day with an estimated risk of 0.01-0.26 cancers/100,000 population/year (0.2%-5.1% liver cancer cases attributed to dietary AFB1). These findings indicate that current MLs are adequate in protecting Malaysians' health.

Influence of yield on in vitro accumulation of aflatoxins in pecan (Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch) nutmeats.

Science.gov (United States)

McMeans, J L

1983-02-01

Pecans were harvested from trees (Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch) in November of 1977 through 1979. Kernel meals from high-, medium-, and low-yielding trees were inoculated with a spore suspension of Aspergillus parasiticus and incubated for 7 days at 25 degrees C. Significant differences in aflatoxin accumulation were found among the three substrates, with a direct correlation between high aflatoxin concentration and tree yield.

Influence of yield on in vitro accumulation of aflatoxins in pecan (Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch) nutmeats.

OpenAIRE

McMeans, J L

1983-01-01

Pecans were harvested from trees (Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch) in November of 1977 through 1979. Kernel meals from high-, medium-, and low-yielding trees were inoculated with a spore suspension of Aspergillus parasiticus and incubated for 7 days at 25 degrees C. Significant differences in aflatoxin accumulation were found among the three substrates, with a direct correlation between high aflatoxin concentration and tree yield.

Contamination levels of aflatoxin M1 in bulk raw milk of Chaloos and Ramsar

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A.R Barami

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 appears in milk as a direct result of the ingestion of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1 by cattle. This study was conducted to investigate the contamination rate of raw milk whit aflatoxin M1 in Chaloos and Ramsar raw milk collection centers. Two hundred bulk raw milk samples were collected during winter (January and February and summer (June and July seasons. The milk samples were analyzed by ELISA method for the presence of AFM1. During the winter, AFM1 was detected in 100% and 59/79% of the bulk raw milk samples in Ramsar and Chaloos, respectively; however, during summer 83/52% and 50/1 of the samples was found as positive in Ramsar and Chaloos, respectively. Furthermore, 45% of Ramsar and 30% of Chaloos bulk milk samples showed higher contamination level of AFM1 than maximum tolerance limit (50 ng/l accepted by National Standard as well as European Union. Although, the difference between the contamination rate in samples obtained during summer and winter seasons was not statistically significantly, (p

Distribution of aflatoxins in corn fractions visually segregated for defects

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Piedade Fabiana Segatti

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The aflatoxin distribution in corn fractions obtained after visual segregation for defects in 30 samples, known to be contaminated, was studied. Each sample was passed through a 5.0 mm round holes sieve, graded for defects and then segregated in sound kernels (regular kernels and non-sound kernels (injured, germinated, fermented, moldy, heated, insect damaged, immature, broken, hollow, fermented up to ¼, discolored, extraneous materials, and injured by other causes, as defined by the Brazilian Official Grading rules for corn. The non-sound kernels showed the highest contamination levels in all samples. The contamination levels of non-sound kernels (20% of total weight ranged from 23 to 1,365 µg/kg of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2 and were higher than sound kernels (p<1% ranging from not detected (ND to 126 µg/kg and in 87% of these the aflatoxin contents were lower than 20 µg/kg. Statistically significant correlation indexes were found among the percentage of defective groups like fermented, heated and sprouted kernels or the total injured kernels, and the estimated contamination levels for the sound and non sound fractions. It was concluded that the non-sound kernels fraction, even being small in weight, has contributed with 84% of the estimated contamination of the samples. The segregation of the non-sound kernels would favor a reduction in the contamination of corn lots. The poorer quality corn types (types 3 and Bellow Standart have predominated among samples of the experiment.

Inhibition of aflatoxin-producing aspergilli by lactic acid bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A total of six lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates were selected from five indigenously fermented cereal gruels and identified as Lactobacillus fermentum OYB, Lb. fermentum RS2, Lb. plantarum MW, Lb. plantarum YO, Lb. brevis WS3, and Lactococcus spp. RS3. Six aflatoxin-producing aspergilli were also selected from the ...

High-performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet-photodiode array detection method for aflatoxin B1 in cattle feed supplements

Science.gov (United States)

Mochamad, Lazuardi; Hermanto, Bambang

2017-01-01

Aim: The objective of the current study is to determine the concentration of aflatoxin B1 using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a photodiode array (PDA) detector. Materials and Methods: Aflatoxin B1 certified reference grade from Trilogy Analytical Laboratory dissolved acetonitrile (ACN) at 10 µg/mL was using standard assessment. HPLC instruments such as ultraviolet-PDA detector used a Shimadzu LC-6AD pump with DGU-20A5 degasser, communication module-20A, and PDA detector SPD-M20A with FRC-10A fraction collector. The HPLC was set isocratic method at 354 nm with a reverse-phase ODS C18 column (LiChrospher® 100 RP-18; diameter, 5 µm) under a 20°C controlled column chamber. Rheodyne® sample loops were performed in 20 µL capacities. The mobile phase was performed at fraction 63:26:11 H2O: methanol:ACN at pH 6.8. A total of 1 kg of feed contained 10% bread crumbs and 30% concentrated, 40% forage, and 20% soybean dregs were using commercials samples. Samples were extracted by ACN and separated with solid phase extraction ODS 1 mL than elution with mobile phase to collect at drying samples performed. The samples were ready to use after added 1 mL mobile phase than injected into the system of HPLC. Results: We found that the retention time of aflatoxin B1 was approximately 10.858 min. Linearity of 0.01-0.08 µg/mL aflatoxin B1 dissolved in mobile phase was obtained at R2=0.9. These results demonstrate that these methods can be used to analyze aflatoxin B1 and gain 89-99% recovery. The limit of detection of this assay was obtained at 3.5 × 10−6 µg/mL. Conclusion: This method was easy to apply and suitable to analyzing at small concentrations of aflatoxin B1 in formulated product of feed cattle. PMID:28919686

Fluorescence imaging spectroscopy (FIS) for comparing spectra from corn ears naturally and artificially infected with aflatoxin producing fungus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hruska, Zuzana; Yao, Haibo; Kincaid, Russell; Darlington, Dawn; Brown, Robert L; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E

2013-08-01

In an effort to address the problem of rapid detection of aflatoxin in grain, particularly oilseeds, the current study assessed the spectral differences of aflatoxin production in kernels from a cornfield inoculated with spores from 2 different strains of toxigenic Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin production in corn from the same field due to natural infestation was also assessed. A small corn plot in Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A., was used during the 2008-growing season. Two groups of 400 plants were inoculated with 2 different inocula and 1 group of 400 plants was designated as controls. Any contamination detected in the controls was attributed to natural infestation. A subset of each group was imaged with a visible near infra red (VNIR) hyperspectral system under ultra violet (UV) excitation and subsequently analyzed for aflatoxin using affinity column fluorometry. Group differences were statistically analyzed. Results indicate that when all the spectral data across all groups were averaged, any potential differences between groups (treated and untreated) were obscured. However, spectral analysis based on contaminated "hot" pixel classification showed a distinct spectral shift/separation between contaminated and clean ears with fluorescence peaks at 501 and 478 nm, respectively. All inoculated and naturally infected control ears had fluorescence peaks at 501 nm that differed from uninfected corn ears. Results from this study may be useful in evaluating rapid, noninvasive instrumentation and/or methodology for aflatoxin detection in grain. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Degradation kinetics of aflatoxin B1 and B2 in filter paper and rough rice by using pulsed light irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Rough rice is susceptible to contamination by aflatoxins, which are highly toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds. To develop aflatoxin degradation technology for rice with the use of pulsed light (PL) treatment, the objective of this study was to investigate the degradation characters of aflat...

Control of Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin production in transgenic maize kernels expressing a tachyplesin-derived synthetic peptide, AGM182

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) is an opportunistic, saprophytic fungus that infects maize and other fatty acid-rich food and feed crops and produces toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites known as aflatoxins. Contamination of maize with aflatoxin poses a serious threat to human health in addit...

Aflatoxin B1 use in radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yinkun; Zhang Xiaying; Chen Ruiqun; Gu Tianjue

1987-01-01

Antibodies against Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) were obtained after multiple-site injections of bovine serum albumin-AFB 1 conjugate into rabbits. The greatest specific binding effciency of antibody for AFB 1 is 70∼80%. The sensitivity of radioimmunoassay (RIA) for AFB 1 is between 0.46∼2.3 ng. The retrievel rate of AFB 1 by RIA from intentionally contaminated serum and rice is between 70∼80%. Detailed methods for the preparation of conjugate, immune serum, and methods for antibody titer determination are described

Mycotic and aflatoxin contamination in Myristica fragrans seeds (nutmeg) and Capsicum annum (chilli), packaged in Italy and commercialized worldwide.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesavento, G; Ostuni, M; Calonico, C; Rossi, S; Capei, R; Lo Nostro, A

2016-01-01

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of moulds known to be carcinogenic for humans, and therefore should not be ingested in high doses. This study aimed to determine the level of mould and aflatoxin contamination in dehydrated chilli and nutmeg imported from India and Indonesia, respectively, packaged in Italy, and commercialized worldwide. We tested 63 samples of chilli (22 sanitized through heat treatment and 41 not heat-treated) and 52 samples of nutmeg (22 heat-treated and 30 not heat-treated) for aflatoxin, moulds and moisture content. Heat-treated samples were less contaminated than untreated samples. Spices in powder form (both chilli and nutmeg) were more contaminated than whole ones. In untreated spices, we observed a positive correlation between mould and moisture content. Of the powdered nutmeg and chilli samples, 72.5% and 50% tested positive for aflatoxin contamination, with a range of 0-17.2 μg kg(-1) and 0-10.3 μg kg(-1), respectively. The steam treatment of spices would be useful in reducing the initial amount of moulds. Although the risk from the consumption of spices contaminated with aflatoxins is minimal, owing to the small amount used in food, preventive screening of the whole food chain is very important, especially because the most frequently identified toxin was B1, which is the most dangerous of the four toxins (B1, B2, G1, G2).

Development of an aflatoxin B1 specific molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction sorbent for the selective pre-concentration of toxic aflatoxin B1 from child weaning food, Tsabana

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Semong Oratile

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the synthesis, optimization and application of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP sorbent for the selective extraction and pre-concentration of the potent toxin, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, from the child weaning food, Tsabana (manufactured in Serowe, Botswana. As a food safety regulatory measure, Tsabana must be cleared of hazardous aflatoxins, especially AFB1, before consumption. This is because AFB1 is the most common and potent of the aflatoxins commonly found in cereals. Accurate analysis of AFB1 is challenging because it exists in very low concentrations in complex, ‘dirty’ matrices such as food, making it difficult to detect using analytical instruments, even if these analytical techniques have sensitivities at the femto level. The MIP extraction sorbent synthesized in this paper deals with these challenges by selectively pre-concentrating AFB1 from real Tsabana samples, successfully achieving a pre-concentration factor of 5 and therefore significantly increasing ABF1 signal intensity for easier detection. Further advantages of this system include the short time (25.0 minutes and reasonable optimal MIP dose (20.0 mg needed for maximum AFB1 extraction by the sorbent. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the prepared AFB1 powder particles have spherical geometries and reasonably small sizes (800 nm, two advantageous physical characteristics that are associated with excellent sorbent materials.

Mortality and some biochemical changes in mink (Mustela vison) given sublethal doses of aflatoxin each day.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, C C; Marth, E H; Shackelford, R M

1976-10-01

Two feeding trials were done to study the susceptibility of mink (Mustela vison) to multiple sublethal doses of aflatoxins. In the 1st trial, twenty 3-month-old male mink were divided equally among groups. Each mink in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 was given a meatball daily that contained 15, 30, 45, or 0 mug of aflatoxins (B1:G1, 40:60), respectively. All mink in group 3 died between the 25th and the 30th days of the feeding trial. Each mink had ingested 1,035 to 1,480 mug of aflatoxins. Four of the mink in group 2 died almost as soon as did mink in group 3. Four mink in group 1 died between 40 and 59 days after the start of the feeding trial. Generally, a marked increase in plasma cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase activity appeared before mink died. The liver from animals that died of aflatoxicosis showed prominent pathologic changes which included hemorrhages and appearance of pink yellow spots. Histopathologic examination of liver from dead mink revealed fatty infiltration, bile duct proliferation, bile stasis, pseudotubular formation, congestion, and fibrosis. The feeding trial was repeated with 20 mink (8 males and 12 females) that were 1.5 to 2 years old. In this instance, 0, 20, 40, and 60 mug of aflatoxins were administered each day. All treated animals, except 1, were dead within 37 days after the experiment started. The survivor was given the lowest dosage of toxins and died after 52 days by which time 960 mug of aflatoxins were consumed. Plasma cholesterol content and alkaline phosphatase activity generally were similar to those observed in younger mink of the 1st feeding trial.

Aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus nomius ASR3, a pathogen isolated from the leaf-cutter ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa

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Eduardo Afonso da Silva-Junior

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Aspergillus spp. cause economic impacts due to aflatoxins production. Although the toxicity of aflatoxins is already known, little information about their ecological roles is available. Here we investigated the compounds produced by Aspergillus nomius ASR3 directly from a dead leaf-cutter queen ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa and the fungal axenic culture. Chemical analyses were carried out by high-resolution mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry techniques. Aflatoxins B1 and G1 were detected in both the axenic culture and in the dead leaf-cutter queen ant. The presence of these mycotoxins in the dead leaf-cutter queen ant suggests that these compounds can be related to the insect pathogenicity of A. nomius against A. sexdens rubropilosa.

Inhibitory effect of the essential oil of Curcuma longa L. and curcumin on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus Link.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Flavio Dias; Kemmelmeier, Carlos; Arrotéia, Carla Cristina; da Costa, Christiane Luciana; Mallmann, Carlos Augusto; Janeiro, Vanderly; Ferreira, Francine Maery Dias; Mossini, Simone Aparecida Galerani; Silva, Expedito Leite; Machinski, Miguel

2013-01-15

Aflatoxins are highly toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic mycotoxins. Consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food and commodities poses serious hazards to the health of humans and animals. Turmeric, Curcuma longa L., is a native plant of Southeast Asia and has antimicrobial, antioxidant and antifungal properties. This paper reports the antiaflatoxigenic activities of the essential oil of C. longa and curcumin. The medium tests were prepared with the oil of C. longa, and the curcumin standard at concentrations varied from 0.01% to 5.0%. All doses of the essential oil of the plant and the curcumin standard interfered with mycotoxin production. Both the essential oil and curcumin significantly inhibited the production of aflatoxins; the 0.5% level had a greater than 96% inhibitory effect. The levels of aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) production were 1.0 and 42.7 μg/mL, respectively, for the samples treated with the essential oil of C. longa L. and curcumin at a concentration of 0.5%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of feeding aflatoxin on nitrogen kinetics in crossbred and buffalo calves fed different levels of protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dass, R.S.; Arora, S.P.

1989-01-01

The studies were conducted to elucidate the effect of feeding aflatoxin on nitrogen kinetics in rumen fistulated calves. One calf each in groups 1, 2, 5 and 6 and one bufffalo calf each, in groups 3, 4, 7 and 8 were alloted. Calves of groups 5 to 8 were provided optimum protein (OP) while those in groups 1 to 4 were given 42.5 per cent more protein (HP) in their diets. In addition, animals in groups 2, 4, 6 and 8 were given an oral dose of aflatoxin at the rate of 1.0 ppm of drymatter intake. Subsequent to digestibility trial, 2 hourly feeding was practised for 10 days, after which 15 N-ammonium sulphate and 51 Cr-EDTA were infused intra-ruminally. Results indicated that there was no effect of feeding aflatoxin on the digestibility of nutrients except crude protein. Nitrogen balances were better with groups fed OP diets as compared to HP diets, more in crossbreds than the buffalo. The estimated rumen volume ranged from 37.70 to 56.00 litres and rumen fluid outflow rates varied from 87.34 to 123.70 litres per day. Ruminal ammonia pool size, ruminal ammonia entry rates and irreversible loss rates were higher in HP fed groups without showing any effect of afflatoxins. Ruminal ammonia-N was better utilized for incorporation into bacterial protein and for transfer to plasma urea-N with OP fed groups, again without showing aflatoxin toxicity effect. Ruminal ammonia-N excretion pattern through urine was greater as a result of aflatoxin toxicity, more in crossbreds as compared to buffalo. (author). 19 refs. 5 tabs

Determination of aflatoxin B1 in food products in Thailand

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aghomotsegin

2014-12-31

Dec 31, 2014 ... stuff, such as cereal and all products derived from cereals, including processed cereals since it has ... pasteurization and sterilization. (Abdulrazzaq et al., 2003; Sadeghi et al., 2009). Aflatoxins are generally found in feed and foodstuffs, such as beans, cereals fruits and seeds. ... Contamination of foods and.

Aflatoxin B1 occurrence in millet, sorghum and maize from four agro ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ... This study investigated the occurrence of aflatoxins in maize, millet and sorghum from five counties in Kenya (Kwale, Isiolo, ...

Evaluation of spatial and temporal patterns of insect damage and aflatoxin level in the pre-harvest corn fields to improve management tactics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Xinzhi; Wilson, Jeffrey P; Toews, Michael D; Buntin, G David; Lee, R Dewey; Li, Xin; Lei, Zhongren; He, Kanglai; Xu, Wenwei; Li, Xianchun; Huffaker, Alisa; Schmelz, Eric A

2014-10-01

Spatial and temporal patterns of insect damage in relation to aflatoxin contamination in a corn field with plants of uniform genetic background are not well understood. After previous examination of spatial patterns of insect damage and aflatoxin in pre-harvest corn fields, we further examined both spatial and temporal patterns of cob- and kernel-feeding insect damage, and aflatoxin level with two samplings at pre-harvest in 2008 and 2009. The feeding damage by each of the ear/kernel-feeding insects (i.e., corn earworm/fall armyworm damage on the silk/cob, and discoloration of corn kernels by stink bugs) and maize weevil population were assessed at each grid point with five ears. Sampling data showed a field edge effect in both insect damage and aflatoxin contamination in both years. Maize weevils tended toward an aggregated distribution more frequently than either corn earworm or stink bug damage in both years. The frequency of detecting aggregated distribution for aflatoxin level was less than any of the insect damage assessments. Stink bug damage and maize weevil number were more closely associated with aflatoxin level than was corn earworm damage. In addition, the indices of spatial-temporal association (χ) demonstrated that the number of maize weevils was associated between the first (4 weeks pre-harvest) and second (1 week pre-harvest) samplings in both years on all fields. In contrast, corn earworm damage between the first and second samplings from the field on the Belflower Farm, and aflatoxin level and corn earworm damage from the field on the Lang Farm were dissociated in 2009. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Survey of aflatoxins in tomato products Aflatoxinas em produtos de tomate

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Lilian Regina Barros Mariutti

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Tomatoes are highly susceptible to fungi contamination in the field, during transportation, processing, and storage. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus have been isolated from tomatoes and tomato products, and both fungi species can produce aflatoxin, mycotoxin with hepatotoxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic effects on all animal species tested so far. In order to verify a possible aflatoxin contamination of tomato products commercialized in Brazil, 63 samples of tomato products (pulp, paste, purée, ketchup, dehydrated tomatoes, and dried tomatoes preserved in oil produced in 5 Brazilian states and 1 imported sample (ketchup, totalizing 29 brands, were analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The analytical method showed an average recovery of 86% for all aflatoxins at two spiking levels. The limits of detection for the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 varied with the type of the product ranging from 2 to 7 µg/kg. Aflatoxins were not detected in any evaluated sample indicating that they did not pose a risk to human health since there was no invasion of raw materials by toxigenic fungi or no conditions for toxin production.Os tomates são frutos altamente susceptíveis à contaminação fúngica tanto no campo como durante o transporte, processamento e armazenamento. Aspergillus flavus e Aspergillus parasiticus têm sido isolados em tomate e em produtos de tomate e ambas as espécies são produtoras de aflatoxinas, potentes micotoxinas que apresentam efeitos hepatotóxicos, carcinogênicos, teratogênicos e mutagênicos para todas as espécies animais testadas até o momento. Para verificar a possível contaminação por estas micotoxinas em produtos de tomate comercializados no Brasil, amostras de 63 produtos de tomate (polpa, pasta, purê, catchup, tomate desidratado e tomate seco conservado em óleo provenientes de 5 Estados brasileiros e uma do exterior (catchup, compreendendo a 29 marcas, foram analisadas por

The role of aflatoxins and hepatitis viruses in the etiopathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A basis for primary prevention in Guinea-Conakry, West Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Paul C; Sylla, Abdoulaye; Diallo, Mamadou S; Castegnaro, Jean-Jacques; Hall, Andrew J; Wild, Christopher P

2002-12-01

Aflatoxins and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in South-east Asia and Africa, parts of the world where this cancer is most prevalent. Exposure to both factors is endemic, occurring from early in life. There is evidence from both epidemiological studies and animal models that the two factors can act synergistically to increase the risk of HCC, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of interaction are as yet undefined. One possibility suggested by studies in HBV transgenic mice is that chronic liver injury alters the expression of carcinogen metabolizing enzymes, thus modulating the level of binding of aflatoxin to DNA. Primary prevention of HCC in high incidence areas of the world should primarily be focused on provision of the safe, effective vaccine against HBV. However, measures to reduce the high levels of aflatoxin exposure, where chronic HBV infection is currently epidemic, would also significantly contribute to reducing HCC incidence. In Guinea-Conakry, West Africa, surveys of HBV infection and aflatoxin exposure have established baseline data for the implementation of a community-based intervention study. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of improving the post-harvest processing and storage of the groundnut crop, a major source of aflatoxins, using aflatoxin-albumin adducts as the outcome measurement. Copyright 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

A Limited Survey of Aflatoxins in Poultry Feed and Feed Ingredients in Guyana

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Donna M. Morrison

2017-11-01

Full Text Available A study was conducted to determine the presence of aflatoxins in finished poultry feed from manufacturing companies, feed ingredients, and poultry feed at the point of sale. Two collections were made. In the first collection, samples of the finished feed and feed ingredients were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. For the second collection, all samples were analyzed by ELISA while a subset was analyzed by HPLC. Of the 27 samples of finished feed, five samples had aflatoxin concentrations greater than the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA and European Union Commission (EUC maximum tolerable limit of 20 µg/kg, while for the feed ingredients, three of the 30 samples of feed ingredients exceeded the limit. Of the 93 samples of finished feed purchased from retailers, five samples had aflatoxin concentrations greater than the maximum tolerable limit. This survey indicates that most of the samples were below the maximum regulatory limit and maintained quality up to the point of sale for 2015 and 2016. However, given that some samples were above the limit, there is a need to monitor the production and marketing chain to ensure that the quality of the finished feed is not compromised.

Fungal contamination and aflatoxins content of dry raisins fruits in Sanaa City, Republic of Yemen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alghalibi, S.M.; Battah, M.G.; Al-Zubairy, M.A.

2008-01-01

This study was designed to study mycoflora and aflatoxin content of dry raisins in Yemen Republic. Thirty six raisins samples collected from different shops and markets in Sana'a city were analyzed mycologically for the presence of fungi. A total of forty eight species belonging to 20 genera were recovered from the analyzed raisins samples on three cultural media. Aspergillus was the most dominant genera on the three types of media, of which A. niger was the most common species. A. flavus was isolated in moderate, low and rare frequency on 1% and 20% sucrose Czapek's and Sabouraud dextrose agar media. Pencillium was isolated in moderate frequency on 1 and 20% sucrose Czapek's agar media, but in low frequency on Sabouraud dextrose agar medium. The raisin samples were analyzed for the presence of total aflatoxin using ELISA technique. The results revealed that 3 out of 7 samples of raisins analyzed were contaminated with total aflatoxin at levels raged from 2678.66 to 11556.88 ppt (ng Kg-1). (author)

Detection of aflatoxin M1 in raw and commercial pasteurized milk in Urmia, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajik, Hossein; Rohani, Seyed Mehdi Razavi; Moradi, Mehran

2007-11-15

During the years 2005 and 2006, samples of raw and of pasteurized milk (72 samples each) were collected randomly from various parts of Urmia city in Iran for the detection of aflatoxin M1. Aflatoxin M1 levels were assessed by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). There was a high incidence of AFM1 (100%), in both raw and pasteurized milk samples. The AFM1 levels in 6.25% of samples were higher than the maximum tolerance limit accepted by European Union (50 ng L(-1)), while the observed mean ofAFM1 was lower than those proposed for European diets. Maximum level ofAFM1 in raw and pasteurized samples were 91.8 and 28.5 ng L(-1), while minimum levels were 4.3 and 5.1 ng L(-1), respectively. The levels ofAFM1 in total samples indicated that feeds for cows in this region were contaminated with AFB1 in such a level that appears to be a serious public health problem at the moment. Therefore, there is a need to limit exposure to aflatoxins by imposing regulatory limits.

Effects of thiamine on growth, aflatoxin production, and aflr gene expression in A. parasiticus

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Ladan Nazemi

2015-01-01

Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration was yielded as > 500 mg/ml. However, HPLC analysis results showed that aflatoxin production reduced in samples treated with 500 mg/ml of thiamine. In addition, the level of afIR gene expression was significantly reduced after treating with 500 and 250 mg/ml of vitamin B1. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, thiamine could not inhibit the fungal growth completely. However, the rate of afIR gene expression and aflatoxin production was significantly reduced after fungal treating with thiamine. Consequently, using natural compounds such as vitamins may be regarded as potential antitoxic agent in food industry and the industries related to agriculture.

Mitigation of aflatoxin contamination in maize kernels is related to the metabolic alternation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by relative humidity

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental factors have been shown to be linked to exacerbated infection of maize kernels by Aspergillus flavus and subsequent aflatoxin contamination. Kernel resistance to aflatoxin contamination is associated with kernel water content and relative humidity during in vitro assays examining aflat...

Aflatoxin-producing fungi in maize field soils from sea level to over 2000 masl: a three year study in Sonora, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Beltran, Alejandro; Jaime, Ramon; Cotty, Peter J

2015-04-01

Aflatoxins, highly toxic carcinogens produced by several members of Aspergillus section Flavi, contaminate crops in temperate zones. In the state of Sonora, Mexico, maize is cultivated from 0 to 2100 masl with diverse cultivation practices. This is typical of the nation. In order to design better sampling strategies across Mexico, aflatoxin-producing fungal communities associated with maize production during 2006, 2007, and 2008 in Sonora were investigated in four agro-ecological zones (AEZ) at varying elevation. Fungal communities were dominated by the Aspergillus flavus L strain morphotype (46%), but variation occurred between years and among AEZ. Several atoxigenic isolates with potential to be used as biocontrol agents for aflatoxin mitigation were detected in all AEZ. The characteristics of each AEZ had minimal influences on fungal community structure and should not be a major consideration for future sampling designs for Mexico. Insights into the dynamics and stability of aflatoxin-producing fungal communities across AEZ are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A review on aflatoxin contamination and its implications in the developing world: a sub-Saharan African perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Gnonlonfin, G J B; Hell, K; Adjovi, Y; Fandohan, P; Koudande, D O; Mensah, G A; Sanni, A; Brimer, L

2013-01-01

Mycotoxins contamination in some agricultural food commodities seriously impact human and animal health and reduce the commercial value of crops. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate agricultural commodities pre- or postharvest. Africa is one of the continents where environmental, agricultural and storage conditions of food commodities are conducive of Aspergillus fungi infection and aflatoxin biosynthesis. This paper reviews the commodity-wise aetiology and contamination process of aflatoxins and evaluates the potential risk of exposure from common African foods. Possible ways of reducing risk for fungal infection and aflatoxin development that are relevant to the African context. The presented database would be useful as benchmark information for development and prioritization of future research. There is need for more investigations on food quality and safety by making available advanced advanced equipments and analytical methods as well as surveillance and awareness creation in the region.

Effect of Piper betle L. and its extracts on the growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, C C; Yu, R C

1984-01-01

Ground powder of the leaf and fruit of Piper betle L., a tropical spice plant grown in Southeast Asia, was prepared and extracted by chloroform, ethanol and water with one solvent only or with 3 solvents in sequence. The betel powder and various extracts were added to YES broth to determine their effects on the growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus. Results showed that betel leaf powder exhibited higher antimycotic activity than fruit. One half percent of ground leaf powder completely inhibited the growth and aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus. Among the solvent extracts, chloroform and ethanol extracts of betel leaf prepared from a single solvent extraction showed more antimycotic activity. The ethanol extract of betel leaf at the level of 450 micrograms/ml would eliminate A. parasiticus growth and aflatoxin production. The antimycotic activity of this ethanol extract was most pronounced at pH 4.

Aflatoxins associated with storage fungi in fish feed | Samuel | Ife ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cereals and legumes are a very important part of feed used in culturing fishes. Feed, when not properly stored, enhances the growth of storage fungi which is a source of mycotoxins, secondary metabolites produced by storage fungi. This study investigates storage fungi and aflatoxin in fish feed stored under three different ...

Assessment of aflatoxin contamination of maize, peanut meal and poultry feed mixtures from different agroecological zones in Cameroon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kana, Jean Raphaël; Gnonlonfin, Benoit Gbemenou Joselin; Harvey, Jagger; Wainaina, James; Wanjuki, Immaculate; Skilton, Robert A; Teguia, Alexis

2013-04-29

Mycotoxins affect poultry production by being present in the feed and directly causing a negative impact on bird performance. Carry-over rates of mycotoxins in animal products are, in general, small (except for aflatoxins in milk and eggs) therefore representing a small source of mycotoxins for humans. Mycotoxins present directly in human food represent a much higher risk. The contamination of poultry feed by aflatoxins was determined as a first assessment of this risk in Cameroon. A total of 201 samples of maize, peanut meal, broiler and layer feeds were collected directly at poultry farms, poultry production sites and poultry feed dealers in three agroecological zones (AEZs) of Cameroon and analyzed for moisture content and aflatoxin levels. The results indicate that the mean of the moisture content of maize (14.1%) was significantly (P poultry in Cameroon.

Investigating the factors that affect pistachio growers’ intention regarding prevention of aflatoxin based on the health belief model in the Sirjan rural area

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Masoud Yazdanpanah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pistachio is a valuable export product, but its export is faced with serious challenges due to aflatoxin. Given the importance of growers’ role in the prevention of aflatoxin in pistachio, the aim of this article is investigating pistachio growers’ intention regarding prevention of aflatoxin through the health belief model. The research population consists of 330 of pistachio growers in the Sirjan city in the Kerman province. Amongst the 330 samples, 120 of them were selected through simple random sampling. A questionnaire was the research tool and its validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of experts. Its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients (0.7 to 0.9. Also, the results of regression analysis revealed that the variables showing guide to action were the main predictor of growers’ intention. In addition to self-efficacy and perceived barriers, this variable can predict nearly 36% of the variance of pistachio growers’ intention regarding the prevention of aflatoxin. The results could be used for policy making and planning in relation to strategies to prevent the production of aflatoxin in pistachios.

An efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method for aflatoxin generation fungus Aspergillus flavus.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Guomin; Shao, Qian; Li, Cuiping; Zhao, Kai; Jiang, Li; Fan, Jun; Jiang, Haiyang; Tao, Fang

2018-05-01

Aspergillus flavus often invade many important corps and produce harmful aflatoxins both in preharvest and during storage stages. The regulation mechanism of aflatoxin biosynthesis in this fungus has not been well explored mainly due to the lack of an efficient transformation method for constructing a genome-wide gene mutant library. This challenge was resolved in this study, where a reliable and efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) protocol for A. flavus NRRL 3357 was established. The results showed that removal of multinucleate conidia, to collect a homogenous sample of uninucleate conidia for use as the transformation material, is the key step in this procedure. A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 harboring the ble gene for zeocin resistance under the control of the gpdA promoter from A. nidulans is suitable for genetic transformation of this fungus. We successfully generated A. flavus transformants with an efficiency of ∼ 60 positive transformants per 10 6 conidia using our protocol. A small-scale insertional mutant library (∼ 1,000 mutants) was constructed using this method and the resulting several mutants lacked both production of conidia and aflatoxin biosynthesis capacity. Southern blotting analysis demonstrated that the majority of the transformants contained a single T-DNA insert on the genome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of genetic transformation of A. flavus via ATMT and our protocol provides an effective tool for construction of genome-wide gene mutant libraries for functional analysis of important genes in A. flavus.

Phenolic extract of Parkia biglobosa fruit pulp stalls aflatoxin B1 – mediated oxidative rout in the liver of male rats

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Taofeek O. Ajiboye

Full Text Available The effect of phenolic extract of Parkia biglobosa (Jacq. R. Br. ex G. Don, Fabaceae, pulp on aflatoxin B1 induced oxidative imbalance in rat liver was evaluated. Thirty-five male rats were randomized into seven groups of five animals each. Rats in group A served as control and received vehicle for drug administration (0.5% DMSO once daily at 24 h intervals for six weeks. Rats in groups B, D, E, F and G, received aflatoxin B1 (167 μg/kg body weight in 0.5% DMSO for three weeks, starting from the third week of the experimental period. Rats in Group C received 400 mg/kg bodyweight of the extract for six weeks, while groups D, E and F rats were treated with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bodyweight of the extract for six weeks respectively. Group G rats received 100 mg/kg body weight of vitamin C. Aflatoxin B1-mediated decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were significantly attenuated. Aflatoxin B1 mediated the elevation in malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides, protein carbonyl, and significantly lowered DNA fragmentation percentage. Overall, the phenolic extract of P. biglobosa pulp stalls aflatoxin B1-mediated oxidative rout by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities leading to decreased lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and DNA fragmentation.

Measurement of Aflatoxin M1 in Raw and Pasteurized Cow Milk Samples by HPLC

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afshin Nazari

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Nazari A1, Noroozi H2, Movahedi M3, Khaksarian M1 1. Instructor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 2. Assistant Professor, Department of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Genetic Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences Abstract Background: Aflatoxin M1 is a hydroxylated form of aflatoxin B1 which is produced by Aspergillus flavus. This toxin is produced when cows or other ruminants eat foods contaminated with these mycotoxins and then excrete them in the milk. The toxin is a potent liver and kidney carcinogenetic agent. Materials and methods: Forty two raw cows milk samples from local sources of milk collection and forty samples of commercial pasteurized market milk from Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran were collected in summer and winter season of 2005. Twenty-one cow milk samples and 20 pasteurized milk samples in each season were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 by HPLC immunoaffinity columns. Results: Four of 21 raw milk samples in summer showed AFM1 levels between 0.017-0.046 ng/ml and all samples (100% in winter showed the presence of AFM1 levels between 0.003-0.041ng/ ml. AFM1 was detected in 55% of market pasteurized cow milk samples ranging from 0.017 to 0.533 ng/ml in summer and 100% ranging from 0.005-0.0054 ng/ml in winter.,Only one of all milk samples of pasteurized milk in summer had toxin level (0.533 ng/ml more than the maximum permissive limit (0.5 ng/ml. No significant difference was observed among mean contamination level of raw and pasteurized cow milk in two seasons. Key words: Aflatoxin M1, raw milk, pasteurized milk, Khoramabad, HPLC

Aflatoxin B1 residues in imported and local broiler, s breast and thigh muscle in Kurdistan region

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E.P. Candlan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Residues of Aflatoxins and their metabolites might be present in meat and other products of animals receiving Aflatoxin contaminated feeds which could subsequently create health problems in man. Eighty nine imported (Iran/Khosh pokht; (Turkey/Yam-tapilic, Lades, Senplic, Kapidac, Kozoa, Oznesilpilic and (Brazil, hilal, Sadia, and 90 locally produced (Hoshiar poultry farm, Nihad poultry farm, Hokar poultry farm, Mansoor poultry farm, AL-Shimal poultry house, Mardin poultry house and AL-Eetimad poultry slaughterhouse broiler breast and thigh muscle samples were examined for residual Aflatoxin B1 using ELIZA test. Results revealed that out of 89 imported samples only 21 (23.59% were positive, but only 2 (2.24% were rejected, while the remaining 87 samples (97.75% were acceptable. Concerning the local samples, results showed that 19 samples (21.11% were positive, but 10 (11.11% were rejected, while the remaining 80 samples (88.88% were accepted. The public health importance of residual AFB1 in broiler meat samples was discussed.

Optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy technique-based immunosensor development for aflatoxin B1 determination in spice paprika samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Majer-Baranyi, Krisztina; Zalán, Zsolt; Mörtl, Mária; Juracsek, Judit; Szendrő, István; Székács, András; Adányi, Nóra

2016-11-15

Optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) technique has been applied to label-free detection of aflatoxin B1 in a competitive immunoassay format, with the aim to compare the analytical goodness of the developed OWLS immunosenor with HPLC and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods for the detection of aflatoxin in spice paprika matrix. We have also assessed applicability of the QuEChERS method prior to ELISA measurements, and the results were compared to those obtained by traditional solvent extraction followed by immunoaffinity clean-up. The AFB1 content of sixty commercial spice paprika samples from different countries were measured with the developed and optimized OWLS immunosensor. Comparing the results from the indirect immunosensor to that obtained by HPLC or ELISA provided excellent correlation (with regression coefficients above 0.94) indicating that the competitive OWLS immunosensor has a potential for quick determination of aflatoxin B1 in paprika samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening of aflatoxin B1 and mycobiota related to raw materials and finished feed destined for fish

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Etelvina María Carvalho Gonçalves-Nunes

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine fungal genera, Aspergillus, Pénicillium and Fusarium species and aflatoxin B1 contamination from raw materials and finished feed intended for fish farm localized in Piaui, Brazil. Aspergillusflavus and P. citrinum were isolated with a high relative density from all samples. In general, a high percent of samples exceeded the levels proposed as feed hygienic quality limits (CFU g-1 according to Good Manufacture Practice. Aflatoxin B1 was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All raw materials and finished feed showed aflatoxin B1 levels. Although in this study AFB1 levels below recommended limits (20 μg kg-1 were found, it is important to emphasize the feed intake with toxin in low concentrations along time, since it produce chronic deleterious effects in animal production. This fact requires periodic monitoring to prevent the occurrence of chronic aflatoxicosis in aquaculture, to reduce the economic losses and to minimize hazards to animal health.

Mycobiota and Aflatoxin B1 in Feed for Farmed Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax

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Fernando Manuel d´Almeida Bernardo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The safety characteristics of feed used in fish and crustacean aquaculture systems are an essential tool to assure the productivity of those animal exploitations. Safety of feed may be affected by different hazards, including biological and chemical groups. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate fungi contamination and the presence of aflatoxins in 87 samples of feed for sea bass, collected in Portugal. Molds were found in 35 samples (40.2% in levels ranging from 1 to 3.3 log10 CFU∙g−1. Six genera of molds were found. Aspergillus flavus was the most frequent, found in all positive samples, with a range from 2 to 3.2 log10 CFU∙g−1. Aspergillus niger was found in 34 samples (39.1%, ranging from 1 to 2.7 log10 CFU∙g−1. Aspergillus glaucus was found in 26 samples (29.9% with levels between 1 and 2.4 log10 CFU∙g−1. Penicillium spp. and Cladosporium spp. were both found in 25 samples (28.7%. Fusarium spp. was found in 22 samples (25.3%, ranging from 1 to 2.3 log10 CFU∙g−1. All feed samples were screened for aflatoxins using a HPLC technique, with a detection limit of 1.0 μg∙kg−1. All samples were aflatoxin negative.

Determination of aflatoxin in processed dried cassava root

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gnonlonfin, Gbemenou Joselin Benoit; Katerere, David R.; Adjovi, Yann

2010-01-01

with methanol-water (80 + 20, v/v) by shaking for 10 or 30 min. An immunoaffinity column was used for cleanup. HPLC with postcolumn derivatization, for enhancement of aflatoxin fluorescence, and fluorescence determination were used for quantitation of the toxin concentration. The method was validated...... was obtained when 1 g salt was used and the shaking time was 10 min. The good linearity and precision of the method allowed baseline separation from interferences, e.g., coumarins....

Dietary exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin among Tanzanian children as determined using biomarkers of exposure

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Shirima, Candida P.; Kimanya, Martin E.; Kinabo, Joyce L.; Routledge, Michael N.; Srey, Chou; Wild, Christopher P.; Gong, Yun Yun

2014-01-01

Scope The study aims to evaluate the status of dietary exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin in young Tanzanian children, using previously validated biomarkers of exposure. Methods and results A total of 148 children aged 12 to 22 months, were recruited from three geographically distant villages in Tanzania; Nyabula, Kigwa and Kikelelwa. Plasma aflatoxin-albumin adducts (AF-alb) and urinary fumonisin B1 (UFB1) were measured by ELISA and LC-MS, respectively. AF-alb was detectable in 84% of children, was highest in fully weaned children (pfumonisin through contaminated diet, although the level of exposure varies markedly between the three villages studied. PMID:23776058

Synthesis of Polyclonal Antibodies against Aflatoxin B1

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Wiyogo Prio Wicaksono

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Polyclonal antibodies of aflatoxin B1 were successfully produced from New Zealand White female rabbits after immunization by the hapten of aflatoxin B1-carboxymethyl hydroxylamine hemihydrochloride (AFB1-CMO conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA as the antigen. The hapten was synthesized using the carbodiimide method with CMO as a linker. Absorption peaks at 362, 264, and 218 nm were observed as a result of characterization with UV-Vis spectroscopy, while IR spectroscopy showed peaks at 3448 cm-1 and 1642 cm-1 attributable to the hydroxyl and nitrile groups, respectively. Furthermore, mass spectrometry showed fragmentation at the m/z of 386, 368.2, and 310, which confirms that the hapten of AFB1-CMO was successfully synthesized. The hapten was then conjugated with BSA to serve as an antigen of AFB1 when it was injected into the rabbits. The specificity of the antigen towards its antibody and the confirmation of hapten-BSA conjugation were characterized using the dot blot immunoassay, which showed a BSA concentration of 1.74 mg/mL. Two weeks after the primary immunization by its antigen, agar gel precipitation testing showed that the rabbit blood serum had positive results for polyclonal antibodiest against AFB1 with the highest concentration of antibodiest of 2.19 mg/mL.

A Structure Identification and Toxicity Assessment of the Degradation Products of Aflatoxin B₁ in Peanut Oil under UV Irradiation.

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Mao, Jin; He, Bing; Zhang, Liangxiao; Li, Peiwu; Zhang, Qi; Ding, Xiaoxia; Zhang, Wen

2016-11-12

Aflatoxins, a group of extremely hazardous compounds because of their genotoxicity and carcinogenicity to human and animals, are commonly found in many tropical and subtropical regions. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is proven to be an effective method to reduce or detoxify aflatoxins. However, the degradation products of aflatoxins under UV irradiation and their safety or toxicity have not been clear in practical production such as edible oil industry. In this study, the degradation products of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in peanut oil were analyzed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatograph-Thermo Quadrupole Exactive Focus mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQEF-MS/MS). The high-resolution mass spectra reflected that two main products were formed after the modification of a double bond in the terminal furan ring and the fracture of the lactone ring, while the small molecules especially nitrogen-containing compound may have participated in the photochemical reaction. According to the above results, the possible photodegradation pathway of AFB₁ in peanut oil is proposed. Moreover, the human embryo hepatocytes viability assay indicated that the cell toxicity of degradation products after UV irradiation was much lower than that of AFB₁, which could be attributed to the breakage of toxicological sites. These findings can provide new information for metabolic pathways and the hazard assessment of AFB₁ using UV detoxification.

Mycobiota in poultry feeds and natural occurrence of aflatoxins, fumonisins and zearalenone in the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

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Oliveira, Glenda R; Ribeiro, Jessika M; Fraga, Marcelo E; Cavaglieri, Lilia R; Direito, Gloria M; Keller, Kelly M; Dalcero, Ana M; Rosa, Carlos A

2006-11-01

The intake of mycotoxin-contaminated feeds can lead to nutrient losses and may have adverse effects on animal health and on productivity. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the mycobiota present in poultry feed samples, and (2) to evaluate the natural occurrence of aflatoxin B(1), fumonisin B(1) and zearalenone. Fungal counts were similar between all culture media tested (10(3 )CFU g(-1)). The most frequent genus isolated was Penicillium spp. (41.26%) followed by Aspergillus spp. (33.33%) and Fusarium spp. (20.63%). High precision liquid chromatography was applied to quantify aflatoxin B(1) and fumonisin B(1). Thin layer chromatography was used to determine zearalenone levels. Aflatoxin B(1 )values ranged between 1.2 and 17.5 microg kg(-1). Fumonisin B(1) levels ranged between 1.5 and 5.5 microg g(-1). Zearalenone levels ranged between 0.1 and 7 microg g(-1). The present study shows the simultaneous occurrence of two carcinogenic mycotoxins, aflatoxin B(1) and fumonisin B(1), together with another Fusarium mycotoxin (zearalenone) in feed intended for poultry consumption. Many samples contained AFB(1 )levels near the permissible maximum and it could affect young animals. A synergistic toxic response is possible in animals under simultaneous exposure.

Survey of aflatoxins in watermelon seeds from Iran using immunoaffinity column cleanup and HPLC with fluorescence detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Feizy, J; Beheshti, H R; Fakoor Janati, S S; Khoshbakht Fahim, N

2011-01-01

This survey was undertaken to determine the levels of aflatoxins in melon seeds. Among 65 samples analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC), the results showed that aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was the major toxins in melon seeds, detected in 58 samples (89.2% of the total) at an average concentration of 8.5 ng g(-1). The level of AFB1 in 12 samples exceeded the maximum tolerated level for AFB1 in Iranian (5 ng g(-1)) regulations; in other words, 18.5% of samples were unfit for human consumption.

Emericella venezuelensis, a new species with stellate ascospores producing sterigmatocystin and aflatoxin B-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Samson, R.A.

2004-01-01

Emericella venezuelensis is a new species, differing from two other species with stellate ascospores, E. variecolor and E. pluriseminata, by triangular flaps on the convex sides of the ascospores, and further from E. variecolor by producing an Aspergillus anamorph only on unconventional growth......, variecoxanthone A, B, C, isoemericellin, kojic acid, varitriol, varioxiran, dihydroterrein, 7-hydroxyemodin, avariquinone and stromemycin. E. pluriseminata produces several unknown specific extrolites. E. venezuelensis is the first organism of marine origin reported to produce aflatoxin. Aflatoxin production by E....... venezuelensis makes this species an attractive model organism for the study of the regulation of this important type of carcinogenic mycotoxins in combination with the knowledge on sterigmatocystin production by E. nidulans, soon to be whole genome sequenced. The isolates were also analyzed cladistically using...

Time-Resolved Fluorescent Immunochromatography of Aflatoxin B1 in Soybean Sauce: A Rapid and Sensitive Quantitative Analysis.

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Wang, Du; Zhang, Zhaowei; Li, Peiwu; Zhang, Qi; Zhang, Wen

2016-07-14

Rapid and quantitative sensing of aflatoxin B1 with high sensitivity and specificity has drawn increased attention of studies investigating soybean sauce. A sensitive and rapid quantitative immunochromatographic sensing method was developed for the detection of aflatoxin B1 based on time-resolved fluorescence. It combines the advantages of time-resolved fluorescent sensing and immunochromatography. The dynamic range of a competitive and portable immunoassay was 0.3-10.0 µg·kg(-1), with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 µg·kg(-1) and recoveries of 87.2%-114.3%, within 10 min. The results showed good correlation (R² > 0.99) between time-resolved fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Soybean sauce samples analyzed using time-resolved fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test revealed that 64.2% of samples contained aflatoxin B1 at levels ranging from 0.31 to 12.5 µg·kg(-1). The strip test is a rapid, sensitive, quantitative, and cost-effective on-site screening technique in food safety analysis.

Aflatoxin B1 and M1: Biological Properties and Their Involvement in Cancer Development

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Silvia Marchese

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites found in feeds and foods. When the ruminants eat feedstuffs containing Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, this toxin is metabolized and Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is excreted in milk. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC classified AFB1 and AFM1 as human carcinogens belonging to Group 1 and Group 2B, respectively, with the formation of DNA adducts. In the last years, some epidemiological studies were conducted on cancer patients aimed to evaluate the effects of AFB1 and AFM1 exposure on cancer cells in order to verify the correlation between toxin exposure and cancer cell proliferation and invasion. In this review, we summarize the activation pathways of AFB1 and AFM1 and the data already reported in literature about their correlation with cancer development and progression. Moreover, considering that few data are still reported about what genes/proteins/miRNAs can be used as damage markers due to AFB1 and AFM1 exposure, we performed a bioinformatic analysis based on interaction network and miRNA predictions to identify a panel of genes/proteins/miRNAs that can be used as targets in further studies for evaluating the effects of the damages induced by AFB1 and AFM1 and their capacity to induce cancer initiation.

Occurrence of Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins in Brazilian rice: From field to market.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsurayama, Aline M; Martins, Ligia M; Iamanaka, Beatriz T; Fungaro, Maria Helena P; Silva, Josué J; Frisvad, Jens C; Pitt, John I; Taniwaki, Marta H

2018-02-02

The guarantee of the high quality of rice is of utmost importance because any toxic contaminant may affect consumer health, especially in countries such as Brazil where rice is part of the daily diet. A total of 187 rice samples, from field, processing and market from two different production systems, wetland from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, dryland, from the state of Maranhão and market samples from the state of São Paulo, were analyzed for fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi and the presence of aflatoxins. Twenty-three soil samples from wetland and dryland were also analyzed. A total of 383 Aspergillus section Flavi strains were isolated from rice and soil samples. Using a polyphasic approach, with phenotypic (morphology and extrolite profiles) and molecular data (beta-tubulin gene sequences), five species were identified: A. flavus, A. caelatus, A. novoparasiticus, A. arachidicola and A. pseudocaelatus. This is the first report of these last three species from rice and rice plantation soil. Only seven (17%) of the A. flavus isolates produced type B aflatoxins, but 95% produced kojic acid and 69% cyclopiazonic acid. Less than 14% of the rice samples were contaminated with aflatoxins, but two of the market samples were well above the maximum tolerable limit (5μg/kg), established by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical Immunosensor Based on Polythionine/Gold Nanoparticles for the Determination of Aflatoxin B1

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Joseph H.O. Owino

2008-12-01

Full Text Available An aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 electrochemical immunosensor was developed by the immobilisation of aflatoxin B1-bovine serum albumin (AFB1-BSA conjugate on a polythionine (PTH/gold nanoparticles (AuNP-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE. The surface of the AFB1-BSA conjugate was covered with horseradish peroxidase (HRP, in order to prevent non-specific binding of the immunosensors with ions in the test solution. The AFB1 immunosensor exhibited a quasi-reversible electrochemistry as indicated by a cyclic voltammetric (CV peak separation (ΔEp value of 62 mV. The experimental procedure for the detection of AFB1 involved the setting up of a competition between free AFB1 and the immobilised AFB1-BSA conjugate for the binding sites of free anti-aflatoxin B1 (anti-AFB1 antibody. The immunosensor’s differential pulse voltammetry (DPV responses (peak currents decreased as the concentration of free AFB1 increased within a dynamic linear range (DLR of 0.6 - 2.4 ng/mL AFB1 and a limit of detection (LOD of 0.07 ng/mL AFB1. This immunosensing procedure eliminates the need for enzyme-labeled secondary antibodies normally used in conventional ELISA–based immunosensors.

Global health issues of aflatoxins in food and agriculture: challenges and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

This special research topic eBOOK contains six review articles, three mini reviews and four original research articles. It opens up exciting perspectives on global health issues related to aflatoxins in the food chain and on the development of suitable strategies for preventing toxigenic fungal grow...

Aflatoxin status of some commercial dry dog foods in Ibadan, Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The occurrence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in commercial dry dog foods in the city of Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria, was investigated. Dry dog food samples from 6 producers were purchased on five different occasions from retail outlets in Ibadan, Nigeria. High performance liquid chromatography was used for separation ...

Influence of aflatoxin B/sub 1/ on DNA repair in E-coli

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stehlik, G; Delac, M; Kohlwein, E

1974-10-01

The thymidine requiring mutant E. coli B/r T/sup -/ was incubated for 160 minutes with aflatoxin B/sub 1/ in the concentration range between 0.001 and 1.0 ..mu..g/ml. After gamma irradiation (30 krad /sup 60/Co) DNA repair was observed during 20 to 60 minutes at 37/sup 0/C. DNA was separated by means of a modified kind of gradient ultracentrifugation (the alkaline sucrose gradient contained acrylamide). By this modification better results could be obtained even with little differences in the sedimentation profile. After several repair times DNA of cells treated with 0.1 to 1.0 ..mu..g/ml aflatoxin showed no shift in its sedimentation profile as compared with the irradiated sample. This substance caused an increase in radioresistance of E. coli B/r T/sup -/ which may be due to a protection effect on DNA. This assumption is also supported by irradiation survival curves. (auth)

Optimization of chromatographic conditions for determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 by using liquid chromatography-mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadhaningtyas, Dillani Putri; Aryana, Nurhani; Aristiawan, Yosi; Styarini, Dyah

2017-11-01

The optimization of instrument condition and chromatographic separation for analysis of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 using liquid chromatography tandem with mass spectrometer detector was conducted in the aim to provide more accurate and reliable analysis results. The aflatoxin known to be serious threat for human health as it is classified as the carcinogenic compounds. The aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 were selected due to its extensive contamination in various agricultural commodities. The best chromatographic separation was obtained using C-18 column with gradient elution of solvent 5 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% formic acid in methanol at 7 minutes runtime analysis. The linearity of the detector showed satisfied results as the coefficient determination found to be 0.9994, 0.9996, 0.9998 and 0.9987 for aflatoxin B1, G1, B2, and G2 respectively in the range concentration from 1 to 20 ng/g. The quantifier ion selected for the aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 was m/z 285.1, 259, 243 and 313 respectively. The instrument precision at these quantifier ions also showed satisfied result with %RSD was around 3.4 to 6.8%. The optimized method present in this study can be used for further sample analysis.

Non-Linear Relationships between Aflatoxin B1 Levels and the Biological Response of Monkey Kidney Vero Cells

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Mendel Friedman

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin-producing fungi contaminate food and feed during pre-harvest, storage and processing periods. Once consumed, aflatoxins (AFs accumulate in tissues, causing illnesses in animals and humans. Most human exposure to AF seems to be a result of consumption of contaminated plant and animal products. The policy of blending and dilution of grain containing higher levels of aflatoxins with uncontaminated grains for use in animal feed implicitly assumes that the deleterious effects of low levels of the toxins are linearly correlated to concentration. This assumption may not be justified, since it involves extrapolation of these nontoxic levels in feed, which are not of further concern. To develop a better understanding of the significance of low dose effects, in the present study, we developed quantitative methods for the detection of biologically active aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 in Vero cells by two independent assays: the green fluorescent protein (GFP assay, as a measure of protein synthesis by the cells, and the microculture tetrazolium (MTT assay, as a measure of cell viability. The results demonstrate a non-linear dose-response relationship at the cellular level. AFB1 at low concentrations has an opposite biological effect to higher doses that inhibit protein synthesis. Additional studies showed that heat does not affect the stability of AFB1 in milk and that the Vero cell model can be used to determine the presence of bioactive AFB1 in spiked beef, lamb and turkey meat. The implication of the results for the cumulative effects of low amounts of AFB1 in numerous foods is discussed.

The effect of humidity after gamma-irradiation on aflatoxin B-1 production of A. Flavus in ground nutmeg and peanut

Science.gov (United States)

Hilmy, N.; Chosdu, R.; Matsuyama, A.

1995-02-01

The effect of humidity of 75 up to 97% after irradiation on radiosensitivity and aflatoxin B1 production of Aspergillus flavus isolated from Indonesian nutmeg were examined. Irradiation doses used were 0;0.5;1 and 3 kGy. Mould free ground nutmeg and peanut were used as the growth media, and about 10 8 of spores were used to contaminate each of the media. Aflatoxin productions were measured after having incubated 3 days up to 5 months under humidity of 91 and 97%. Prior to HPLC analysis, aflatoxin was cleaned-up using an immunoaffinity column. The results were: (1) A. flavus indicated no or almost no growth under RH of 85% or less. (2) Under 91-97% RH, growth of mycelium and toxin production were inhibited more or less by irradiation up to 1 kGy, although the effectiveness of irradiation varied with different RH and media during postirradiation incubation. (3) By 3 kGy or more, both mycelium growth and toxin production of the mould were found to be completely inhibited. (4) The production of aflatoxin in nutmeg began after having incubated for 25 and 45 days and in peanut for 3 and 6 days under 97 and 91% RH, respectively.

Effect of γ-radiation on the production of aflatoxin B1 by Aspergillus parasiticus in raisins (Vitis vinifera L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanapitsas, Alexandros; Batrinou, Anthimia; Aravantinos, Athanasios; Markaki, Panagiota

2015-01-01

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) mostly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, is an extremely toxic and carcinogenic metabolite. The effect of gamma irradiation at dose of 10 kGy on the production of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) inoculated by Aspergillus parasiticus in raisins (Vitis vinifera L.) and on AFB 1 in contaminated samples, was investigated. Values of the amount of aflatoxin B 1 produced on the 12th day of incubation, after irradiation, showed that gamma radiation exposure at 10 kGy decreased AFB 1 production at 65% compared with the non-irradiated sample, on the same day. The application of 10 kGy gamma radiation directly on 100 ng of AFB 1 which were spiked in raisins resulted in ∼29% reduction of AFB 1 . According to the risk assessment analysis the Provisional Maximum Tolerable Daily Intake (PMTDI) of 1.0 ng AFB 1 kg −1 bw, indicates that consumers are less exposed to AFB 1 from the irradiated raisins. - Highlights: • Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is an extremely toxic and carcinogenic metabolite. • AFB 1 is produced in raisins. • Irradiation at the dose of 10 kGy affects AFB 1 production. • 10 kGy reduced (∼65%) AFB 1 production by A.parasiticus in raisins. • 10 kGy reduced (∼29%) AFB 1 spiked directly in raisins

Effect of aflatoxin B1 on growth and enzymatic activity of a native strain of Bacillus sp

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Alex Sáez Vega

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of different aflatoxin B1 (AFAB1 concentrations on alkaline protease growth and enzymatic activity was evaluated; a native strain of alkalophilic Bacillus sp cultivated in CSL (Corn Steep Liquor was used. It was found that the effect of AFAB1 on the strain inhibited its growth and enzymatic activity to 1 ppm, showing that the strain is highly sensible to AFAB1, meaning that medium obtained f rom Colombian corn contaminated with this mycotoxin cannot be easily used. Concentrations less than 0.1 ppm did not affect growth and enzymatic activity. Key words: Bacillus, aflatoxin, alkaline proteases.

The Role of an Antioxidant in Amilioration of Radiation Exposure and Food Aflatoxin Hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousri, R.M.; Azab, Kh.S.; Abdel-Rahman, N.A.; Ashery, M.A.M.; Salem, F.A.

2008-01-01

A total number of 180 male albino rats were divided into 8 groups, each group included 20 rats: Control group, Diadzein treated group, Irradiated group (subjected to four doses of whole body gamma-irradiation each of 2 Gy at interval of 48 hr), AFB1 treated group, another group was injected with AFB1 and then exposed to gamma radiation, Deadzone treated group before treatment with both aflatoxin and radiation. Blood serum was collected for the determination of liver function, lipid fraction and kidney function. Lipid peroxides, glutathion content, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzyme were assayed in blood. Exposure to gamma rays and aflatoxin resulted in an increase in the mentioned parameters accompanied by a decrease in glutathione content, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity. Animal treated with diadzein showed an improvement of studied parameters

Genotoxicity testing of extracts from aflatoxin-contaminated peanut meal, following chemical decontamination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogenboom, L.A.P.; Polman, Th.H.G.; Neal, G.E.; Verma, A.; Guyomard, C.; Tulliez, J.; Gautier, J.P.; Coker, R.D.; Nagler, M.J.; Heidenreich, E.; Delort-Laval, J.

2001-01-01

One of the most important concerns in the decontamination of aflatoxin-containing feed commodities is the safety of the products for food-producing animals and for human consumption of products derived from these animals. A new method, based on the use of florisil and C18 solid phase extraction

Protective Effects of Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 on Serum Biochemistry, Histopathological Changes and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities of Broilers Fed Moldy Peanut Meal Naturally Contaminated with Aflatoxins

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Yu Fan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the toxic effects of aflatoxins and evaluate the effectiveness of Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 in detoxifying aflatoxicosis in broilers. A total of 360 one-week-old male broilers (Ross 308 were assigned to six dietary treatments for five weeks. The treatment diets were: C0 (basal diet; C1.0 (C0 + 1.0 g B. subtilis ANSB060/kg diet; M0 (basal diet formulated with moldy peanut meal; M0.5, M1.0 and M2.0 (M0 + 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g B. subtilis ANSB060/kg diet, respectively. The contents of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in the diets formulated with moldy peanut meal were 70.7 ± 1.3, 11.0 ± 1.5, 6.5 ± 0.8 and 2.0 ± 0.3 µg/kg, respectively. The results showed that aflatoxins increased (p < 0.05 serum aspartate transaminase activity, decreased (p < 0.05 serum glutathione peroxidase activity, and enhanced (p < 0.05 malondialdehyde contents in both the serum and liver. Aflatoxins also caused gross and histological changes in liver tissues, such as bile duct epithelium hyperplasia, vacuolar degeneration and lymphocyte infiltration. The supplementation of ANSB060 reduced aflatoxin levels in the duodenum and counteracted the negative effects of aflatoxins, leading to the conclusion that ANSB060 has a protective effect against aflatoxicosis and this protection is dose-related.

Atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus isolated from peanuts collected from northern Philippines as potential biocon agents against pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanut and corn

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxin contamination of food products causes liver cancer and weakened immunity in humans, and stunted growth and reduced productivity in animals (CAST, 2003). Effective control of pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanut and corn due to AflaGuard and Aflasafe in the United States and Africa...

[Biological contamination by micromycetes in dried Boletus edulis: research of aflatoxin B1, B2 G1, G2 and ochratoxin A].

Science.gov (United States)

Lorini, C; Rossetti, F; Palazzoni, S; Comodo, N; Bonaccorsi, G

2008-01-01

Aim of this survey is to identify those filamentous fungi which parasite Boletus edulis and its group and check the potential presence of secondary metabolites, specifically aflatoxin B1, total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, in order to assess the risk to consumers' health. Forty samples of dried Boletus edulis, collected by two food industries which distribute the product in many Italian regions, have been analysed. The sampling plan has been conducted from November 2005 to March 2006, collecting 50 g from each commercial category of dried Boletus edulis available in the factory at the time of sampling. All the samples have been tested by visual macroscopic and stereoscopic assays; for some samples--those referred to commercial category presumably at higher risk--we have performed cultural assays as well, typization of isolated micromycetes, extraction and quantification of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. Mycotoxin detection has been made by HPLC, using the UNI EN 14123 and UNI EN 14132 standard methods, respectively applied to aflatoxins determination in peanuts, pistachios, figs and paprika and to ochratoxin A in barley and coffee. Non pathogenic micromycetes, common in food products, have been frequently observed in cultural assays, while Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger have been found in some samples. However the concentration of aflatoxins was always under the quantification limit. The survey confirm that, if the cold chain is kept throughout the process and the distribution, Boletus edulis and analogue mycetes are not a favourable substratum for the growth and the development of moulds.

Effect of Bread Making Process on Aflatoxin Level Changes

OpenAIRE

Jafar Milani; Seyed Saman Seyed Nazari; Elmira Bamyar; Gisou Maleki

2014-01-01

Wheat flour is a commodity with a high risk of aflatoxins (AFs) contamination. During the bread making there are many processes that can affect the AFs stability. The effect of bread making process using different yeast types on AFs levels was investigated. For this purpose, standards of AFs including B and Gwere added to flour and then bread loaves were prepared. Three types of commercially available yeast including active dry yeast, instant dry yeast and compressed yeast were used for dough...

Evaluation of aflatoxins and Aspergillus sp. contamination in raw peanuts and peanut-based products along the supply chain in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Norlia, Mahror; Nor-Khaizura, M A R; Selamat, Jinap; Abu Bakar, Fatimah; Radu, Son; Chin, Cheow Keat

2018-06-18

The peanut supply chain in Malaysia is dominated by three main stakeholders (importers, manufacturers, retailers). The present study, aimed to determine the levels and critical points of aflatoxins and fungal contamination in peanuts along the supply chain. Specifically, two types of raw peanuts and six types of peanut-based products were collected (N = 178). Samples were analysed for aflatoxins by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Results revealed that the aflatoxins contamination was significantly higher (P≤0.05) in raw peanuts and peanut-based products from the retailers. However, there was no significant different (P≥0.05) in fungal contamination for both types of peanuts except for the total fungal count in raw peanuts from the retailers. Furthermore, raw peanut kernels from the retailers were the most contaminated ones ranged from contamination (0.3 - 3.6 log CFU/g) was relatively higher in raw peanuts compared to that of peanut-based products (0.6 - 2.7 log CFU/g). In conclusion, the manufacturers and retailers were the critical points for aflatoxins contamination in peanuts. However, fungal contamination was more critical in the raw peanuts compared to peanut-based products. The study was limited by a minimal number of samples from the importer. Therefore, further investigations on a larger sample size should be conducted to confirm the findings in this present study.

A Structure Identification and Toxicity Assessment of the Degradation Products of Aflatoxin B1 in Peanut Oil under UV Irradiation

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Jin Mao

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins, a group of extremely hazardous compounds because of their genotoxicity and carcinogenicity to human and animals, are commonly found in many tropical and subtropical regions. Ultraviolet (UV irradiation is proven to be an effective method to reduce or detoxify aflatoxins. However, the degradation products of aflatoxins under UV irradiation and their safety or toxicity have not been clear in practical production such as edible oil industry. In this study, the degradation products of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 in peanut oil were analyzed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatograph-Thermo Quadrupole Exactive Focus mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQEF-MS/MS. The high-resolution mass spectra reflected that two main products were formed after the modification of a double bond in the terminal furan ring and the fracture of the lactone ring, while the small molecules especially nitrogen-containing compound may have participated in the photochemical reaction. According to the above results, the possible photodegradation pathway of AFB1 in peanut oil is proposed. Moreover, the human embryo hepatocytes viability assay indicated that the cell toxicity of degradation products after UV irradiation was much lower than that of AFB1, which could be attributed to the breakage of toxicological sites. These findings can provide new information for metabolic pathways and the hazard assessment of AFB1 using UV detoxification.

A Structure Identification and Toxicity Assessment of the Degradation Products of Aflatoxin B1 in Peanut Oil under UV Irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Jin; He, Bing; Zhang, Liangxiao; Li, Peiwu; Zhang, Qi; Ding, Xiaoxia; Zhang, Wen

2016-01-01

Aflatoxins, a group of extremely hazardous compounds because of their genotoxicity and carcinogenicity to human and animals, are commonly found in many tropical and subtropical regions. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is proven to be an effective method to reduce or detoxify aflatoxins. However, the degradation products of aflatoxins under UV irradiation and their safety or toxicity have not been clear in practical production such as edible oil industry. In this study, the degradation products of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in peanut oil were analyzed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatograph-Thermo Quadrupole Exactive Focus mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQEF-MS/MS). The high-resolution mass spectra reflected that two main products were formed after the modification of a double bond in the terminal furan ring and the fracture of the lactone ring, while the small molecules especially nitrogen-containing compound may have participated in the photochemical reaction. According to the above results, the possible photodegradation pathway of AFB1 in peanut oil is proposed. Moreover, the human embryo hepatocytes viability assay indicated that the cell toxicity of degradation products after UV irradiation was much lower than that of AFB1, which could be attributed to the breakage of toxicological sites. These findings can provide new information for metabolic pathways and the hazard assessment of AFB1 using UV detoxification. PMID:27845743

Hyphenation of supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for fast determination of four aflatoxins in edible oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Fang; Li, Chenglong; Zhou, Shuang; Wang, Dan; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

2016-08-01

Aflatoxins (AFTs) are of great concern all over the world. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has the advantage of fast, high resolution and excellent compatibility with a broad range of organic solvents and samples, thus hyphenating SFC with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) can be used for the easy and fast determination of AFTs in edible oils. Edible oil was spiked with isotope-labeled aflatoxin standards, diluted with hexane and extracted with acetonitrile. The extraction was directly loaded to an SFC apparatus and separated on a UPC(2) 2-EP column with CO2 -methanol gradient elution. A post-column make-up flow was introduced to facilitate mass spectrometry performance, and the mixture was analyzed by MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The SFC conditions including separation column, modifier and sample solvent were optimized, and the four target aflatoxins were baseline separated. The ESI interface parameters were also investigated, implicating the make-up flow as a critical factor for sensitive determination by SFC-MS/MS. The LOQs for the AFTs were 0.05-0.12 μg L(-1) , while the RSDs were lower than 8.5%. Supercritical fluid chromatography was successfully coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to establish a simple, fast and sensitive method for the analysis of four aflatoxins in edible oil. This shows the combination of SFC-MS/MS has great potential in determination of trace contaminants in food. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Large-Scale Membrane- and Lignin-Modified Adsorbent-Assisted Extraction and Preconcentration of Triazine Analogs and Aflatoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shun-Wei; Chen, Shushi

2017-04-11

The large-scale simultaneous extraction and concentration of aqueous solutions of triazine analogs, and aflatoxins, through a hydrocarbon-based membrane (e.g., polyethylene, polyethylene/polypropylene copolymer) under ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure is reported. The subsequent adsorption of analyte in the extraction chamber over the lignin-modified silica gel facilitates the process by reducing the operating time. The maximum adsorption capacity values for triazine analogs and aflatoxins are mainly adsorption mechanism-dependent and were calculated to be 0.432 and 0.297 mg/10 mg, respectively. The permeation, and therefore the percentage of analyte extracted, ranges from 1% to almost 100%, and varies among the solvents examined. It is considered to be vapor pressure- and chemical polarity-dependent, and is thus highly affected by the nature and thickness of the membrane, the discrepancy in the solubility values of the analyte between the two liquid phases, and the amount of adsorbent used in the process. A dependence on the size of the analyte was observed in the adsorption capacity measurement, but not in the extraction process. The theoretical interaction simulation and FTIR data show that the planar aflatoxin molecule releases much more energy when facing toward the membrane molecule when approaching it, and the mechanism leading to the adsorption.

Rapid Immunoenzyme Assay of Aflatoxin B1 Using Magnetic Nanoparticles

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Alexandr E. Urusov

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The main limitations of microplate-based enzyme immunoassays are the prolonged incubations necessary to facilitate heterogeneous interactions, the complex matrix and poorly soluble antigens, and the significant sample dilutions often required because of the presence of organic extractants. This study presents the use of antibody immobilization on the surface of magnetic particles to overcome these limitations in the detection of the mycotoxin, aflatoxin B1. Features of the proposed system are a high degree of nanoparticle dispersion and methodologically simple immobilization of the antibodies by adsorption. Reactions between the immobilized antibodies with native and labeled antigens are conducted in solution, thereby reducing the interaction period to 5 min without impairing the analytical outcome. Adsorption of immunoglobulins on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles increases their stability in aqueous-organic media, thus minimizing the degree of sample dilution required. Testing barley and maize extracts demonstrated a limit of aflatoxin B1 detection equal to 20 pg/mL and total assay duration of 20 min. Using this method, only the 3-fold dilution of the initial methanol/water (60/40 extraction mixture in the microplate wells is necessary. The proposed pseudo-homogeneous approach could be applied toward immunodetection of a wide range of compounds.

Confirming QTL for aflatoxin resistance from Mp313E in different genetic backgrounds

Science.gov (United States)

The fungus Aspergillus flavus (Link:Fr) causes ear rot of maize (Zea mays L.) and produces the toxic metabolic product aflatoxin. One particularly effective method to control the fungus is via host plant resistance, but while several resistant breeding lines have been identified, transferring the r...

Surveys of rice sold in Canada for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and fumonisins

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, J.; Pantazopoulos, P.; Tam, J.; Cavlovic, P.; Kwong, K.; Turcotte, A.-M.; Lau, B.P.-Y.; Scott, P.M.

2011-01-01

Approximately 200 samples of rice (including white, brown, red, black, basmati and jasmine, as well as wild rice) from several different countries, including the United States, Canada, Pakistan, India and Thailand, were analysed for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisins by separate liquid Chromatographic methods in two different years. The mean concentrations for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were 0.19 and 0.17 ng g−1 with respective positive incidences of 56% and 43% (≥ the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.002 ng g−1). Twenty-three samples analysed in the second year also contained aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) at levels ≥LOD of 0.002 ng g−1 The five most contaminated samples in each year contained 1.44–7.14 ng AFB1 g−1 (year 1) and 1.45–3.48 ng AFB1 g−1 (year 2); they were mostly basmati rice from India and Pakistan and black and red rice from Thailand. The average concentrations of ochratoxin A (OTA) were 0.05 and 0.005 ng g−1 in year 1 and year 2, respectively; incidences of samples containing ≥LOD of 0.05 ng g−1 were 43% and 1%, respectively, in the 2 years. All positive OTA results were confirmed by LC-MS/MS. For fumonisins, concentrations of fumonisin B1 (FB1) averaged 4.5 ng g−1 in 15 positive samples (≥0.7 ng g−1) from year 1 (n = 99); fumonisin B2 (FB2) and fumonisin B3 (FB3) were also present (≥1 ng g−1). In the second year there was only one positive sample (14 ng g−1 FB1) out of 100 analysed. All positive FB1 results were confirmed by LC-MS/MS. PMID:21623501

Aflatoxin B1 Degradation by a Pseudomonas Strain

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Lancine Sangare

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, one of the most potent naturally occurring mutagens and carcinogens, causes significant threats to the food industry and animal production. In this study, 25 bacteria isolates were collected from grain kernels and soils displaying AFB1 reduction activity. Based on its degradation effectiveness, isolate N17-1 was selected for further characterization and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa N17-1 could degrade AFB1, AFB2 and AFM1 by 82.8%, 46.8% and 31.9% after incubation in Nutrient Broth (NB medium at 37 °C for 72 h, respectively. The culture supernatant of isolate N17-1 degraded AFB1 effectively, whereas the viable cells and intra cell extracts were far less effective. Factors influencing AFB1 degradation by the culture supernatant were investigated. Maximum degradation was observed at 55 °C. Ions Mn2+ and Cu2+ were activators for AFB1 degradation, however, ions Mg2+, Li+, Zn2+, Se2+, Fe3+ were strong inhibitors. Treatments with proteinase K and proteinase K plus SDS significantly reduced the degradation activity of the culture supernatant. No degradation products were observed based on preliminary LC-QTOF/MS analysis, indicating AFB1 was metabolized to degradation products with chemical properties different from that of AFB1. The results indicated that the degradation of AFB1 by P. aeruginosa N17-1 was enzymatic and could have a great potential in industrial applications. This is the first report indicating that the isolate of P. aeruginosa possesses the ability to degrade aflatoxin.

Assessment of aflatoxin exposure of laboratory worker during food contamination analyses. Assessment of the procedures adopted by an A.R.P.A.L. laboratory (Liguria Region Environmental Protection Agency).

Science.gov (United States)

Traverso, A; Bassoli, Viviana; Cioè, A; Anselmo, Silvia; Ferro, Marta

2010-01-01

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins derived from foodstuffs colonized by fungal species of the genus Aspergillus; they are common food contaminants with immunosuppressive, mutagenic and carcinogenic activity. Aflatoxins are heat-resistant and are thus easily transmitted along the food chain. They are hepatotoxic and have the potential to induce hepatocellular carcinoma. Agri-food industry workers are thus at risk of ingestion as well as transmucosal absorption or inhalation of toxins released during product preparation or processing. To measure the levels of airborne mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins, in a laboratory analysing imported foodstuffs for mycotoxin contamination. The protocol used to analyse a batch of shelled peanuts from Vietnam, especially the grinding phase, which is held to be at the highest risk ofgenerating airborne toxins, was assessed at the A.R.PA.L. laboratory (Liguria Region Environmental Protection Agency) of Genoa, Italy, which participates in a European aflatoxin monitoring project. Wet grinding was performed to avoid production of large amounts of dust. Comparison of airborne concentrations before and after grinding with legal thresholds disclosed that the analytical procedures involved negligible aflatoxin levels for operators (environmental burden 0.11 pg/ m3). Given the toxicity of aflatoxins, worker protection measures should be consistently adopted and enforced. Threshold limit values for working environments should be introduced besides the existing ones for public health.

Aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize in Europe increases due to climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Battilani, P.; Toscano, P.; Fels-Klerx, van der H.J.; Moretti, A.; Camardo Leggieri, Marco; Brera, C.; Rortais, A.; Goumpertis, T.; Robinson, T.

2016-01-01

Climate change has been reported as a driver for emerging food and feed safety issues worldwide and its expected impact on the presence of mycotoxins in food and feed is of great concern. Aflatoxins have the highest acute and chronic toxicity of all mycotoxins; hence, the maximal concentration in

Diallel analysis for aflatoxin accumulation and fall armyworm leaf feeding damage in maize

Science.gov (United States)

Two of the major impediments to profitable maize, Zea mays L., production in the southern United States are losses from feeding by fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), and losses from the production and accumulation of aflatoxin in maize grain. The fall armyworm feeds on all above-grou...

Period of susceptibility of almonds to aflatoxin contamination during development in the orchard

Science.gov (United States)

Almonds can be contaminated by aflatoxins, mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Infection by Aspergillus species can be facilitated by insect damage to the kernel during hull split, which occurs 4 to 6 weeks before harvest. Within this period of time, it is unknown which kernel ...

A preliminary study on the physiological effects of aflatoxin B-1 lactating water buffaloes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelaal, A.E.; Naguib, K.M.; Naguib, M.M.

1986-01-01

Aflatoxin B-1 is one of the biologically active mycotoxins, produced as contaminants in human and animal food by a variety of spoilage molds. The effects of administering aflatoxin B-1 on plasma proteins, total thyroxine, cholesterol, zinc and iron were studied in eight lactating buffaloes (3rd and 8th season of lactation). The toxin was first tested in one animal which received single doses of 400, 1000 and 1500 ug each, mixed with 1 Kg ration, given one week apart. Blood, milk and urine samples were collected over the next 120 hrs. The toxin was not detected in either milk or urine. One week later, the latter dose was offered daily, but the animal lost its appetite and did not consume any of the ration offered on the second day. On the third day through the sixth, the toxin (1500 ug in 5 ml chloroform) was injected into the rumen through the flank region using a long needle and a syringe. However, the toxin could not be detected in either milk or urine. After another week, the dose was increased to 5000 ug intraruminally given for 2 days. The toxin appeared in milk and urine. The other seven animals were then included in the experiment and blood samples were collected 10 and 34 hours after dosing. The results obtained (from the pilot test) showed a transient decrease in serum albumin which lasted for 10-24 hours after oral administration of 400, 1000 and 1500 ug in food. This phenomenon was also confirmed in all animals at 34 hrs. after the intraruminal administration of 5000 ug (p>0.01). On the other hand, serum cholesterol was increased (P>0.01). Serum zinc was also increased though insignificantly. However, no appreciable changes were noted in either serum iron or total thyroxine. This experiment has shown that physiological responses may occur before the detection of the toxin in body fluids. It is suggested that measurement of plasma proteins and cholesterol can be used as a test for the toxic effect of aflatoxin, especially at low doses; a case similar to

Absorption, distribution and excretion of aflatoxin-derived ammoniation products in lactating cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogenboom, L.A.P.; Tulliez, J.; Gautier, J.P.; Coker, R.D.; Melcion, J.P.; Nagler, M.J.; Polman, Th.H.G.; Delort-Laval, J.

2001-01-01

Peanut meal naturally contaminated with 3.5mg/kg aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was spiked with radiolabelled AFB1 (meal14C-I0) and decontaminated by a smallscale copy of an industrial ammoniation process (meal 14C-I1). During the process 15␘f the radioactivity was lost, whereas 90␘f the remaining radiolabel

Survey of Expression of Aflatoxin Production Regulator Gene (aflR in Aspergillus Parasiticus by Alpinia Galanga L and Dorema Aucheri

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Zahra Arab-Mazar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Aflatoxins are one of the highly toxic secondary metabolites, which are mainly produced by Aspergillus parasiticus. This species frequently cause of food and agricultural products contamination including cereals, peanuts, and crops in the field. During recent years, researchers have considered research on elimination of aflatoxin and antifungal effects of medicinal herbals, such as Alpinia galanga L and Dorema aucheri. In this study, the effect of A.galanga L and D.aucheri a natural compound was examined on Aspergillus parasiticus growth, aflatoxins production and the aflR gene expression.Materials and Methods: Antifungal susceptibility A.galanga L and D.aucheri was performed according to CLSI document M38-A2. Quantitative changes in aflR gene level of expression were analyzed by Real-time PCR method.Results: Our result obtained that the MIC of extracts on A. parasiticus growth 250 mg/mL for D.aucheri and 800 mg/mL for A.galanga L. D.aucheri has antitoxic properties as well as its effective ability to decrease aflatoxin production. The level of aflR gene expression was decreased significantly after the exposure of fungal cell to D.aucheri extract, but A.galanga L didn’t have significant effect.Conclusion: This research indicated that D.aucheri has antifungal effects more than A.galanga L. Due to our obtained result we can suggest that D.aucheri herbal extract may have antifungal potential in medicine or agriculture.

SVM-based feature extraction and classification of aflatoxin contaminated corn using fluorescence hyperspectral data

Science.gov (United States)

Support Vector Machine (SVM) was used in the Genetic Algorithms (GA) process to select and classify a subset of hyperspectral image bands. The method was applied to fluorescence hyperspectral data for the detection of aflatoxin contamination in Aspergillus flavus infected single corn kernels. In the...

Effect of gamma irradiation on growth and aflatoxin production by certain local aflatoxigenic isolates of aspergillus flavus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammad, A.A.I.; Atalla, M.A.; El-Shayeb, N.M.A.; Ahmed, A.A.; Zeinat, Kamel

1998-01-01

The radiation D 1 0 values of two aflatoxigenic isolates of aspergillus flavus (No. 1 and No. 184) were determined. The D 1 0 -value of A. flavus isolate No.1 was found to be 0.43 and 0.50 kGy in physiological saline soulution and smoked herrings, while the D 1 0 - value of A. SFlavus isolateNo. 184 was 0.53 and -0.62 KGy in saline solution and raisins, respectively. The irradiated (0.05, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 KGy) and non-irradiated spores of two fungi were separately inoculated into rice-corn steep liquor and incubated at 28 degree C for 12 days. The fungal mycelial dry weight, as a function of growth, decreased with increasing gamma irradiation doses. Irradiation doses used gratly reduced aflatoxins formation. Smoked herrings and raisins were inoculated with spores of A. flavus isolated No.1 and No.184, respectively, then irradiated at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 KGy and stored for two months at room temperature. It was found that a gamma irradiation dose of 1.5 KGy greatly reduced the amount of aflatoxins produced, while 3.0 and 4.5 KGy completely prevented aflatoxin formation

Aflatoxin B1 Induced Systemic Toxicity in Poultry and Rescue Effects of Selenium and Zinc.

Science.gov (United States)

Mughal, Muhammad Jameel; Peng, Xi; Kamboh, Asghar Ali; Zhou, Yi; Fang, Jing

2017-08-01

Among many challenges, exposure to aflatoxins, particularly aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ), is one of the major concerns in poultry industry. AFB 1 intoxication results in decreased meat/egg production, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, disturbance in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and reproduction, immune suppression, and increased disease susceptibility. Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), in dietary supplementation, offer easy, cost-effective, and efficient ways to neutralize the toxic effect of AFB 1 . In the current review, we discussed the impact of AFB 1 on poultry industry, its biotransformation, and organ-specific noxious effects, along with the action mechanism of AFB 1 -induced toxicity. Moreover, we explained the biological and detoxifying roles of Se and Zn in avian species as well as the protection mechanism of these two trace elements. Ultimately, we discussed the use of Se and Zn supplementation against AFB 1 -induced toxicity in poultry birds.

Adaptation and mitigation options to manage aflatoxin contamination in food with a climate change perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wambui, J. M.; Karuri, E. G.; Ojiambo, J. A.

2016-01-01

Understanding the impact of climate change remains vital for food safety and public health. Of particular importance is the influence of climatic conditions on the growth of Aspergillus flavus and production of their toxins. Nevertheless, little is known about the actual impact of climate change....... We used a systematic literature review of review and research articles, with limited searching but systematic screening to explore available qualitative and quantitative data. Projections from the data, showed that on average, a 58.9% increase of aflatoxin contamination in the Central and Western...... parts and a decrease of 44.6% in the Eastern and Southern parts is expected but with several possible scenarios. This makes the impact of climate change on aflatoxin contamination in Kenya complex. To protect the public and environment from the negative impact, a regulatory framework that allows...

Identification of seed proteins associated with resistance to pre-harvested aflatoxin contamination in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L

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Li Ling

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pre-harvest infection of peanuts by Aspergillus flavus and subsequent aflatoxin contamination is one of the food safety factors that most severely impair peanut productivity and human and animal health, especially in arid and semi-arid tropical areas. Some peanut cultivars with natural pre-harvest resistance to aflatoxin contamination have been identified through field screening. However, little is known about the resistance mechanism, which has slowed the incorporation of resistance into cultivars with commercially acceptable genetic background. Therefore, it is necessary to identify resistance-associated proteins, and then to recognize candidate resistance genes potentially underlying the resistance mechanism. Results The objective of this study was to identify resistance-associated proteins in response to A. flavus infection under drought stress using two-dimensional electrophoresis with mass spectrometry. To identify proteins involved in the resistance to pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination, we compared the differential expression profiles of seed proteins between a resistant cultivar (YJ-1 and a susceptible cultivar (Yueyou 7 under well-watered condition, drought stress, and A. flavus infection with drought stress. A total of 29 spots showed differential expression between resistant and susceptible cultivars in response to A. flavus attack under drought stress. Among these spots, 12 protein spots that consistently exhibited an altered expression were screened by Image Master 5.0 software and successfully identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Five protein spots, including Oso7g0179400, PII protein, CDK1, Oxalate oxidase, SAP domain-containing protein, were uniquely expressed in the resistant cultivar. Six protein spots including low molecular weight heat shock protein precursor, RIO kinase, L-ascorbate peroxidase, iso-Ara h3, 50 S ribosomal protein L22 and putative 30 S ribosomal S9 were significantly up-regulated in the resistant

Graphene oxide adsorbent based dispersive solid phase extraction coupled with multi-pretreatment clean-up for analysis of trace aflatoxins in traditional proprietary Chinese medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Congcong; Chen, Dan; Ma, Haiyan; Jiang, Ye

2017-02-15

Graphene oxide (GO)-based dispersive solid phase extraction (D-SPE) method combined with multi-step preparation has been proposed for the evaluation of trace aflatoxins in proprietary Chinese medicines (PCM). After being extracted by methanol, the sample was purified based on multi-step preparation, including dehydration with MgSO 4 /NaCl and cleanup with neutral alumina. Then GO was used as an adsorbent in D-SPE method for further preconcentration of aflatoxins prior to high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection. The selected conditions were investigated. The Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize factors affecting adsorption procedure. Under the optimized conditions, good linear relationships had been achieved with the correlation coefficient (R 2 ) varying from 0.9904 to 0.9990. The LODs and LOQs were ranging from 0.020 to 0.041ng/mL and 0.061 to 0.125ng/mL, respectively. The results of the recoveries were 74.0-102.7% for the four aflatoxins, while the precisions from 1.8% to 7.2% were obtained, which indicated that the method was suitable for the analysis of aflatoxins in PCM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advances in molecular and genomic research to safeguard food and feed supply from aflatoxin contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Worldwide recognition that aflatoxin contamination of agricultural commodities by the fungus Aspergillus flavus is a global problem which has significantly benefitted from global collaboration for understanding the contaminating fungus as well as for developing and implementing solutions against the...

Survey of Candidate Genes for Maize Resistance to Infection by Aspergillus flavus and/or Aflatoxin Contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Leigh K.; Tang, Juliet D.; Tomashek, John; Alves Oliveira, Dafne; Ogunola, Oluwaseun F.; Smith, J. Spencer; Williams, W. Paul

2018-01-01

Many projects have identified candidate genes for resistance to aflatoxin accumulation or Aspergillus flavus infection and growth in maize using genetic mapping, genomics, transcriptomics and/or proteomics studies. However, only a small percentage of these candidates have been validated in field conditions, and their relative contribution to resistance, if any, is unknown. This study presents a consolidated list of candidate genes identified in past studies or in-house studies, with descriptive data including genetic location, gene annotation, known protein identifiers, and associated pathway information, if known. A candidate gene pipeline to test the phenotypic effect of any maize DNA sequence on aflatoxin accumulation resistance was used in this study to determine any measurable effect on polymorphisms within or linked to the candidate gene sequences, and the results are published here. PMID:29385107

Survey of Candidate Genes for Maize Resistance to Infection by Aspergillus flavus and/or Aflatoxin Contamination

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Leigh K. Hawkins

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Many projects have identified candidate genes for resistance to aflatoxin accumulation or Aspergillus flavus infection and growth in maize using genetic mapping, genomics, transcriptomics and/or proteomics studies. However, only a small percentage of these candidates have been validated in field conditions, and their relative contribution to resistance, if any, is unknown. This study presents a consolidated list of candidate genes identified in past studies or in-house studies, with descriptive data including genetic location, gene annotation, known protein identifiers, and associated pathway information, if known. A candidate gene pipeline to test the phenotypic effect of any maize DNA sequence on aflatoxin accumulation resistance was used in this study to determine any measurable effect on polymorphisms within or linked to the candidate gene sequences, and the results are published here.

Monitoring of aflatoxin M1 in raw cow milk in Croatia during winter 2015

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Nina Bilandžić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A total of 548 raw milk samples were collected in the western, central and eastern regions of Croatia during February and March 2015. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 concentrations were quantified by the enzyme immunoassay method. The method limits of detection (LOD and quantification (LOQ were 22.2 and 34.2 ng/kg, respectively. The mean AFM1 levels measured in the three regions were (ng/kg as follows: western 3.69, central 3.11 and eastern 4.14. In total, the 548 samples analysed concentrations were below the LOD value and accordingly below the European Union maximum residue level (EU MRL of 50 ng/kg. The results suggest an absence of use of contaminated with aflatoxin B1 supplementary feedstuff for lactating cows in winter 2015. Such results might be related to the improved storage conditions for feed as well as to the enhanced and more stringent feed control system for mycotoxins in Croatia.

On-Farm Demonstrations with a Set of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs Proved Cost-Effective in Reducing Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnut

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Vijayaraju Parimi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination in groundnut is an important qualitative issue posing a threat to food safety. In our present study, we have demonstrated the efficacy of certain good agricultural practices (GAPs in groundnut, such as farmyard manure (5 t/ha, gypsum (500 kg/ha, a protective irrigation at 90 days after sowing (DAS, drying of pods on tarpaulins after harvest in farmers’ fields. During 2013–2015, 89 on-farm demonstrations were conducted advocating GAPs, and compared with farmers’ practices (FP plots. Farmers’ awareness of GAPs, and knowledge on important aspects of groundnut cultivation, were also assessed during our experimentation in the selected villages under study. Pre-harvest kernel infection by Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin contamination, and pod yields were compared in GAPs plots, vis-à-vis FP plots. The cost of cultivation in both the plots was calculated and compared, based on farmer’s opinion surveys. Results indicate kernel infections and aflatoxins were significantly lower, with 13–58% and 62–94% reduction, respectively, in GAPs plots over FP. Further, a net gain of around $23 per acre was realized through adoption of GAPs by farmers besides quality improvement of groundnuts. Based on our results, it can be concluded that on-farm demonstrations were the best educative tool to convince the farmers about the cost-effectiveness, and adoptability of aflatoxin management technologies.

Transfer of aflatoxin from feed to milk and curd in Sarda ewes with different milk production level

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G. Pulina

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 is a toxin produced by some strains of Aspergillus growing in feedstuffs. Dairy animals fed with diet containing AFB1 excrete aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 into the milk. The carry over ratio (AFM1 excreted in milk/ AFB1 ingested has been found lower in sheep (Battacone et al., 2002a than in cattle (Veldman et al., 1992. Being AFM1 linked to milk proteins, its concentration in curd is higher than in milk. The AFM1 concentration in milk resulted not influenced by milk production level in cattle, therefore the total amount of AFM1 excreted in milk and, consequently, the carry-over ratio increased with milk yield (Munksgaard et al., 1987; Veldman et al., 1992...

Genome sequences of three strains of Aspergillus flavus for the biological control of Aflatoxin

Science.gov (United States)

The genomes of three strains of Aspergillus flavus with demonstrated utility for the biological control of aflatoxin were sequenced. These sequences were assembled with MIRA and annotated with Augustus using A. flavus strain 3357 (NCBI EQ963472) as a reference. Each strain had a genome of 36.3 to ...

STUDY ON EFFICACY OF DIATOMACEOUS EARTH TO AMELIORATE AFLATOXIN - INDUCED PATHO-MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN LYMPHOID ORGANS OF BROILER CHICKEN

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A.W. Lakkawar

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The efficacy of Diatomaceous earth (DAE in reducing the detrimental effects of aflatoxin (AF in broiler diet was evaluated. DAE was supplemented 2000 mg/kg of feed along with 0.5 and 1 ppm of AF in feed. A total of 240 healthy day old broiler chicks were divided into 6 groups comprising of control and treatment groups. Feeding of AF resulted in reduction in size of the thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius. In addition, petechial haemorrhages were observed on the surface of the thymus. Histopathology revealed varying degree of lymphocytolysis and depletion of lymphoid cells in thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius. In addition, the ceacal tonsils also revealed a mild to moderate degree of lymphoid depletion. The supplementation of DAE to aflatoxin-mixed feed revealed significant improvement characterised by decreased severity of lesions in lymphoid organs. The macroscopic and microscopic changes in the birds fed DAE in combination with AF included those that were observed in AF- alone fed birds, but of reduced magnitude and severity. The study concluded that 2% DAE in feed can be effectively used to reduce the the histotoxic effects of aflatoxin on lymphoid organs in broiler chicken.

Chemoprevention by essential oil of turmeric leaves (Curcuma longa L.) on the growth of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin production.

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Sindhu, S; Chempakam, B; Leela, N K; Suseela Bhai, R

2011-05-01

Turmeric is well known for a wide range of medicinal properties. Essential oil of turmeric leaves (Curcuma longa L.) were evaluated at varying concentrations of 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5% (v/v) in Yeast Extract Sucrose (YES) broth inoculated with spore suspension of Aspergillus flavus of 10(6)conidia/ml. These were evaluated for their potential in the control of aflatoxigenic fungus A. flavus and aflatoxin production. Turmeric leaf oil exhibited 95.3% and 100% inhibition of toxin production respectively at 1.0% and 1.5%. The extent of inhibition of fungal growth and aflatoxin production was dependent on the concentration of essential oil used. The oil exhibited significant inhibition of fungal growth as well as aflatoxins B(1) and G(1) production. The LD(50) and LD(90) were also determined. GC-MS analysis of the oil showed α-phellandrene, p-cymene and terpinolene as the major components in turmeric leaf oil. The possibility of using these phytochemical components as bio-preservatives for storage of spices is discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Histological Lesions, Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis and T Cell Subsets Changes of Spleen in Chicken Fed Aflatoxin-contaminated Corn

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Xi Peng

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin B2 on pathological lesions, apoptosis, cell cycle phases and T lymphocyte subsets of spleen, and to provide an experimental basis for understanding the mechanism of aflatoxin-induced immunosuppression. A total of 900 COBB500 male broilers were randomly allocated into five groups with six replicates per group and 30 birds per replicate. The experiment lasted for 6 weeks and the five dietary treatments consisted of control, 25% contaminated corn, 50% contaminated corn, 75% contaminated corn and 100% contaminated corn groups. The histopathological spleen lesions from the contaminated corn groups was characterized as congestion of red pulp, increased necrotic cells and vacuoles in the splenic corpuscle and periarterial lymphatic sheath. The contaminated corn intake significantly increased relative weight of spleen, percentages of apoptotic splenocytes, induced cell cycle arrest of splenocytes, increased the percentages of CD3+CD8+ T cells and decreased the ratios of CD3+CD4+ to CD3+CD8+. The results suggest that AFB-induced immunosuppression maybe closely related to the lesions of spleen.

Aflatoxin B1 and M1 contamination of animal feeds and milk from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: This study was initiated to assess the knowledge and practices of urban dairy farmers and feed millers about aflatoxin in feeds and milk, determine the prevalence and quantify the levels of AFB1 and AFM1 in animal feeds and milk respectively from urban environs in Kenya. Methods: This work was carried out in ...

Transcriptome, antioxidant enzyme activity and histopathology analysis of hepatopancreas from the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei fed with aflatoxin B1(AFB1).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wei; Wang, Lei; Liu, Mei; Jiang, Keyong; Wang, Mengqiang; Yang, Guang; Qi, Cancan; Wang, Baojie

2017-09-01

Aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus or Aspergillus parasiticus fungi during grain and feed processing and storage. Aflatoxins cause severe health problems reducing the yield and profitability of shrimp cultures. We sought to understand the interaction between shrimp immunity and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), analyzing transcriptome expression, antioxidant enzyme activity, and histological features of the hepatopancreas of shrimp fed with AFB1. From over 4 million high-quality reads, de novo unigene assembly produced 103,644 fully annotated genes. A total of 1024 genes were differentially expressed in shrimp fed with AFB1, being involved in functions, such as peroxidase metabolism, signal transduction, transcriptional control, apoptosis, proteolysis, endocytosis, and cell adhesion and cell junction. Upon AFB1 challenge, there were severe histological alterations in shrimp hepatopancreas. AFB1 challenge increased the activity of several antioxidant enzymes. Our data contribute to improve the current understanding of host-AFB1 interaction, providing an abundant source for identification of novel genes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mycobiota and Natural Incidence of Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin A, and Citrinin in Indian Spices Confirmed by LC-MS/MS

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Jeswal, Punam; Kumar, Dhiraj

2015-01-01

Nine different Indian spices (red chilli, black pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, caraway, fenugreek, and dry ginger) commonly cultivated and highly used in India were analysed for natural occurrence of toxigenic mycoflora and aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), and citrinin (CTN) contamination. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were the most dominant species isolated from all types of spices. Red chilli samples were highly contaminated with aflatoxins (85.4%) followed by dry ginger (77.7%). 56% Aspergillus flavus from red chilli and 45% Aspergillus ochraceus from black pepper were toxigenic and produced aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, respectively. Qualitative detection and quantitative detection of mycotoxins in spices were analyzed by ELISA and further confirmed by LC-MS/MS. Penicillium citrinum produced citrinin in red chilli, black pepper, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and dry ginger samples. The highest amount of AFs was found in red chilli (219.6 ng/g), OTA was in black pepper (154.1 ng/g), and CTN was in dry ginger samples (85.1 ng/g). The results of this study suggest that the spices are susceptible substrate for growth of mycotoxigenic fungi and further mycotoxin production. This is the first report of natural occurrence of citrinin in black pepper and dry ginger from India. PMID:26229535

An Assessment of Willingness To Pay by Maize and Groundnut Farmers for Aflatoxin Biocontrol Product in Northern Nigeria.

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Ayedun, Bamikole; Okpachu, Godwin; Manyong, Victor; Atehnkeng, Joseph; Akinola, Adebayo; Abu, G A; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit; Abdoulaye, Tahirou

2017-09-01

In Nigeria, Aflasafe is a registered biological product for reducing aflatoxin infestation of crops from the field to storage, making the crops safer for consumption. The important questions are whether farmers will purchase and apply this product to reduce aflatoxin contamination of crops, and if so under what conditions. A study was carried out to address these questions and assess determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for the product among maize and groundnut farmers in Kano and Kaduna states in Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to collect primary data from 492 farmers. The majority of farmers who had direct experience with Aflasafe (experienced farmers) in Kano (80.7%) and Kaduna (84.3%) had a WTP bid value equal to or greater than the threshold price ($10) at which Aflasafe was to be sold. The mean WTP estimates for Aflasafe for experienced farmers in Kano and Kaduna were statistically the same. However, values of $3.56 and $7.46 were offered in Kano and Kaduna states, respectively, by farmers who had never applied Aflasafe (inexperienced farmers), and the difference here was significant (P credit (P market strategy promoting a premium price for aflatoxin-safe produce and creating awareness and explaining the availability of Aflasafe to potential users should increase Aflasafe usage.

Milk kefir: ultrastructure, antimicrobial activity and efficacy on aflatoxin B1 production by Aspergillus flavus.

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Ismaiel, Ahmed A; Ghaly, Mohamed F; El-Naggar, Ayman K

2011-05-01

The association of kefir microbiota was observed by electron microscopic examination. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations revealed that kefir grain surface is very rough and the inner portions had scattered irregular holes on its surface. The interior of the grain comprised fibrillar materials which were interpreted as protein, lipid and a soluble polysaccharide, the kefiran complex that surrounds yeast and bacteria in the grain. Yeast was observed more clearly than bacteria on the outer portion of the grain. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observations of kefir revealed that the grain comprised a mixed culture of yeast and bacteria growing in close association with each other. Microbiota is dominated by budded and long-flattened yeast cells growing together with lactobacilli and lactococci bacteria. Bacterial cells with rounded ends were also observed in this mixed culture. Kefir grains, kefir suspensions, and kefiran were tested for antimicrobial activities against several bacterial and fungal species. The highest activity was obtained against Streptococcus faecalis KR6 and Fusarium graminearum CZ1. Growth of Aspergillus flavus AH3 producing for aflatoxin B1 for 10 days in broth medium supplemented with varying concentrations of kefir filtrate (%, v/v) showed that sporulation was completely inhibited at the higher concentrations of kefir filtrate (7-10%, v/v). The average values of both mycelial dry weights and aflatoxin B1 were completely inhibited at 10% (v/v). This is the first in vitro study about the antifungal characteristics of kefir against filamentous fungi which was manifested by applying its inhibitory effect on the productivity of aflatoxin B1 by A. flavus AH3.

Tolerance and Excretion of the Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1, Zearalenone, Deoxynivalenol, and Ochratoxin A by Alphitobius diaperinus and Hermetia illucens from Contaminated Substrates

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Louise Camenzuli

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate the potential accumulation of mycotoxins in the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus, LMW and black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF larvae. Feed was spiked with aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol (DON, ochratoxin A or zearalenone, and as a mixture of mycotoxins, to concentrations of 1, 10, and 25 times the maximum limits set by the European Commission for complete feed. This maximum limit is 0.02 mg/kg for aflatoxin B1, 5 mg/kg for DON, 0.5 mg/kg for zearalenone and 0.1 mg/kg for ochratoxin A. The mycotoxins and some of their metabolites were analysed in the larvae and residual material using a validated and accredited LC-MS/MS-based method. Metabolites considered were aflatoxicol, aflatoxin P1, aflatoxin Q1, and aflatoxin M1, 3-acetyl-DON, 15-acetyl-DON and DON-3-glycoside, and α- and β-zearalenol. No differences were observed between larvae reared on mycotoxins individually or as a mixture with regards to both larvae development and mycotoxin accumulation/excretion. None of the mycotoxins accumulated in the larvae and were only detected in BSF larvae several orders of magnitude lower than the concentration in feed. Mass balance calculations showed that BSF and LMW larvae metabolized the four mycotoxins to different extents. Metabolites accounted for minimal amounts of the mass balance, except for zearalenone metabolites in the BSF treatments, which accounted for an average maximum of 86% of the overall mass balance. Both insect species showed to excrete or metabolize the four mycotoxins present in their feed. Hence, safe limits for these mycotoxins in substrates to be used for these two insect species possibly could be higher than for production animals. However, additional analytical and toxicological research to fully understand the safe limits of mycotoxins in insect feed, and thus the safety of the insects, is required.

Tolerance and Excretion of the Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1, Zearalenone, Deoxynivalenol, and Ochratoxin A by Alphitobius diaperinus and Hermetia illucens from Contaminated Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Camenzuli, Louise; Van Dam, Ruud; de Rijk, Theo; Andriessen, Rob; Van Schelt, Jeroen; Van der Fels-Klerx, H. J. (Ine)

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the potential accumulation of mycotoxins in the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus, LMW) and black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) larvae. Feed was spiked with aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A or zearalenone, and as a mixture of mycotoxins, to concentrations of 1, 10, and 25 times the maximum limits set by the European Commission for complete feed. This maximum limit is 0.02 mg/kg for aflatoxin B1, 5 mg/kg for DON, 0.5 mg/kg for zearalenone and 0.1 mg/kg for ochratoxin A. The mycotoxins and some of their metabolites were analysed in the larvae and residual material using a validated and accredited LC-MS/MS-based method. Metabolites considered were aflatoxicol, aflatoxin P1, aflatoxin Q1, and aflatoxin M1, 3-acetyl-DON, 15-acetyl-DON and DON-3-glycoside, and α- and β-zearalenol. No differences were observed between larvae reared on mycotoxins individually or as a mixture with regards to both larvae development and mycotoxin accumulation/excretion. None of the mycotoxins accumulated in the larvae and were only detected in BSF larvae several orders of magnitude lower than the concentration in feed. Mass balance calculations showed that BSF and LMW larvae metabolized the four mycotoxins to different extents. Metabolites accounted for minimal amounts of the mass balance, except for zearalenone metabolites in the BSF treatments, which accounted for an average maximum of 86% of the overall mass balance. Both insect species showed to excrete or metabolize the four mycotoxins present in their feed. Hence, safe limits for these mycotoxins in substrates to be used for these two insect species possibly could be higher than for production animals. However, additional analytical and toxicological research to fully understand the safe limits of mycotoxins in insect feed, and thus the safety of the insects, is required. PMID:29495278

Brazil nuts are subject to infection with B and G aflatoxin-producing fungus, Aspergillus pseudonomius

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Massi, Fernanda Pelisson; Cameiro Vieira, Maria Lucia; Sartori, Daniele

2014-01-01

The exploitation of the Brazil nut is one of the most important activities of the extractive communities of the Amazon rainforest. However, its commercialization can be affected by the presence of aflatoxins produced by fungi, namely Aspergillus section Flavi. In the present study, we investigated...

Aflatoxins, hydroxylated metabolites, and aflatoxicol from breast muscle of laying hens.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Zaragoza, M; Carvajal-Moreno, M; Méndez-Ramírez, I; Chilpa-Galván, N C; Avila-González, E; Flores-Ortiz, C M

2014-12-01

Aflatoxins (AF) are toxic fungal secondary metabolites that are pathological to animals and humans. This study identified and quantified AF (AFB(1), AFB(2), AFG(1), AFG(2)) and their hydroxylated metabolites (AFM(1), AFM(2), AFP(1)) and aflatoxicol (AFL) from laying hen breast muscles. Aflatoxins pass from cereal feed to the laying hen tissues, causing economic losses, and from there to humans. To detect the passage of AF from feed to hen breast muscle tissues, an experiment that included 25 Hy-Line W36 121-wk-old hens was performed for 8 d. Hens in individual cages were distributed into 3 groups: a control group, with feed free of AFB(1), and 2 experimental groups, with feed spiked with 2 AFB(1) dosages: 30 µg·kg(-1) (low) or 500 µg·kg(-1) (high). The daily feed consumption per hen was recorded and afterward hens were euthanized and breast muscles were collected, weighed, and dried individually. Aflatoxins were extracted by 2 chemical methods and quantified by HPLC. Both methods were validated by lineality (calibration curves), recovery percentage (>80%), limit of detection, and limit of quantification. The AF (µg·kg(-1)) averages recovered in control breast muscles were as follows: AFB(1) (18); AFG(1), AFM(2), and AFL (0); AFG(2) (1.3); AFM(1) (52), and AFP1 (79). Hens fed with feed spiked with 30 µg·kg(-1) of AFB(1) had AFG(1) (16); AFG(2) (72); AFM(1) (0); AFM(2) (18); AFP(1) (145); and AFL (5 µg·kg(-1)). Hens with feed spiked with 500 µg·kg(-1) of AFB(1) had AFG(1) (512); AFG(2) (7); AFM(1) (4,775); AFM(2) (0); AFP(1) (661); and AFL (21 µg·kg(-1)). The best AF extraction method was Qian and Yang's method, modified by adding additional AF from both Supelclean LC18 SPE columns; its limit of detection (0.5 ng·mL(-1)) was lower compared with that of Koeltzow and Tanner, which was 1 ng·mL(-1). ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Surfactant-enhanced spectrofluorimetric determination of total aflatoxins from wheat samples after magnetic solid-phase extraction using modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Manafi, Mohammad Hanif; Allahyari, Mehdi; Pourghazi, Kamyar; Amoli-Diva, Mitra; Taherimaslak, Zohreh

2015-07-01

The extraction and preconcentration of total aflatoxins (including aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2) using magnetic nanoparticles based solid phase extraction (MSPE) followed by surfactant-enhanced spectrofluorimetric detection was proposed. Ethylene glycol bis-mercaptoacetate modified silica coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles as an efficient antibody-free adsorbent was successfully applied to extract aflatoxins from wheat samples. High surface area and strong magnetization properties of magnetic nanoparticles were utilized to achieve high enrichment factor (97), and satisfactory recoveries (92-105%) using only 100 mg of the adsorbent. Furthermore, the fast separation time (less than 10 min) avoids many time-consuming cartridge loading or column-passing procedures accompany with the conventional SPE. In determination step, signal enhancement was performed by formation of Triton X-100 micelles around the analytes in 15% (v/v) acetonitrile-water which dramatically increase the sensitivity of the method. Main factors affecting the extraction efficiency and signal enhancement of the analytes including pH of sample solution, desorption conditions, extraction time, sample volume, adsorbent amount, surfactant concentration and volume and time of micelle formation were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, wide linear range of 0.1-50 ng mL-1 with low detection limit of 0.03 ng mL-1 were obtained. The developed method was successfully applied to the extraction and preconcentration of aflatoxins in three commercially available wheat samples and the results were compared with the official AOAC method.

Expression Analysis of Stress-Related Genes in Kernels of Different Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbred Lines with Different Resistance to Aflatoxin Contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Tingbo; Zhou, Boru; Luo, Meng; Abbas, Hamed K.; Kemerait, Robert; Lee, Robert Dewey; Scully, Brian T.; Guo, Baozhu

2011-01-01

This research examined the expression patterns of 94 stress-related genes in seven maize inbred lines with differential expressions of resistance to aflatoxin contamination. The objective was to develop a set of genes/probes associated with resistance to A. flavus and/or aflatoxin contamination. Ninety four genes were selected from previous gene expression studies with abiotic stress to test the differential expression in maize lines, A638, B73, Lo964, Lo1016, Mo17, Mp313E, and Tex6, using real-time RT-PCR. Based on the relative-expression levels, the seven maize inbred lines clustered into two different groups. One group included B73, Lo1016 and Mo17, which had higher levels of aflatoxin contamination and lower levels of overall gene expression. The second group which included Tex6, Mp313E, Lo964 and A638 had lower levels of aflatoxin contamination and higher overall levels of gene expressions. A total of six “cross-talking” genes were identified between the two groups, which are highly expressed in the resistant Group 2 but down-regulated in susceptible Group 1. When further subjected to drought stress, Tex6 expressed more genes up-regulated and B73 has fewer genes up-regulated. The transcript patterns and interactions measured in these experiments indicate that the resistant mechanism is an interconnected process involving many gene products and transcriptional regulators, as well as various host interactions with environmental factors, particularly, drought and high temperature. PMID:22069724

Exposure to Aflatoxin and Fumonisin in Children at Risk for Growth Impairment in Rural Tanzania

Science.gov (United States)

Background. Stunted growth is a major public health issue for children in Tanzania. We examined dietary exposures to aflatoxin and fumonisin and their potential roles in growth impairment in children under 36 months of age in Haydom, Tanzania. Methods. Plasma samples collected at 24 months of age ...

Co-occurence of aflatoxins and fumonisins in maize: guatemala as a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) are found in maize. AFB1 is a genotoxic carcinogen (IARC Group 1) and FB1 a liver cancer promoter in rodents and trout (IARC Group 2B). Therefore, the possibility of co-exposure is a health concern, most notably in areas where maize serves as a dietary st...

Effect of supplementation of fermented milk drink containing probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota on the concentrations of aflatoxin biomarkers among employees of Universiti Putra Malaysia: a randomised, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd Redzwan, Sabran; Abd Mutalib, Mohd Sokhini; Wang, Jia-Sheng; Ahmad, Zuraini; Kang, Min-Su; Abdul Rahman, Nurul 'Aqilah; Nikbakht Nasrabadi, Elham; Jamaluddin, Rosita

2016-01-14

Human exposure to aflatoxin is through the diet, and probiotics are able to bind aflatoxin and prevent its absorption in the small intestine. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a fermented milk drink containing Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) (probiotic drink) to prevent aflatoxin absorption and reduce serum aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct (AFB1-lys) and urinary aflatoxin M1 concentrations. The present study was a randomised, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled study with two 4-week intervention phases. In all, seventy-one subjects recruited from the screening stage were divided into two groups--the Yellow group and the Blue group. In the 1st phase, one group received probiotic drinks twice a day and the other group received placebo drinks. Blood and urine samples were collected at baseline, 2nd and 4th week of the intervention. After a 2-week wash-out period, the treatments were switched between the groups, and blood and urine samples were collected at the 6th, 8th and 10th week (2nd phase) of the intervention. No significant differences in aflatoxin biomarker concentrations were observed during the intervention. A within-group analysis was further carried out. Aflatoxin biomarker concentrations were not significantly different in the Yellow group. Nevertheless, ANOVA for repeated measurements indicated that AFB1-lys concentrations were significantly different (P=0·035) with the probiotic intervention in the Blue group. The 2nd week AFB1-lys concentrations (5·14 (SD 2·15) pg/mg albumin (ALB)) were significantly reduced (P=0·048) compared with the baseline (6·24 (SD 3·42) pg/mg ALB). Besides, the 4th week AFB1-lys concentrations were significantly lower (P<0·05) with probiotic supplementation than with the placebo. Based on these findings, a longer intervention study is warranted to investigate the effects of continuous LcS consumption to prevent dietary aflatoxin exposure.

Aflatoxins in composite spices collected from local markets of Karachi, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Asghar, Muhammad Asif; Zahir, Erum; Rantilal, Summan; Ahmed, Aftab; Iqbal, Javed

2016-06-01

This survey was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of total aflatoxins (AFs; B1+B2+G1+G2) in unpacked composite spices. A total of 75 samples of composite spices such as biryani, karhai, tikka, nihari and korma masalas were collected from local markets of Karachi, Pakistan, and analysed using HPLC technique. The results indicated that AFs were detected in 77% (n = 58) samples ranging from 0.68 to 25.74 µg kg(-1) with a mean of 4.63 ± 0.95 µg kg(-1). In 88% (n = 66) samples, AFs level was below the maximum limits (ML = 10 µg kg(-1)) as imposed by EU. Furthermore, 61% (n = 46) tested samples contained AFs level between 1 and 10 µg kg(-1), 9% (n = 7) exhibited AFs contamination ranged 10-20 µg kg(-1) and only 3% (n = 2) of the investigated samples contained AFs levels higher than the ML of 20 µg kg(-1) for total aflatoxins as set by the USA. It was concluded that there is need to establish a strict and continuous national monitoring plan to improve safety and quality of spices in Pakistan.

Contamination profile of aflatoxin M1 residues in milk supply chain of Sindh, Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sana Jawaid

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 is a potent carcinogen, teratogen and mutagen found in the milk when lactating animals consume feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1. In the present study, the contamination of AFM1 was evaluated in the milk supply chain of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. For the broader profiling of targeted toxin, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA was used for the determination of AFM1 in both branded and non-branded milk samples. The results showed that 96.43% of samples (81 out of 84 were contaminated with AFM1 in the range of 0.01–0.76 μg/L. The average contamination level was 0.38 μg/L. The determined values of AFM1 in the collected milk samples were above the standard limit of the European Commission while 70% of the samples exceeded levels established by United States regulations. According to these results, the estimated daily intake of AFM1 for adults was determined as 3.1 ng/kg of body weight per day.

A Public Platform for the Verification of the Phenotypic Effect of Candidate Genes for Resistance to Aflatoxin Accumulation and Aspergillus flavus Infection in Maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xueyan Shan

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A public candidate gene testing pipeline for resistance to aflatoxin accumulation or Aspergillus flavus infection in maize is presented here. The pipeline consists of steps for identifying, testing, and verifying the association of selected maize gene sequences with resistance under field conditions. Resources include a database of genetic and protein sequences associated with the reduction in aflatoxin contamination from previous studies; eight diverse inbred maize lines for polymorphism identification within any maize gene sequence; four Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL mapping populations and one association mapping panel, all phenotyped for aflatoxin accumulation resistance and associated phenotypes; and capacity for Insertion/Deletion (InDel and SNP genotyping in the population(s for mapping. To date, ten genes have been identified as possible candidate genes and put through the candidate gene testing pipeline, and results are presented here to demonstrate the utility of the pipeline.

Rapid screening of aflatoxin B1 in beer by fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Beloglazova, N V; Eremin, S A

2015-09-01

This manuscript describes the development of a sensitive, fast and easily-performed fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in various beer samples, both lager and dark. The highest sensitivity was determined for six poly- and monoclonal antibodies selective towards aflatoxins. The sample pretreatment design was emphasized since beer samples are characterized by extremely diverse matrices. Herein, the choice of sorbent for effective removal of matrix interferences prior to analysis was crucial. The samples were diluted with a borate buffer solution containing 1% PEG 6000 and passed through the clean-up column packed with NH2-derivated silica. This sample pretreatment technique was perfectly suitable for the FPIA of lager beer samples, but for dark beer and ale it did not suffice. An artificial matrix was constructed to plot a calibration curve and quantify the results of the latter samples. The developed immunoassay was characterized by a limit of detection of 1 ng mL(-1). Apparent recovery values of 89-114% for lager and 80-125% for dark beer were established. The FPIA data for AFB1 was characterized by elevated linear regression coefficients, 0.9953 for spiked lager and 0.9895 for dark beer samples respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of Aspergillus spp. and aflatoxin B1 in Malaysian foods used for human consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Kasa R N; Farhana, Nazira I; Salleh, Baharuddin

2011-05-01

Malaysian population widely consumes the cereal-based foods, oilseeds, nuts, and spices in their daily diet. Mycotoxigenic fungi are well known to invade food products under storage conditions and produce mycotoxins that have threat to human and animal health. Therefore, determining toxigenic fungi and aflatoxin B(1) (AFB1) in foods used for human consumption is of prime importance to develop suitable management strategies and to minimize risk. Ninety-five food products marketed in Penang, Malaysia were randomly collected from different supermarkets and were analyzed for presence of Aspergillus spp. by agar plate assay and AFB1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A. flavus was the dominant fungi in all foods followed by A. niger. Fifty-five A. flavus strains were tested for their ability to produce aflatoxins on rice grain substrate. Thirty-six (65.4%) strains out of 55 produced AFB1 ranging from 1700 to 4400 μg/kg and 17 strains (31%) produced AFB2 ranging from 620 to 1670 μg/kg. Natural occurrence of AFB1 could be detected in 72.6% food products ranging from 0.54 to 15.33 μg/kg with a mean of 1.95 μg/kg. Maximum AFB1 levels were detected in peanut products ranging from 1.47 to 15.33 μg/kg. AFB1 levels detected in all food products were below the Malaysian permissible limits (<35 μg/kg). Aspergillus spp. and AFB1 was not detected in any cookies tested. Although this survey was not comprehensive, it provides valuable information on aflatoxin levels in foods marketed in Malaysia. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Asymmetric Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Based Biosensors for Aflatoxin M1 Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalyan, Tatevik; Guider, Romain; Pasquardini, Laura; Zanetti, Manuela; Falke, Floris; Schreuder, Erik; Heideman, Rene G; Pederzolli, Cecilia; Pavesi, Lorenzo

2016-01-06

In this work, we present a study of Aflatoxin M1 detection by photonic biosensors based on Si₃N₄ Asymmetric Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (aMZI) functionalized with antibodies fragments (Fab'). We measured a best volumetric sensitivity of 10⁴ rad/RIU, leading to a Limit of Detection below 5 × 10(-7) RIU. On sensors functionalized with Fab', we performed specific and non-specific sensing measurements at various toxin concentrations. Reproducibility of the measurements and re-usability of the sensor were also investigated.

Aflatoxin B1 Tolerance and Accumulation in Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) and Yellow Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor).

Science.gov (United States)

Bosch, Guido; Fels-Klerx, H J van der; Rijk, Theo C de; Oonincx, Dennis G A B

2017-06-02

Crops contaminated with fungal mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are often downgraded or removed from the food chain. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance and accumulation of AFB1 in two insect species to determine whether they could be used to retain condemned mycotoxin contaminated crops in the food chain. First, instar black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens , BSF) and yellow mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor , YMW) were fed poultry feed spiked with AFB1 and formulated to contain levels of 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, and up to 0.5 mg/kg dry feed. Poultry feed without any additions and feed with only the solvent added served as controls. The AFB1 in the feed did not affect survival and body weight in the BSF and YMW larvae ( p > 0.10), indicating a high tolerance to aflatoxin B1 in both species. Furthermore, AFB1 and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) were below the detection limit (0.10 µg/kg) in BSF larvae, whereas the YMW had AFB1 levels that were approximately 10% of the European Union's legal limit for feed materials and excreted AFM1. It is concluded that both BSF larvae and YMW have a high AFB1 tolerance and do not accumulate AFB1.

The Aspergillus flavus Spermidine Synthase (spds Gene, Is Required for Normal Development, Aflatoxin Production, and Pathogenesis During Infection of Maize Kernels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajtilak Majumdar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus flavus is a soil-borne saprophyte and an opportunistic pathogen of both humans and plants. This fungus not only causes disease in important food and feed crops such as maize, peanut, cottonseed, and tree nuts but also produces the toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites (SMs known as aflatoxins. Polyamines (PAs are ubiquitous polycations that influence normal growth, development, and stress responses in living organisms and have been shown to play a significant role in fungal pathogenesis. Biosynthesis of spermidine (Spd is critical for cell growth as it is required for hypusination-mediated activation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A, and other biochemical functions. The tri-amine Spd is synthesized from the diamine putrescine (Put by the enzyme spermidine synthase (Spds. Inactivation of spds resulted in a total loss of growth and sporulation in vitro which could be partially restored by addition of exogenous Spd. Complementation of the Δspds mutant with a wild type (WT A. flavus spds gene restored the WT phenotype. In WT A. flavus, exogenous supply of Spd (in vitro significantly increased the production of sclerotia and SMs. Infection of maize kernels with the Δspds mutant resulted in a significant reduction in fungal growth, sporulation, and aflatoxin production compared to controls. Quantitative PCR of Δspds mutant infected seeds showed down-regulation of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes in the mutant compared to WT A. flavus infected seeds. Expression analyses of PA metabolism/transport genes during A. flavus-maize interaction showed significant increase in the expression of arginine decarboxylase (Adc and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (Samdc genes in the maize host and PA uptake transporters in the fungus. The results presented here demonstrate that Spd biosynthesis is critical for normal development and pathogenesis of A. flavus and pre-treatment of a Δspds mutant with Spd or Spd uptake from the

Expression of a Human Cytochrome P450 in Yeast Permits Analysis of Pathways for Response to and Repair of Aflatoxin-Induced DNA Damage†

OpenAIRE

Guo, Yingying; Breeden, Linda L.; Zarbl, Helmut; Preston, Bradley D.; Eaton, David L.

2005-01-01

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a human hepatotoxin and hepatocarcinogen produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus. In humans, AFB1 is primarily bioactivated by cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) and 3A4 to a genotoxic epoxide that forms N7-guanine DNA adducts. A series of yeast haploid mutants defective in DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints were transformed with human CYP1A2 to investigate how these DNA adducts are repaired. Cell survival and mutagenesis following aflatoxin B1 treatment was assayed in str...

Labelling aflatoxine-B1 by radioactive iodine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.S.; Park, K.B.; Sung, H.K.; Ryu, Y.W.

1977-01-01

Labelling aflatoxines, the potential carcinogenic compounds, by radioactive iodine has been studied. The auflatoxine-B 1 , which is known to be the most abundant components of auflatoxines in the nature, was labelled by radioactive iodine-125 through an acid catalyst chloroamine-T procedure. The radiochemical yield was amounted to 63.6%. The chemical structure of the labelled product was proved to be 6-iodo 5-methoxy coumarine structure of auflatoxine-B 1 molecule by means of I.R. and N.M.R. spectroscopy. The labelled product was orally administered in a test animal (rat) and examined the accumulation of radioactivity in the body at the definite time interval. The accumulation of the radioactivity was pronounced at the blood and the liver. There was no indication of the decomposition of auflatoxine-B 1 - 125 I in the organs of the test animal. (author)

Adição de bentonita sódica como adsorvente de aflatoxinas em rações de frangos de corte Utilization of sodium bentonite as adsorbent of aflatoxins in broiler feed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juarez Morbini Lopes

2006-10-01

Full Text Available A presença de micotoxinas nas matérias-primas, principalmente no milho utilizado para rações para aves, é uma das maiores preocupações atuais devido aos danos causados por essa substâmcia não só aos animais, mas também aos produtores e às empresas do setor avícola. Considerando a utilização de adsorvente ou seqüestrante na ração para minimizar os efeitos deletérios, realizou-se um experimento para avaliar o efeito da adição de um adsorvente, baseado em bentonita sódica, na ração de frangos de corte, a fim de reduzir os efeitos de aflatoxinas. Foram utilizados 960 pintos Cobb de um dia de idade, distribuídos em oito repetições de 20 animais nos tratamentos: T1=sem aflatoxina;T2=3mg kg-1 de aflatoxina;T3=sem aflatoxina+0,5% de bentonita; T4=3mg kg-1 de aflatoxina+0,1% de bentonita; T5=3mg kg-1 de aflatoxina+0,3% de bentonita e T6=3mg kg-1 de aflatoxina+0,5% de bentonita. O consumo alimentar, o peso corporal e a conversão alimentar foram afetados pela presença da toxina na ração. A adição de bentonita sódica na ração sem aflatoxina não causou nenhum efeito depressivo nas aves. Nos tratamentos que continham 3mg kg-1 de aflatoxinas, a adição do adsorvente promoveu um melhor desempenho das aves, sendo que 0,3% de adição de bentonita apresentou melhores resultados.High concentrations of micotoxins in raw materials, mainly in corn used in poultry rations of food, is an important subject of study due to hazardous problems not only to the animals themselves but also to the producer and to the poultry industry due to the reduction of performance by aflatoxins. Taking into account the lack of efficient tecnique for its elimination, from the feed, an adsorbent was added to the diets in order to reduce the effects of aflatoxins. Nine hundred sixty day old Cobb chicks, distributed in 8 replicates of 20 birds per pen the following treatments: T1=No aflatoxin; T2=3mg kg-1 of aflatoxin; T3=no aflatoxin+0.5% of bentonite; T

Degradation of Aflatoxin B1 during the Fermentation of Alcoholic Beverages

OpenAIRE

Inoue, Tomonori; Nagatomi, Yasushi; Uyama, Atsuo; Mochizuki, Naoki

2013-01-01

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a contaminant of grain and fruit and has one of the highest levels of carcinogenicity of any natural toxin. AFB1 and the fungi that produce it can also contaminate the raw materials used for beer and wine manufacture, such as corn and grapes. Therefore, brewers must ensure strict monitoring to reduce the risk of contamination. In this study, the fate of AFB1 during the fermentation process was investigated using laboratory-scale bottom and top beer fermentation and wine...

The Relationship between Lameness, Fertility and Aflatoxin in a Dairy Cattle Herd

OpenAIRE

ÖZSOY, Serhat; ALTUNATMAZ, Kemal

2005-01-01

This study was carried out to determine the relationship between aflatoxins taken with feed, laminitis, lameness and impaired fertility. Lesions were identified in the claw and hock region, causing lameness in 45 cattle in an establishment of 300 Holstein dairy cattle. Of these lame cattle, 27 had cystic ovaries and 10 had cystic ovaries together with clinical metritis. The increase in lameness and fertility problems occurring in this herd, living under the same management and feeding conditi...

The impact of low concentrations of aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol or fumonisin in diets on growing pigs and poultry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dersjant-Li, Y.; Verstegen, M.W.A.; Gerrits, W.J.J.

2003-01-01

In the present review, the quantitative impact of dietary aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin concentrations on performance of pigs and broilers is evaluated, with special emphasis on low concentrations of these toxins. Also, responses in performance of pigs and broilers to these three

Use of sunlight to partially detoxify groundnut (peanut) cake flour and casein contaminated with aflatoxin B1.

Science.gov (United States)

Shantha, T; Murthy, V S

1981-03-01

Sunlight destroyed 83 and 50% of the toxin added to casein and groundnut cake flour, respectively. Equilibrium dialysis revealed that both casein and groundnut protein bind aflatoxin but the toxin bound to casein appeared more photo-labile than that bound to groundnut protein.

Natural incidence of aflatoxins, mycological profile and molecular characterization of aflatoxigenic strains in chickpea flour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mushtaq, S.; Akram, A.; Qureshi, R.

2015-01-01

The mycological profile of retail chickpea flour (locall called Baisan), sold in the markets in the Rawalpindi district was studied. All the samples were tested for the contamination with aflatoxins. A total of 13 fungal species isolated from the flour and out of which, Aspergillus flavus was recorded the most common species (100%), followed by Rhizopus oryzea (50%), Aspergillus niger (40%), Penicilium digitatum (30%), Cladosporium cladosporoides, Fusarium oxysporium, Mucor recemosus, M. petrinsularis and Rhizopus arrhizus (20% each), Aspergillus oryzea, Botritus cinerea, Mucor circineloides and Penicillium sp. (10% each). Aflatoxin B1 was found in only 20% of the samples ranging from 3.03-4.24ppb. The molecular characterization was carried out by using PCR using simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers. The SSR amplification pattern clearly showed the genetic variability among the 10 strains of A. flavus. A dendrogram was generated through MVSP software program. Genotype AF04 was most diverse among all genotypes. The similarity value was ranged between 0.538 (53.8%)-0.938 (93.8%). (author)

Aflatoxin B1: Mechanism of mutagenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina M. Santella

2007-02-01

Full Text Available

Aflatoxins are a group of toxic and carcinogenic fungal metabolites that frequently contaminate corn, peanuts and other products. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, the most potent of these, is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system into a number of hydroxylated metabolites and glutathione conjugates in the process of conversion to more hydrophilic forms for urinary excretion. Unfortunately, one of these metabolites is the aflatoxin-8,9-epoxide that is produced in two forms, endo and exo. Glutathione S-transferases (GST are able to conjugate and detoxify this reactive intermediate. Species differences in susceptibility to the effects of AFB1 are partially related to differences in expression of specific GSTs that are able to conjugate the epoxide to glutathione. The exo epoxide is able to intercalate into DNA and this is followed by reaction of the C8 position of the epoxide with the N7 position of guanine.

NMR studies of oligonucleotide duplexes containing the adduct have demonstrated that the adduct exists with the aromatic portion intercalated on the 5' face of the guanine residue with Watson-Crick base pairing maintained.

However, this covalent adduct is chemically unstable due to the charge on the ribose ring. As a result, the guanine can be released from the DNA leaving an apurinic site. This released guanine adduct can be detected in the urine and serves as a biomarker of exposure to AFB1. Alternatively, the ribose ring opens forming a stable formamidopyrimidine (FAPY adduct. This adduct somewhat stabilizes the DNA duplex. Time course studies in animals have demonstrated that the N7 adduct is rapidly removed, probably because it causes more distortion in the helix, while the FAPY adduct is more

A Study on the Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 in Raw and Pasteurized Milk Produced in Rafsanjan, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FaAkrami Mohajeri Akrami Mohajeri

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Aflatoxins, known as causative factors of hepatic and extra-hepatic carcinogenesis within humans, are extremely teratogenic, mutagenic, toxic, and carcinogenic compounds. Materials & Methods: This study was undertaken to determine the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 in 40 raw milk and 47 pasteurized milk samples collected during spring and winter. In order to analyze the samples, the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA procedure was used. The statistical methods used in this study were based on normal confidence intervals and analysis of variance (ANOVA. Results: Aflatoxin M1 was detected in 97.5% of the raw milk ranging from 6.52 to 68.17 ng/l and 95.7% of the pasteurized milk, ranging from 0.8 to 58.13 ng/l. Toxin levels in 10% of the raw milk and 2.1% of the pasteurized milk samples exceeded the Iranian national standard limit i.e. 50 ng/l.  Due to seasonal variations, mean concentration of AFM1 in the samples collected in winter was significantly (P < 0.03 higher than those collected in the summer. Conclusion: Large amount of AFM1 in milk samples might be a potential hazard for the public health. Reducing the levels of AFB1 in animal feedstuffs can be regarded as the initial step to control the transfer of AFM1 to humans.

Aflatoxin B1 and sterigmatocystin survey in beer sold in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yarong; Huang, Jianxiang; Ma, Liyan; Liu, Shuai; Wang, Fuhua

2017-03-01

A total of 101 samples of beer from the Chinese market were analysed for the presence of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) and sterigmatocystin (STC), using methods based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification and the limit of detection in beer were 0.1 and 0.03 µg/kg, respectively. Recoveries of AFB 1 and STC from spiked beer samples were 97.8-103.6% and 92.7-102.1%, respectively. None of the beer purchased samples were contaminated with AFB 1 or STC.

Green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using pomegranate peel and inhibitory effects of the nanoparticles on aflatoxin production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monira, A.O.; Mohammad, M.A.; Ashraf, H.A.

2017-01-01

In this work, pomegranate peel has been used as a natural and safe method for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was confirmed using UV spectroscopy, which showed a peak around a wavelength of 437 nm. The morphology showed spherical and monodispersed nanoparticles with a size range between 5-50 nm. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments revealed their crystalline nature. Active functional groups in the synthesized silver nanoparticles were determined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers contained four bands at 3281.21 cm/sup -1/, possibly indicating the participationof O-H functional group. The peak take place at 1,636.22 cm/sup -1/ may be pointed to C = N bending in the amide group or C = O stretching in carboxyl. Transfer in this peak (from 1,641 to 1,643 cm/sup -1/) shown the possible role of amino groups or carboxyl in nanoparticle synthesis. The peaks at 431.95 and 421.28 cm/sup -1/ be related to AgNPs bonding with oxygen from hydroxyl groups which confirm the role of pomegranate peel as a reducing agent. Furthermore, we investigated effects of these nanoparticles on aflatoxin B1 production by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, isolated from hazelnut. The results found that aflatoxin production in all A. flavus isolates decreased with an increase in the concentration of silver nanoparticles. Maximum suppression of aflatoxin production was recorded at a nanoparticle concentration of 150 ppm. (author)

Aflatoxin M1 in Pasteurized Milk in Babol city, Mazandaran Province, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Sefidgar, Saa; Mirzae, M; Assmar, M; Naddaf, Sr

2011-01-01

Aflatoxin M(1) (AFM(1)) is the metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB(1)) and is found in milk when lactating animals are fed with contaminated feedstuff. The presence of AFM(1) in milk, pose a major risk for humans especially kids as it can have immunosuppressive, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The present study is aimed to investigate the occurrence of AFM(1) in subsidized pasteurized milk in Babol, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Some 72 pasteurized milk packages were collected from supermarkets in various districts of city during January to March 2006. Milk samples were centrifuged and amounts of 100 μl of skimmed milk were tested for AFM(1) contamination by competitive ELISA. All the samples (100%) exhibited contamination with AFM(1). The contamination levels means in January, February, and March were 227.85, 229.64, and 233.1ng/l, respectively. The amount of AFM(1) in all the samples were above 50ng/l, the threshold set by the European community regulations. Monitoring of AFM(1) level should be part of quality control procedures in dairy factories, particularly the ones providing infant's milk. Production of safer and healthier milk and other dairy products with minimum AFM(1) level can be achieved by adopting prophylactic measures including control of humidity and water content of feedstuff, which favors mould production.

Development of a simplified densitometer for the determination of aflatoxins by thin-layer chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Stroka, J; Anklam, E

2000-12-29

A simple, miniaturised and low power consuming (battery, fully semiconductor based) detector cell (SeBaDeC) was developed for the densitometric measurement of aflatoxins on TLC plates. A UV-light emitting diode (UV-LED) with a peak emission wavelength of 370 nm was used for fluorescence excitation, while a photo diode with a peak sensitivity of 440 nm in combination with a 418 nm cut-off filter was applied for detecting the fluorescence intensity. The resulting signal was further amplified by means of a commonly used operational amplifier integrated circuit (OA) and directly converted into a digital signal with a simple analogue-digital-converter (ADC). This signal was recorded at the serial (RS232) port of a portable PC and processed with a spreadsheet program. The software used for data recording is freeware and available in its source code, and the long lifetime of the UV-LED (up to 10 000 h) permits a maintenance free application of this device. This simplified device has shown to be able to detect concentrations of aflatoxins of 1 ng, thus offering a cheap and sensitive alternative to currently available TCL scanners.

Mycoflora and aflatoxin/fumonisin production by fungal isolates from freshly harvested corn hybrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almeida Adriana P.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The mycoflora of 3 hybrids of freshly harvested corn grains collected from three regions of the state of São Paulo, Brazil (Assis, Capão Bonito and Ribeirão Preto was investigated. A total of 66 samples were analyzed focusing on the influence of abiotic factors (moisture content, water activity, temperature and rainfall on both the prevalence of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium moniliforme, and the ability of these genera isolates to produce aflatoxins and fumonisins, respectively. In the three surveyed regions, the fungal population comprised mainly Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp. and 2 others filamentous fungal genera, which were isolated from corn kernels showing water activity of 0.30 to 0.99 and moisture content of 5.0% to 20.2%. Among the genera Fusarium and Aspergillus, the most frequent species were F. moniliforme and A. flavus, respectively. Concerning the toxigenic potential of F. moniliforme, all isolated strains (40 produced fumonisins at 20 mug/g to 2168 mug/g (FB1 and/or 10 mug/g to 380 mug/g (FB2. From the 10 A. flavus isolates, 6 strains (60.0% produced aflatoxins at 615 mug/kg to 30.750 mug/kg (AFB1 and/or 11 mug/kg to 22 mug/kg (AFB2.

Sensitive and rapid detection of aflatoxin M1 in milk utilizing enhanced SPR and p(HEMA) brushes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Karczmarczyk, A.; Dubiak-Szepietowska, M.; Vorobii, Mariia; Rodriguez-Emmenegger, Cesar; Dostálek, J.; Feller, K.-H.

2016-01-01

Roč. 81, 15 July (2016), s. 159-165 ISSN 0956-5663 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GJ15-09368Y Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : surface plasmon resonance * aflatoxin * polymer brushes Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 7.780, year: 2016

Enhanced depletion of glutathione and increased liver oxidative damage in aflatoxin-fed mice infected with Plasmodium berghei

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ankrah, N A; Sittie, A; Addo, P G

1995-01-01

levels accompanied by a significant increase in serum cholinesterase and liver malonic dialdehyde levels in the mice fed aflatoxin compared with those in the control group. The results suggested that malaria parasites can enhance depletion of host glutathione and oxidative damage of the liver in mice fed...

LAMP-based group specific detection of aflatoxin producers within Aspergillus section Flavi in food raw materials, spices, and dried fruit using neutral red for visible-light signal detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Niessen, Ludwig; Bechtner, Julia; Fodil, Sihem; Taniwaki, Marta H; Vogel, Rudi F

2018-02-02

Aflatoxins can be produced by 21 species within sections Flavi (16 species), Ochraceorosei (2), and Nidulantes (3) of the fungal genus Aspergillus. They pose risks to human and animal health due to high toxicity and carcinogenicity. Detecting aflatoxin producers can help to assess toxicological risks associated with contaminated commodities. Species specific molecular assays (PCR and LAMP) are available for detection of major producers, but fail to detect species of minor importance. To enable rapid and sensitive detection of several aflatoxin producing species in a single analysis, a nor1 gene-specific LAMP assay was developed. Specificity testing showed that among 128 fungal species from 28 genera, 15 aflatoxigenic species in section Flavi were detected, including synonyms of A. flavus and A. parasiticus. No cross reactions were found with other tested species. The detection limit of the assay was 9.03pg of A. parasiticus genomic DNA per reaction. Visual detection of positive LAMP reactions under daylight conditions was facilitated using neutral red to allow unambiguous distinction between positive and negative assay results. Application of the assay to the detection of A. parasiticus conidia revealed a detection limit of 211 conidia per reaction after minimal sample preparation. The usefulness of the assay was demonstrated in the analysis of aflatoxinogenic species in samples of rice, nuts, raisins, dried figs, as well as powdered spices. Comparison of LAMP results with presence/absence of aflatoxins and aflatoxin producing fungi in 50 rice samples showed good correlation between these parameters. Our study suggests that the developed LAMP assay is a rapid, sensitive and user-friendly tool for surveillance and quality control in our food industry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂ in corn powder, edible oil, peanut butter, and soy sauce by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry utilizing turbulent flow chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Sufang; Li, Qiang; Zhang, Xiaoguang; Cui, Xiaobin; Zhang, Dongsheng; Zhang, Yan

2015-05-01

A novel fully automated method based on dual column switching using turbulent flow chromatography followed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of aflatoxin B1 , B2 , G1 , and G2 in corn powder, edible oil, peanut butter, and soy sauce samples. After ultrasound-assisted extraction, samples were directly injected to the chromatographic system and the analytes were concentrated into the clean-up loading column. Through purge switching, the analytes were transferred to the analytical column for subsequent detection by mass spectrometry. Different types of TurboFlow(TM) columns, transfer flow rate, transfer time were optimized. The limits of detection and quantification of this method ranged between 0.2-2.0 and 0.5-4.0 μg/kg for aflatoxins in different matrixes, respectively. Recoveries of aflatoxins were in range of 83-108.1% for all samples, matrix effects were in range of 34.1-104.7%. The developed method has been successfully applied in the analysis of aflatoxin B1 , B2 , G1 , and G2 in real samples. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Yeast cell based feed additives: Studies on aflatoxin B1 and zearalenone

OpenAIRE

2011-01-01

Abstract Thirty commercially available yeast cell wall products and two reference bentonites were tested for their ability to bind aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZON) in buffer solutions at pH 3 and pH 6.5 as well as in real gastric juice. For most products, the binding efficacy of AFB1 correlated with the ash content which was between 2.6 and 89% and constituted the inorganic non-volatile components, like mineral clays, of the samples. Samples with smectite as main ash compo...

detection of aflatoxin M1 contamination in milk for Syrian market using ELISA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghanem, I.; Orfi, M.

2008-01-01

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is the hydroxylated metabolite of a biotransformation process of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) which is produced in food and feed by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. paraciticus. AFM1 has been shown to be excreted in milk following exposure to AFB1 contaminated feed. Since milk is consumed in large quantities by human populations, particularly among infants and young children the occurrence of AFM1 in this product is constitutes and health hazard since it is carcinogenic and has been listed as Class 2B carcinogen. The occurrence of AFM1 in milk samples from the Syrian market was investigated by the competitive ELISA technique. A total of 126 samples consisting of fresh cow milk (74), locally processed pasteurized cow milk (10), sheep milk (23), goat milk (11) and powdered milk and infant formula (8) showed that the incidence of contamination, i.e. above the detection limit of the ELISA assay, was 80%. 18% of the tested samples contained higher than the acceptable level of AFM1 adopted in Syria, which is 200 ng/kg; whereas, 17% and 54% of all tested samples contained AFM1 higher than the acceptable level in the US, (500 ng/kg) and in the European Union (50 ng/kg), respectively. The range of contamination with AFM1 was higher in cow milk samples than in sheep milk and goat milk samples. 30% of the analyzed cow fresh milk samples contained levels of AFM1 exceeding that of the European Communities (Codex Alimentarius) recommended limits (50 ng/l); whereas, 13% of the analyzed sheep milk samples (23) exceeded the latter limit, and only 9% of the analyzed goat milk samples exceeded same limit. Pasteurized milk, which is collected from various locations, showed particularly high level of contamination, with 80% and 50% of tested samples showing levels of contamination higher than the European and US acceptable levels, respectively. Powdered milk and infant formula, which are imported and only dispensed locally, were free of contamination. The above result

Use of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid as electron donating compound in a potentiometric aflatoxin M1-immunosensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rameil, Steffen; Schubert, Peter; Grundmann, Peter; Dietrich, Richard; Maertlbauer, Erwin

2010-01-01

We developed a potentiometric aflatoxin M 1 -immunosensor which utilizes 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (p-HPPA) as electron donating compound for horseradish peroxidase (HRP; EC 1.11.1.7). The assay system consists of a polypyrrole-surface-working electrode coated with a polyclonal anti-M 1 antibody (pAb-AFM 1 ), a Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a HRP-aflatoxin B 1 conjugate (HRP-AFB 1 conjugate). To optimize the potentiometric measuring system p-HPPA as well as related compounds serving as electron donating compounds were compared. Also the influence of different buffer systems, varying pH and substrate concentrations on signal intensity was investigated. Our results suggest that reaction conditions that favor the formation of Pummerer's type ketones lead to an increase in signal intensity rather than formation of fluorescent dye. Comparison with commercial ready-to-use HRP electron donating compounds such as 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), o-phenylenediamine (OPD) or 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) showed that only 34%, 77% and 49% of the signal intensity of p-HPPA were reached, respectively. The optimized assay had a detection limit of 40 pg mL -1 and allowed detection of 500 pg mL -1 (FDA action limit) aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) in pasteurized milk and UHT-milk containing 0.3-3.8% fat within 10 min without any sample treatment. The working range was between 250 and 2000 pg mL -1 AFM 1 .

Radiation degradation of biological waste (aflatoxins) produced in food laboratory; Degradacao por radiacao de residuos biologicos (aflatoxinas) produzidos em laboratorio de alimentos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogovschi, Vladimir Dias

2009-07-01

Many filamentous fungi can produce secondary metabolites, called mycotoxins, which can be found in food and agricultural products. One of the main genera of myco toxigenic fungi related to the food chain is the Aspergillus spp. There are over 400 mycotoxins described in the literature, the most common the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2. The mycotoxins are commonly found in foods and are considered one of the most dangerous contaminants. The aflatoxin B1 is classified in group one by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. Aflatoxins resisting for more than one hour in autoclave making it necessary to other means of degradation of these toxins. This work aimed to observe the effects of gamma radiation of {sup 60}Co and electron beams in the degradation of aflatoxins and compare the damage caused on the morphology of the Aspergillus flavus. The fungus was grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) for 10 days and was subsequently transferred to coconut agar medium, and maintained for 14 days at 25 degree C. After this step the coconut agar was ground to become a homogeneous pasty and was irradiated with doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 kGy. The samples used in scanning electron microscopy were irradiated with doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 kGy with sources of {sup 60}Co and electron beams. Irradiation with electron accelerator showed a slightly higher degradation to gamma radiation, reducing 29.93 %, 34.50 %, 52.63 % and 72.30 % for doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 kGy, respectively. The Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that doses of 2.5 to 10 kGy did not cause damage to the fungus, but with a dose of 20 kGy it can be observed fungal damage to structures. (author)

Potential producers of aflatoxin in working environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jesenska, Z.; Polakova, O.; Polster, M.; Koskova, L.; Vaszilkova, A.

1981-01-01

It has been investigated the amount of the viable germs of A. flavus in the environment of the food-stuff establishment, where peanuts and hazel nuts, almonds, crushed coconuts, tea and other food-stuffs, imported from tropical and subtropical countries, were processed and packed. In the air of the store-hall have occurred the most 3.73 x 10(2) and in the air of the working-halls, where they were manipulating with food-stuffs - the most 6.2 x 10(3) germs of A. flavus/m3. From the samples of the sedimented dust were isolated at least 0.4 x 10(1), the most 1.3 x 10(4) colonies of A. flavus/g. From 57 investigated strains produced aflatoxin B1 64.9%. The authors are discussing about a professional risk for the workers of some establishments during the manipulation with food-stuffs or feeds, which are contaminated with germs of toxinogenic moulds and with mycotoxins.

Aflatoxin B1 Detoxification by Aspergillus oryzae from Meju, a Traditional Korean Fermented Soybean Starter.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyu Ri; Yang, Sun Min; Cho, Sung Min; Kim, Myunghee; Hong, Sung-Yong; Chung, Soo Hyun

2016-11-04

Aflatoxins are classified as Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In this study, a total of 134 fungal strains were isolated from 65 meju samples, and two fungal isolates were selected as potential aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁)-biodetoxification fungi. These fungi were identified as Aspergillus oryzae MAO103 and A. oryzae MAO104 by sequencing the beta-tubulin gene. The two A. oryzae strains were able to degrade more than 90% of AFB1 (initial concentration: 40 µg/L) in a culture broth in 14 days. The mutagenic effects of AFB₁ treated with A. oryzae MAO103 and MAO104 significantly decreased to 5.7% and 6.4%, respectively, in the frame-shift mutation of Ames tests using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. The base-substituting mutagenicity of AFB₁ was also decreased by the two fungi. Moreover, AFB1 production by A. flavus was significantly decreased by the two A. oryzae strains on soybean-based agar plates. Our data suggest that the two AFB1-detoxification A. oryzae strains have potential application to control AFB₁ in foods and feeds.

Oxidative Role of Aflatoxin B1 on the Liver of Wheat Milling Workers

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Amal Saad-Hussein

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Aim: The study aimed to estimate oxidative role of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 on the liver in wheat milling workers. Materials and Methods: Case-control study was conducted to compare between the levels of AFB1/albumin (AFB1/alb, liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP, P53, MDA, GST, SOD, zinc and vitamin C in 35 wheat milling workers and 40 control subjects. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, P53, MDA, GST and SOD in workers were significantly elevated compared to their controls. In the milling workers, there were significant correlations between MDA levels and the levels of AST, GGT, and P53, while, P53 was inversely correlated with GST and SOD activities. There were significant correlations between Zn levels and GGT, GST and SOD activities, between vitamin C and GST activities, and vitamin C inversely correlated with MDA. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the oxidative stress of AFB1 elevated the MDA and the liver enzymes in wheat milling workers. GST has a crucial role in the detoxification of aflatoxin and SOD as a scavenger antioxidant increased in the workers to overcome the oxidative toxic effects of AFB1 on the liver of the workers, and roles of Zn and vitamin C were significant in activation of these processes.

Variation in the Microbiome, Trichothecenes, and Aflatoxins in Stored Wheat Grains in Wuhan, China

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Qing-Song Yuan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Contamination by fungal and bacterial species and their metabolites can affect grain quality and health of wheat consumers. In this study, sequence analyses of conserved DNA regions of fungi and bacteria combined with determination of trichothecenes and aflatoxins revealed the microbiome and mycotoxins of wheat from different silo positions (top, middle, and bottom and storage times (3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The fungal community in wheat on the first day of storage (T0 included 105 classified species (81 genera and 41 unclassified species. Four species had over 10% of the relative abundance: Alternaria alternata (12%, Filobasidium floriforme (27%, Fusarium graminearum (12%, and Wallemia sebi (12%. Fungal diversity and relative abundance of Fusarium in wheat from top silo positions were significantly lower than at other silo positions during storage. Nivalenol and deoxynivalenol in wheat were 13–34% higher in all positions at 3 months compared to T0, and mycotoxins in wheat from middle and bottom positions at 6 to 12 months were 24–57% higher than at T0. The relative abundance of toxigenic Aspergillus and aflatoxins were low at T0 and during storage. This study provides information on implementation and design of fungus and mycotoxin management strategies as well as prediction models.

Effect of antioxidants treatments to control hazard of radiation exposure and food aflatoxin contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel Rahman, N.A

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective role of diadezin and/or lycopene (prolonged administration) against biochemical and histopathological changes in male rats exposed to gamma radiation and / or aflatoxin B1.Irradiated rats were whole body exposed to fractionated 8 Gy γradiations (4 x 2 Gy, every other day). Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)exposed rats were received 10μg/kg body weight for 7 consecutive days. Daidzein delivered to rats via stomach tube at a concentration of 63 mg/kg body weight/day. Whereas lycopene was ingested at a concentration of 10 mg/kg body weight/day. Animals were sacrificed on the 1 st day post the last irradiation dose. The results obtained showed that irradiation and/or AFB1 induced significant change in blood enzymes (alanine aminotransferase; ALT and aspartate aminotransferase; AST) activity as well as in the level of serum cholesterol. triglycerides, phospholipids, uric acid, urea, creatinine, total proteins and albumin. These changes were accompanied with a significant alteration in the antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase; SOD, catalase; CAT activity and glutathione concentration; GSH) and a significant increase in the peroxidation processes (TBARS). In addition , the histological investigation displayed remarkable changes in liver photomicrographs compared to the sections of liver in control rats.

PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS, PESTICIDE RESIDUE AND AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION OF COLD PRESSED PUMPKIN SEED (Cucurbita pepo L. OILS FROM CENTRAL ANATOLIA REGION OF TURKEY

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FATMA NUR ARSLAN

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, physicochemical characteristics, pesticide residues and aflatoxin contaminations of cold pressed pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo L. oils cultivated in four different central Anatolia regions of Turkey, were investigated. Lab-scale screw press machine was used to produce cold pressed pumpkin seed oils and the oil contents were found between 42.8%−47.4% for naked seeds. The physicochemical characteristic (refractive index, viscosity, color value, triglyceride profile analysis, peroxide value, iodine value, free fatty acid, saponification number, unsaponified matter, specific extinction values at 232 and 270 nm of cold pressed oils were determined by using different analytical techniques. The results showed that there was a non-significant difference between cold pressed pumpkin seed oils from different regions, in terms of physicochemical characteristics. The contents of pesticide residue and aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 contamination were determined by using validated UHPLC-MS/MS method. The chlorpyrifos pesticide residue was detected under the limit value declared by official authorities for the quality assessment of edible oils. Aflatoxins weren’t detected in any of studied pumpkin seed oils. Therefore, in food industry the positive effect of screw-pressing application could be useful for preservation of bioactive compounds during edible oil production and also enhancing of their functional properties.

Effect of various surfactants (cationic, anionic and non-ionic) on the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus (NRRL 2999) in relation to aflatoxin production.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanuja, Kosuri; Hemalatha, K; Karuna, Rupula; Sashidhar Rao, B

2010-08-01

The effect of surfactants (two cationic, one anionic and three non-ionic) at 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 % concentrations on aflatoxin production, ergosterol content and sugar consumption by Aspergillus parasiticus (NRRL 2999) in YES liquid culture medium is reported. At 0.01% concentration, the cationic surfactants, cetyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (CDAB) and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB), and the anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), completely inhibited spore germination, while DTAB also inhibited the production of ergosterol and toxin (p lauryl ether (Brij-35) and ethoxylated p-tert-octylphenol (Triton X-100) delayed the spore germination up to day 5 at all concentrations and inhibited toxin and ergosterol production at 0.001% concentration. The affect was found to be dose-dependent from 0.001% to 1%, for Triton X-100 only. Positive correlation between ergosterol content and toxin production in the presence of different surfactants at various time periods (3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 days) was found. Tween-20 was most effective in inhibiting toxin production on day 7, when aflatoxin production was found to be maximal in control group. Sugar consumption was directly proportional to the ergosterol content, showing a significant correlation with aflatoxin production.

Development of an Ultrasonication-Assisted Extraction Based HPLC With a Fluorescence Method for Sensitive Determination of Aflatoxins in Highly Acidic Hibiscus sabdariffa.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofei; Ying, Guangyao; Sun, Chaonan; Yang, Meihua; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Shanshan; Xing, Xiaoyan; Li, Qian; Kong, Weijun

2018-01-01

The high acidity and complex components of Hibiscus sabdariffa have provided major challenges for sensitive determination of trace aflatoxins. In this study, sample pretreatment of H. sabdariffa was systematically developed for sensitive high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) after ultrasonication-assisted extraction, immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up and on-line post-column photochemical derivatization (PCD). Aflatoxins B 1 , B 2 , G 1 , G 2 were extracted from samples by using methanol/water (70:30, v/v ) with the addition of NaCl. The solutions were diluted 1:8 with 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) to negate the issues of high acidity and matrix interferences. The established method was validated with satisfactory linearity ( R > 0.999), sensitivity (limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) of 0.15-0.65 and 0.53-2.18 μg/kg, respectively), precision (RSD sabdariffa samples indicated that one sample incubated with Aspergillus flavus was positive with aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) at 3.11 μg/kg. The strategy developed in this study also has the potential to reliably extract and sensitively detect more mycotoxins in other complex acidic matrices, such as traditional Chinese medicines, foodstuffs, etc.

Immunotoxicity of ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1 in combination is associated with the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway in 3D4/21 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Lili; Gan, Fang; Zhou, Xuan; Zhou, Yajiao; Qian, Gang; Liu, Zixuan; Huang, Kehe

2018-05-01

The co-contamination of cereals, grains, crops, and animal feeds by mycotoxins is a universal problem. Humans and animals are exposed to several mycotoxins simultaneously as evidenced by extensive studies on this topic. Yet, most studies have addressed the effects of mycotoxins individually. Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A can induce immunotoxicity. However, it remains unclear whether a combination of these mycotoxins aggravates immunotoxicity and the potential mechanism underlying this effect. In this study, we used the cell line 3D4/21, swine alveolus macrophages and innate immune cell. The results showed that the percentage of cell inhibition, annexin V/PI-positive rates, and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6) significantly increased and the release of lactate dehydrogenase and phagocytotic index were significantly decreased at different concentrations of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A combination when compared with control. The combination of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A significantly decreased the production of GSH and increased reactive oxygen species level. However, N-acetylcysteine suppressed the oxidative stress and alleviated the immunotoxicity induced by the combination. The combination of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A markedly enhanced the degradation of IκBa, the phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (p65), and the translocation of activated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) into the nuclei as demonstrated by western blotting and confocal laser scanning microscopy. These effects could be reversed by BAY 11-7082, a specific inhibitor of NF-κB. Taken together, a combination of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A could aggravate immunotoxicity by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ASPERGILLUS FLA VUS INFECTION AND AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN PEANUTS AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THE DELIVERY CHAINS IN CIANJUR REGENCY, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

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OKKY SETYAWATI DHARMAPUTRA

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A survey to obtain information on pre- and postharvest handling of peanuts at farmer, collector, wholesaler and retailer levels, including Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin BI contamination of peanuts collected in Cianjur regency, West Java, was conducted during the harvest period of the wet season of February 2004. The moisture contents and physical qualities of the peanuts were also determined. Thirteen and 40 dry pod samples were collected randomly from 12 farmers and 23 co llectors, respectively. Seven dry kernel samples were also collected from collectors. Five and 45 dry kernel samples were collected randomly from 2 wholesalers and 45 retailers in traditional markets, resp ectively. Thus, a total of 110 dry peanut pod and kernel samples were collected. The results of interviews with farmers, collectors, wholes alers and retailers, and also the moisture contents and physical qualities of the peanuts arc described in this article. The percentages of samples infected by A. flavus were highest at the wholesaler as well as at retailer levels (100%, respectively, followed by those sampled at the collectors (85.0 and 85.7%, respectively, and farmers (84.6%. The mean percentage of infected kernels in infect ed samples of peanuts collected from retailers was the highest (87.6%, followed by those collected from wholesalers (72.4%, collectors in the form of kernels (23.3% and pods (17.7%, and farmers (15.2%. The range of aflatoxin BI contents in peanut samples collected from farmers (dry pods, collectors (dry pods, wholesalers (dry pods and kernels and retailers (dry kernels were < 3.6 -114.2, < 3.6 -2999.5 and < 3,6 - 34.1, < 3.6 - 6065.9, and < 3.6 - 6073.0 ppb, respectively. The highest aflatoxin B, contents at the wholesaler and retailer levels were 6065.9 ppb (in one sample and 6073.0 ppb (in one sample, respectively. The percentage of samples contaminated with more than 15 ppb of aflatoxin BI was the highest in peanuts collected from

HAfTs are novel lncRNA transcripts from aflatoxin exposure.

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B Alex Merrick

Full Text Available The transcriptome can reveal insights into precancer biology. We recently conducted RNA-Seq analysis on liver RNA from male rats exposed to the carcinogen, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, for 90 days prior to liver tumor onset. Among >1,000 differentially expressed transcripts, several novel, unannotated Cufflinks-assembled transcripts, or HAfTs (Hepatic Aflatoxin Transcripts were found. We hypothesized PCR-cloning and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends could further HAfT identification. Sanger data was obtained for 6 transcripts by PCR and 16 transcripts by 5'- and 3'-RACE. BLAST alignments showed, with two exceptions, HAfT transcripts were lncRNAs, >200nt without apparent long open reading frames. Six rat HAfT transcripts were classified as 'novel' without RefSeq annotation. Sequence alignment and genomic synteny showed each rat lncRNA had a homologous locus in the mouse genome and over half had homologous loci in the human genome, including at least two loci (and possibly three others that were previously unannotated. While HAfT functions are not yet clear, coregulatory roles may be possible from their adjacent orientation to known coding genes with altered expression that include 8 HAfT-gene pairs. For example, a unique rat HAfT, homologous to Pvt1, was adjacent to known genes controlling cell proliferation. Additionally, PCR and RACE Sanger sequencing showed many alternative splice variants and refinements of exon sequences compared to Cufflinks assembled transcripts and gene prediction algorithms. Presence of multiple splice variants and short tandem repeats found in some HAfTs may be consequential for secondary structure, transcriptional regulation, and function. In summary, we report novel, differentially expressed lncRNAs after exposure to the genotoxicant, AFB1, prior to neoplastic lesions. Complete cloning and sequencing of such transcripts could pave the way for a new set of sensitive and early prediction markers for chemical

Redox systems are a potential link between drought stress susceptibility and the exacerbation of aflatoxin contamination in crops

Science.gov (United States)

Drought stress aggravates Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin contamination in oilseed crops such as peanut and maize. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in plants in response to abiotic and biotic stresses as a means of defense. In the host plant-A. flavus interaction under drought c...

Assessment of workers’ exposure to Aflatoxin B1 in a Portuguese waste industry

OpenAIRE

Viegas, Susana; Veiga, Luísa; Figueredo, Paula; Almeida, Ana; Carolino, Elisabete; Viegas, Carla

2015-01-01

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is considered by different International Agencies as a genotoxic and potent hepatocarcinogen. However, despite the fact that the fungi producing this compound are detected in some work environments, AFB1 is rarely monitored in occupational settings. The aim of the present investigation was to assess exposure to AFB1 of workers from one Portuguese waste company located in the outskirt of Lisbon. Occupational exposure assessment to AFB1 was done with a biomarker of internal ...

In vitro studies on chemoprotective effect of borax against aflatoxin B1-induced genetic damage in human lymphocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Turkez, Hasan; Geyikoğlu, Fatime; Dirican, Ebubekir; Tatar, Abdulgani

2012-12-01

A common dietary contaminant, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), has been shown to be a potent mutagen and carcinogen in humans and many animal species. Since the eradication of AFB1 contamination in agricultural products has been rare, the use of natural or synthetic free radical scavengers could be a potential chemopreventive strategy. Boron compounds like borax (BX) and boric acid are the major components of industry and their antioxidant role has recently been reported. In the present report, we evaluated the capability of BX to inhibit the rate of micronucleus (MN) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) formations induced by AFB1. There were significant increases (P Borax gave 30-50 % protection against AFB1 induced SCEs and MNs. In conclusion, the support of borax was especially useful in aflatoxin-toxicated blood tissue. Thus, the risk on target tissues of AFB1 could be reduced and ensured early recovery from its toxicity.

Aflatoxin B1 Tolerance and Accumulation in Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) and Yellow Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosch, G.; Fels, van der Ine; Rijk, de T.C.; Oonincx, D.G.A.B.

2017-01-01

Crops contaminated with fungal mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are often downgraded or removed from the food chain. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance and accumulation of AFB1 in two insect species to determine whether they could be used to retain condemned mycotoxin contaminated

Effect of Various Compounds Blocking the Colony Pigmentation on the Aflatoxin B1 Production by Aspergillus flavus.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzhavakhiya, Vitaly G; Voinova, Tatiana M; Popletaeva, Sofya B; Statsyuk, Natalia V; Limantseva, Lyudmila A; Shcherbakova, Larisa A

2016-10-28

Aflatoxins and melanins are the products of a polyketide biosynthesis. In this study, the search of potential inhibitors of the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) biosynthesis was performed among compounds blocking the pigmentation in fungi. Four compounds-three natural (thymol, 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde, compactin) and one synthetic (fluconazole)-were examined for their ability to block the pigmentation and AFB1 production in Aspergillus flavus . All compounds inhibited the mycelium pigmentation of a fungus growing on solid medium. At the same time, thymol, fluconazole, and 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde stimulated AFB1 accumulation in culture broth of A. flavus under submerged fermentation, whereas the addition of 2.5 μg/mL of compactin resulted in a 50× reduction in AFB1 production. Moreover, compactin also suppressed the sporulation of A. flavus on solid medium. In vivo treatment of corn and wheat grain with compactin (50 μg/g of grain) reduced the level of AFB1 accumulation 14 and 15 times, respectively. Further prospects of the compactin study as potential AFB1 inhibitor are discussed.

Aflatoxins and fumonisins in rice and maize staple cereals in Northern Vietnam and dietary exposure in different ethnic groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bui, Huong Mai; Tuyen, Le Dahn; Do, Tran Thanh

2016-01-01

Mycotoxins in food are increasingly a food safety hazard concern in particular in developing countries. This study was performed to determine the occurrence and determinants of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in rice and maize and to assess health risks through dietary intake exposure among...

The pathogenesis-related maize seed (PRms) gene plays a role in resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic plant pathogen that colonizes and produces the toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites, aflatoxins, in oil-rich crops such as maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.). Pathogenesis-related proteins serve as a first line of defense against invading pathogens by confer...

A study of the 2013 Western European issue of aflatoxin contamination of maize from the Balkan area

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijk, de T.C.; Egmond, van H.P.; Fels-Klerx, van der H.J.; Herbes, R.; Nijs, de W.C.M.; Samson, R.A.; Slate, A.B.; Spiegel, van der M.

2015-01-01

In March 2013 a large shipment of maize, intended for feed was subject of an alert in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission (EC) because the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) level in the load exceeded the EC regulated maximum level of 20 µg/kg. Since the shipment had passed import

Occurrence of microorganisms and aflatoxins in the production of artisanal puba flour production in Tocantins, Brazil

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Luana Martins Coelho

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to characterize the microbiota involved in the production of puba flour in Palmas, Brazil, and to verify the presence of aflatoxins in this food product. Counts of mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria, Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus spp. and yeasts were done by dilution and plating on specific media. The results showed the presence of high populations of all microbial groups screened (>107 CFU g-1. Among lactobacilli, L. plantarum was the most frequent species, representing 41.6 % of total isolates of this genus. The most frequent yeasts were Candida castelli, C. ethanolica, C. krusei, Pichia membranifaciens and Trichosporon asahii. Counts of total and fecal coliforms obtained by the chromogenic Colilert technique were high mainly in samples of fermenting water, above 800 and 2,000 MPN 100 mL-1 respectively. Nevertheless in the final product those numbers were reduced considerably to less than 70 and 1 MPN g-1 respectively, values considered within the legal limits established by regulations. ELISA and thin layer chromatography showed no occurrence of aflatoxins, differently from other studies elsewhere. With this we can to observe that the products analyzed fit the Standards of the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Dietary modulation of the biotransformation and genotoxicity of aflatoxin B1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross-Steinmeyer, Kerstin; Eaton, David L.

2012-01-01

Diet and its various components are consistently identified as among the most important ‘risk factors’ for cancer worldwide, yet great uncertainty remains regarding the relative contribution of nutritive (e.g., vitamins, calories) vs. non-nutritive (e.g., phytochemicals, fiber, contaminants) factors in both cancer induction and cancer prevention. Among the most potent known human dietary carcinogens is the mycotoxin, aflatoxin B 1 (AFB). AFB and related aflatoxins are produced as secondary metabolites by the molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus that commonly infect poorly stored foods including peanuts, pistachios, corn, and rice. AFB is a potent hepatocarcinogenic agent in numerous animal species, and has been implicated in the etiology of human hepatocellular carcinoma. Recent research has shown that many diet-derived factors have great potential to influence AFB biotransformation, and some efficiently protect from AFB-induced genotoxicity. One key mode of action for reducing AFB-induced carcinogenesis in experimental animals was shown to be the induction of detoxification enzymes such as certain glutathione-S-transferases that are regulated through the Keap1–Nrf2–ARE signaling pathway. Although initial studies utilized the dithiolthione drug, oltipraz, as a prototypical inducer of antioxidant response, dietary components such as suforaphane (SFN) are also effective inducers of this pathway in rodent models. However, human GSTs in general do not appear to be extensively induced by SFN, and GSTM1 – the only human GST with measurable catalytic activity toward aflatoxin B 1 -8,9-epoxide (AFBO; the genotoxic metabolite of AFB), does not appear to be induced by SFN, at least in human hepatocytes, even though its expression in human liver cells does appear to offer considerable protection against AFB–DNA damage. Although induction of detoxification pathways has served as the primary mechanistic focus of chemoprevention studies, protective

Biological control of aflatoxin production in corn using non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus administered as a bioplastic-based seed coating

Science.gov (United States)

Since its first introduction in the early 1990s, tremendous progress has been made in the application of biocontrol techniques for reducing aflatoxin contamination in corn. In almost three decades, the basic concept has remained centered on massive application of propagules of non-aflatoxigenic A. f...

Use of gold nanoparticle-labeled secondary antibodies to improve the sensitivity of an immunochromatographic assay for aflatoxin B1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urusov, Alexander E.; Zherdev, Anatoly V.; Dzantiev, Boris B.

2014-01-01

We describe a sensitive method for the immunochromatographic determination of aflatoxin B1. It is based on the following steps: 1) Competitive interaction between non-labeled specific primary antibodies and target antigens in a sample and in the test zone of a membrane; 2) detection of the immune complexes on the membrane by using a secondary antibodies labeled with gold nanoparticles. The method enables precise adjustment of the required quantities of specific antibodies and the colloidal (gold) marker. It was applied in a lateral flow format to the detection of aflatoxin B1 and exhibits a limit of detection (LOD) of 160 pg · mL −1 if detected visually, and of 30 pg · mL −1 via instrumental detection. This is significantly lower than the LOD of 2 ng · mL −1 achieved by conventional lateral flow analysis using the same reagents. (author)

Degradation of Aflatoxins by Means of Laccases from Trametes versicolor: An In Silico Insight

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Luca Dellafiora

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that contaminate food and feed, and are involved in a series of foodborne illnesses and disorders in humans and animals. The mitigation of mycotoxin content via enzymatic degradation is a strategy to ensure safer food and feed, and to address the forthcoming issues in view of the global trade and sustainability. Nevertheless, the search for active enzymes is still challenging and time-consuming. The in silico analysis may strongly support the research by providing the evidence-based hierarchization of enzymes for a rational design of more effective experimental trials. The present work dealt with the degradation of aflatoxin B1 and M1 by laccase enzymes from Trametes versicolor. The enzymes–substrate interaction for various enzyme isoforms was investigated through 3D molecular modeling techniques. Structural differences among the isoforms have been pinpointed, which may cause different patterns of interaction between aflatoxin B1 and M1. The possible formation of different products of degradation can be argued accordingly. Moreover, the laccase gamma isoform was identified as the most suitable for protein engineering aimed at ameliorating the substrate specificity. Overall, 3D modeling proved to be an effective analytical tool to assess the enzyme–substrate interaction and provided a solid foothold for supporting the search of degrading enzyme at the early stage.

Detoxification of Aflatoxin B₁ by Zygosaccharomyces rouxii with Solid State Fermentation in Peanut Meal.

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Zhou, Guanghui; Chen, Yujie; Kong, Qing; Ma, Yunxiao; Liu, Yang

2017-01-20

Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic, teratogenetic, and morbigenous secondary metabolites of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus that can contaminate multiple staple foods, such as peanut, maize, and tree nuts. In this study, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii was screened out and identified from fermented soy paste-one kind of traditional Chinese food-to detoxify aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) by aerobic solid state fermentation in peanut meal. The optimal degradation condition was chosen from single factor experiment, and the most effective detoxification rate was about 97%. As for liquid fermentation, we tested the binding ability of Z. rouxii , and the highest binding rate reached was 74.3% (nonviable cells of Z. rouxii ) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Moreover, the biotransformation of AFB₁ through fermentation of Z. rouxii in peanut meal was further verified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). According to TIC scan, after fermentation by Z. rouxii, the AFB₁ in peanut meal was prominently degraded to the lowering peaks of AFB₁. Additionally, m / s statistics demonstrated that AFB₁ may be degraded to some new products whose structural properties may be different from AFB₁, or the degradation products may be dissolved in the aqueous phase rather than the organic phase. As far as we know, this is the first report indicating that the safe strain of Z. rouxii has the ability to detoxify AFB₁.

Large-Scale Membrane- and Lignin-Modified Adsorbent-Assisted Extraction and Preconcentration of Triazine Analogs and Aflatoxins

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Hu, Shun-Wei; Chen, Shushi

2017-01-01

The large-scale simultaneous extraction and concentration of aqueous solutions of triazine analogs, and aflatoxins, through a hydrocarbon-based membrane (e.g., polyethylene, polyethylene/polypropylene copolymer) under ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure is reported. The subsequent adsorption of analyte in the extraction chamber over the lignin-modified silica gel facilitates the process by reducing the operating time. The maximum adsorption capacity values for triazine analogs and af...

Genome Wide Association Study for Drought, Aflatoxin Resistance, and Important Agronomic Traits of Maize Hybrids in the Sub-Tropics

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Farfan, Ivan D. Barrero; De La Fuente, Gerald N.; Murray, Seth C.; Isakeit, Thomas; Huang, Pei-Cheng; Warburton, Marilyn; Williams, Paul; Windham, Gary L.; Kolomiets, Mike

2015-01-01

The primary maize (Zea mays L.) production areas are in temperate regions throughout the world and this is where most maize breeding is focused. Important but lower yielding maize growing regions such as the sub-tropics experience unique challenges, the greatest of which are drought stress and aflatoxin contamination. Here we used a diversity panel consisting of 346 maize inbred lines originating in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical areas testcrossed to stiff-stalk line Tx714 to investigate these traits. Testcross hybrids were evaluated under irrigated and non-irrigated trials for yield, plant height, ear height, days to anthesis, days to silking and other agronomic traits. Irrigated trials were also inoculated with Aspergillus flavus and evaluated for aflatoxin content. Diverse maize testcrosses out-yielded commercial checks in most trials, which indicated the potential for genetic diversity to improve sub-tropical breeding programs. To identify genomic regions associated with yield, aflatoxin resistance and other important agronomic traits, a genome wide association analysis was performed. Using 60,000 SNPs, this study found 10 quantitative trait variants for grain yield, plant and ear height, and flowering time after stringent multiple test corrections, and after fitting different models. Three of these variants explained 5–10% of the variation in grain yield under both water conditions. Multiple identified SNPs co-localized with previously reported QTL, which narrows the possible location of causal polymorphisms. Novel significant SNPs were also identified. This study demonstrated the potential to use genome wide association studies to identify major variants of quantitative and complex traits such as yield under drought that are still segregating between elite inbred lines. PMID:25714370

Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in different cocoa clones (Theobroma cacao L.) developed in the southern region of Bahia, Brazil.

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Maciel, Leonardo Fonseca; Felício, Ana Lúcia de Souza Madureira; Miranda, Lucas Caldeirão Rodrigues; Pires, Tassia Cavalcante; Bispo, Eliete da Silva; Hirooka, Elisa Yoko

2018-01-01

Brazil is the sixth largest producer of cocoa beans in the world, after Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and Cameroon. The southern region of Bahia stands out as the country's largest producer, accounting for approximately 60% of production. Due to damage caused by infestation of the cocoa crop with the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, which causes 'witch's broom disease', research in cocoa beans has led to the cloning of species that are resistant to the disease; however, there is little information about the development of other fungal genera in these clones, such as Aspergillus, which do not represent a phytopathogenicity problem but can grow during the pre-processing of cocoa beans and produce mycotoxins. Thus, the aim of this work was to determine the presence of aflatoxin (AF) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in cocoa clones developed in Brazil. Aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination were determined in 130 samples from 13 cocoa clones grown in the south of Bahia by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The method was evaluated for limit of detection (LOD) (0.05-0.90 μg kg -1 ), limit of quantification (0.10-2.50 μg kg -1 ) and recovery (RSD) (89.40-95.80%) for AFB 1 , AFB 2 , AFG 1 , AFG 2 and OTA. Aflatoxin contamination was detected in 38% of the samples in the range of

Use of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid as electron donating compound in a potentiometric aflatoxin M{sub 1}-immunosensor

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Rameil, Steffen, E-mail: s.rameil@r-biopharm.de [R-Biopharm AG, An der neuen Bergstrasse 17, 64297 Darmstadt (Germany); Schubert, Peter, E-mail: p.schubert@r-biopharm.de [R-Biopharm AG, An der neuen Bergstrasse 17, 64297 Darmstadt (Germany); Grundmann, Peter, E-mail: peter.grundmann@jennewein-biotech.de [R-Biopharm AG, An der neuen Bergstrasse 17, 64297 Darmstadt (Germany); Dietrich, Richard, E-mail: R.Dietrich@mh.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de [Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Munich, Schoenleutner Str 8, 85764 Oberschleissheim (Germany); Maertlbauer, Erwin, E-mail: E.Maertlbauer@mh.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de [Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Munich, Schoenleutner Str 8, 85764 Oberschleissheim (Germany)

2010-02-19

We developed a potentiometric aflatoxin M{sub 1}-immunosensor which utilizes 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (p-HPPA) as electron donating compound for horseradish peroxidase (HRP; EC 1.11.1.7). The assay system consists of a polypyrrole-surface-working electrode coated with a polyclonal anti-M{sub 1} antibody (pAb-AFM{sub 1}), a Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a HRP-aflatoxin B{sub 1} conjugate (HRP-AFB{sub 1} conjugate). To optimize the potentiometric measuring system p-HPPA as well as related compounds serving as electron donating compounds were compared. Also the influence of different buffer systems, varying pH and substrate concentrations on signal intensity was investigated. Our results suggest that reaction conditions that favor the formation of Pummerer's type ketones lead to an increase in signal intensity rather than formation of fluorescent dye. Comparison with commercial ready-to-use HRP electron donating compounds such as 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), o-phenylenediamine (OPD) or 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) showed that only 34%, 77% and 49% of the signal intensity of p-HPPA were reached, respectively. The optimized assay had a detection limit of 40 pg mL{sup -1} and allowed detection of 500 pg mL{sup -1} (FDA action limit) aflatoxin M{sub 1} (AFM{sub 1}) in pasteurized milk and UHT-milk containing 0.3-3.8% fat within 10 min without any sample treatment. The working range was between 250 and 2000 pg mL{sup -1} AFM{sub 1}.

Co-exposure to fumonisins and aflatoxins in maize-based foods in central america: guatemala as a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a human liver carcinogen having a genotoxic mechanism of action. The ceramide synthase inhibitor fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a liver cancer promoter in rats and trout. Both mycotoxins are found in maize so that the possibility of co-exposure is a health concern, especially in Centra...

The influence of drought on the occurrence of aflatoxins in maize

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Kos Jovana J.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, a total of 78 maize samples harvested during September and October 2012 in Vojvodina were analyzed. Presence of aflatoxins (AFs was deter­mined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA method. Among the 78 analyzed maize samples, even 44 (56.4% samples were contaminated with AFs. Concentration interval between 1-10 μg/kg, 10-50 μg/kg and 50-80 μg/kg were found in 23.1%, 17.9% and 15.4% of analyzed maize samples, respectively. It was supposed that prolonged drought during spring and summer of 2012 had a great influence on high contamination frequency and concentration of AFs. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46001

Efficacy of chemically characterized Foeniculum vulgare Mill seed essential oil in protection of raw tobacco leaves during storage against fungal and aflatoxin contamination.

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Kedia, A; Dwivedy, A K; Pandey, A K; Kumar, R R; Regmi, P; Dubey, N K

2015-10-01

To report fungal and aflatoxin contamination in stored tobacco leaves and the potential of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) seed essential oil (EO) as a plant-based preservative in protection of tobacco during storage. Mycological analysis of tobacco samples was done by surface sterilization and serial dilution tests. The Aspergillus flavus isolates were screened for their toxigenicity. Both in vivo and in vitro tests were done to evaluate antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic efficacy of chemically characterized EO. The mycoflora analysis revealed 108 fungal colonies belonging to five genera and nine species. All A. flavus isolates were found aflatoxigenic during screening. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis of EO identified 19 components (99·66%); estragole being the major component (47·49%). The EO showed broad fungitoxicity at 1·25 μl ml(-1) and 100% inhibition to AFB1 production as well as ergosterol synthesis at 1·0 μl ml(-1) concentration. EO showed 100% protection of stored tobacco samples from aflatoxin B1 contamination. The fennel EO can thus be formulated as a plant-based preservative for food items. The present investigation comprises the first report on antiaflatoxin efficacy of fennel oil and its potency in the protection of tobacco leaves from fungal and aflatoxin contamination during storage. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Development of an Ultrasonication-Assisted Extraction Based HPLC With a Fluorescence Method for Sensitive Determination of Aflatoxins in Highly Acidic Hibiscus sabdariffa

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Xiaofei Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The high acidity and complex components of Hibiscus sabdariffa have provided major challenges for sensitive determination of trace aflatoxins. In this study, sample pretreatment of H. sabdariffa was systematically developed for sensitive high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD after ultrasonication-assisted extraction, immunoaffinity column (IAC clean-up and on-line post-column photochemical derivatization (PCD. Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 were extracted from samples by using methanol/water (70:30, v/v with the addition of NaCl. The solutions were diluted 1:8 with 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 8.0 to negate the issues of high acidity and matrix interferences. The established method was validated with satisfactory linearity (R > 0.999, sensitivity (limits of detection (LODs and limits of quantitation (LOQs of 0.15–0.65 and 0.53–2.18 μg/kg, respectively, precision (RSD <11%, stability (RSD of 0.2–3.6%, and accuracy (recovery rates of 86.0–102.3%, which all met the stipulated analytical requirements. Analysis of 28 H. sabdariffa samples indicated that one sample incubated with Aspergillus flavus was positive with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 at 3.11 μg/kg. The strategy developed in this study also has the potential to reliably extract and sensitively detect more mycotoxins in other complex acidic matrices, such as traditional Chinese medicines, foodstuffs, etc.

An ultra-sensitive monoclonal antibody-based fluorescent microsphere immunochromatographic test strip assay for detecting aflatoxin M1 in milk

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A rapid lateral flow fluorescent microspheres immunochromatography test strip (FMs-ICTS) has been developed for the detection of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) residues in milk. For this purpose, an ultra-sensitive anti-AFM1 monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1D3 was prepared and identified. The IC50 value of the MA...

Modelling of aflatoxin G1 reduction by kefir grain using response surface methodology.

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Ansari, Farzaneh; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Rezaei, Karamatollah; Rahmani, Anosheh

2015-01-01

Aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) is one of the main toxic contaminants in pistachio nuts and causes potential health hazards. Hence, AFG1 reduction is one of the main concerns in food safety. Kefir-grains contain symbiotic association of microorganisms well known for their aflatoxin decontamination effects. In this study, a central composite design (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to develop a model in order to predict AFG1 reduction in pistachio nuts by kefir-grain (already heated at 70 and 110°C). The independent variables were: toxin concentration (X1: 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ng/g), kefir-grain level (X2: 5, 10, 20, 10 and 25%), contact time (X3: 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h), and incubation temperature (X4: 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60°C). There was a significant reduction in AFG1 (p kefir-grain used. The variables including X1, X3 and the interactions between X2-X4 as well as X3-X4 have significant effects on AFG1 reduction. The model provided a good prediction of AFG1 reduction under the assay conditions. Optimization was used to enhance the efficiency of kefir-grain on AFG1 reduction. The optimum conditions for the highest AFG1 reduction (96.8%) were predicted by the model as follows: toxin concentration = 20 ng/g, kefir-grain level = 10%, contact time = 6 h, and incubation temperature = 30°C which validated practically in six replications.

Analysis of Aflatoxin M1 in Breast Milk and Its Association with Nutritional and Socioeconomic Status of Lactating Mothers in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Elaridi, Jomana; Bassil, Maya; Kharma, Joelle Abi; Daou, Farah; Hassan, Hussein F

2017-10-01

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is the most potent of the dietary aflatoxins, and its major metabolite, aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ), is frequently found in the breast milk of lactating mothers. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence and factors associated with AFM 1 contamination of breast milk collected from lactating mothers in Lebanon. A total of 111 breast milk samples were collected according to the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Samples were analyzed with a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay between December 2015 and November 2016. A survey was used to determine the demographic and anthropometric characteristics of participating lactating mothers. Dietary habits were assessed using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Mean (±standard deviation) concentration of AFM 1 in the breast milk samples was 4.31 ± 1.8 ng/L, and 93.8% of samples contained AFM 1 at 0.2 to 7.9 ng/L. The mean concentration of AFM 1 was significantly lower (P 0.05) was observed between AFM 1 concentrations in breast milk and anthropometric sociodemographic factors (age and level of education) or the governorate of residence of the nursing mothers. The mean AFM 1 estimated daily intake was found to be 0.69 ng/day/kg of body weight. Although the incidence of AFM 1 contamination was low, our first-of-its-kind study highlights the importance of conducting investigations on mycotoxin contamination in breast milk and of developing protection strategies to tackle the exposure of infants to this potent chemical hazard.

Development of an analytic outline for the aflatoxins analysis in grains and flours; Desarrollo de un esquema analitico para el analisis de aflatoxinas en granos y harinas

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Sibaja Adams, Roxana

2000-07-01

The instrumental and analytic conditions were optimized for the aflatoxine determination B1, B2, 1 and G2 in corn and peanut byl iquid chromatography of high discharge following the analyzing method AOAC 994,08. Besides, it was defined a function for evaluating the dependence of the chromatographic discharge with the aflatoxine concentration. The analyzing method was validated, and four calibration curves were obtained for the aflatoxine B1, B2, G1 and G2, which turned to have a heterocedastico behavior. The applicability of this method was demonstrated, obtaining imagines of appropriate merit and comparable with those reported by the AOAC. Additionally, the applicability of the chromatographic method was demonstrated in fine layer for the presumptive analysis of aflatoxine, allowing both methods to propose an outline of reliable analysis of real samples. [Spanish] Se optimizaron las condiciones instrumentales y analiticas para la determinacion de aflatoxinas B1, B2, G1 y G2 en maiz y mani por Cromatografia liquida de alto desempeno siguiendo el metodo de analisis AOAC 994,08. Ademas, se definio una funcion para evaluar la dependencia del desempeno cromatografico con la concentracion de aflatoxinas.Se valido el metodo de analisis y se obtuvieron las cuatro curvas de calibracion para las aflatoxinas B1, B2, G1 y G2, las que resultaron tener un comportamiento heterocedastico. Se demostro la aplicabilidad del metodo, obteniendose figuras de merito adecuadas y comparables con las reportadas por el AOAC.Adicionalmente, se demostro la aplicabilidad del metodo de cromatografia en capa fina para el analisis presuntivo de aflatoxinas, permitiendo ambos metodos proponer un esquema de analisis confiable de muestras reales.

An integrated approach for the reduction of aflatoxin contamination in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Sudha, S; Naik, M K; Ajithkumar, K

2013-02-01

An integrated approach for management of aflatoxin contamination in chilli was undertaken by evaluating the fungicides, bioagents and plant extracts against Aspergillus flavus under both in vitro and field condition. Maximum inhibition of radial growth (91.1%) was observed with 0.3% mancozeb followed by captan (85.2%). Carbendazim (73%) was effective and superior over other systemic fungicides. A complete inhibition (100%) of A. flavus was observed in neem seed kernel extract (NSKE), nimbicidin and pongamia oil at 5%. An indigenous Pseudomonas fluorescens bioagent isolate inhibited (74.9%) the growth of A. flavus over Trichoderma harzianum (70.4%). The superior performing fungicides, plant extracts and bioagents identified under in vitro were used for challenge inoculation on chilli fruits and so also for field evaluation. The captan treated fruits recorded the least infection of A. flavus (1.6%) followed by P. fluorescens (2.0%), NSKE (2.2%) and nimbicidin treated fruits (7.8%) as against control (38.3%). As regards to field evaluation, the least incidence was recorded in NSKE sprayed chilli plot (1.6%) and was on par with captan (2.2%), P. fluorescens (2.4%) and T. harzianum (2.6%) compared to control (7.4%). Hence, a pre-harvest spray of NSKE (5%) or mancozeb (0.3%) or P. fluorescens (1 × 10(8) cfu/ml) 10 days before harvest of chilli is recommended for field level management of aflatoxin.

Pathological Effects of Aflatoxin and Their Amelioration by Vitamin E in White Leghorn Layers

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Wajid A Khan, M Zargham Khan*, Ahrar Khan and Iftikhar Hussain1

2010-07-01

Full Text Available White Leghorn layer breeder hens, 30 weeks of age, were divided into 12 groups (A-L. Group A was kept on basal feed and served as control, while group B was offered feed supplemented with vitamin E (100 mg/Kg. Groups C-G were offered feed containing 100, 500, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 µg/Kg aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, respectively, whereas groups H-L were offered same dietary levels of AFB1 along with vitamin E (100 mg/Kg. The experimental feeds were offered for three weeks and afterward all the groups were switched over to basal feed for next two weeks. Body weight, absolute and relative weights of liver and kidneys of AF fed birds were significantly higher than control group. Pathological lesions in aflatoxin (AF fed birds included enlarged, pale and friable liver, swollen kidneys and hemorrhages on different organs. Histopathological lesions in liver included fatty change, congestion and hemorrhages, while in kidneys tubular necrosis, cellular infiltration, congestion and hemorrhages were found in groups fed AFB1 at 500 μg/Kg and higher doses. In AF fed hens, no significant ameliorative effects of vitamin E could be observed upon AF induced decrease in feed intake, gross pathology and histopathological alterations and organ weight except body weights. It was concluded that the vitamin E ameliorated the AFB1 induced toxic effects in some of parameters studied.

Detoxification of Aflatoxin B1 by Zygosaccharomyces rouxii with Solid State Fermentation in Peanut Meal

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Guanghui Zhou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic, teratogenetic, and morbigenous secondary metabolites of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus that can contaminate multiple staple foods, such as peanut, maize, and tree nuts. In this study, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii was screened out and identified from fermented soy paste—one kind of traditional Chinese food—to detoxify aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 by aerobic solid state fermentation in peanut meal. The optimal degradation condition was chosen from single factor experiment, and the most effective detoxification rate was about 97%. As for liquid fermentation, we tested the binding ability of Z. rouxii, and the highest binding rate reached was 74.3% (nonviable cells of Z. rouxii in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS. Moreover, the biotransformation of AFB1 through fermentation of Z. rouxii in peanut meal was further verified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS. According to TIC scan, after fermentation by Z. rouxii, the AFB1 in peanut meal was prominently degraded to the lowering peaks of AFB1. Additionally, m/s statistics demonstrated that AFB1 may be degraded to some new products whose structural properties may be different from AFB1, or the degradation products may be dissolved in the aqueous phase rather than the organic phase. As far as we know, this is the first report indicating that the safe strain of Z. rouxii has the ability to detoxify AFB1.