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Poultry Science Jan 2023Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most toxic subtype of aflatoxin in feed. Poultry is sensitive to AFB1, and the liver is the main target organ of AFB1. Our previous studies...
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most toxic subtype of aflatoxin in feed. Poultry is sensitive to AFB1, and the liver is the main target organ of AFB1. Our previous studies have shown that taraxasterol isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Taraxacum has protective effects against immune-mediated and alcoholic-induced liver injuries. This study aimed to investigate whether taraxasterol has the protective effect and its mechanism against AFB1-induced injury in chicken primary hepatocytes in vitro. The chicken primary hepatocytes were induced with AFB1 (0.05 µg/mL), and treated with taraxasterol (5, 10, and 20 μg/mL). The results showed that taraxasterol increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) activity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in AFB1-induced hepatocytes. Moreover, taraxasterol up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of antioxidant-related factors heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and nuclear factor erythroid E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), while down-regulated the expression of oxidant-related factor Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) in Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway. In addition, taraxasterol effectively reduced AFB1-induced hepatocyte autophagy and inhibited the mRNA expression of autophagy-related genes Beclin-2, LC3-I, LC3-II, and ATG-5. Taraxasterol also inhibited AFB1-induced hepatocyte apoptosis and decreased the mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes Caspase3 and Caspase9. These findings indicates taraxasterol alleviates oxidative stress in AFB1-induced chicken hepatocytes by activating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway, and regulating the cell autophagy and apoptosis.
Topics: Animals; Aflatoxin B1; Chickens; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Hepatocytes; Oxidative Stress; Apoptosis; Glutathione; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 36436372
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102286 -
International Journal of Food... Jan 2020Maize is an important staple crop for the majority of the population in Uganda. However, in tropical and subtropical climates, maize is frequently contaminated with...
Maize is an important staple crop for the majority of the population in Uganda. However, in tropical and subtropical climates, maize is frequently contaminated with aflatoxins, a group of cancer-causing and immuno-suppressive mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus section Flavi fungi. In Uganda, there is limited knowledge about the causal agents of aflatoxin contamination. The current study determined both the aflatoxin levels in pre-harvest maize across Uganda and the structures of communities of aflatoxin-producing fungi associated with the maize. A total of 256 pre-harvest maize samples were collected from 23 major maize-growing districts in eight agro-ecological zones (AEZ). Maize aflatoxin content ranged from 0 to 3760 ng/g although only around 5% for Ugandan thresholds. For EU it is about 16% of the samples contained aflatoxin concentrations above tolerance thresholds. A total of 3105 Aspergillus section Flavi isolates were recovered and these were dominated by the A. flavus L morphotype (89.4%). Densities of aflatoxin-producing fungi were negatively correlated with elevation. Farming systems and climatic conditions of the AEZ are thought to have influenced communities' structure composition. Fungi from different AEZ varied significantly in aflatoxin-producing abilities and several atoxigenic genotypes were identified. The extremely high aflatoxin concentrations detected in some of the studied regions indicate that management strategies should be urgently designed for use at the pre-harvest stage. Atoxigenic genotypes detected across Uganda could serve as aflatoxin biocontrol agents to reduce crop contamination from fields conditions and throughout the maize value chain.
Topics: Aflatoxins; Agriculture; Aspergillus; Ecology; Food Contamination; Uganda; Zea mays
PubMed: 31731141
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108376 -
Toxins Aug 2023Fungi such as spp. and spp., which are commonly found in the environment, pose a serious global health problem. This study aims to present the results of... (Review)
Review
Fungi such as spp. and spp., which are commonly found in the environment, pose a serious global health problem. This study aims to present the results of epidemiological studies, including clinical cases, on the relationship between human exposure to some mycotoxins, especially zearalenone and aflatoxin, and the occurrence of reproductive disorders. In addition, examples of methods to reduce human exposure to mycotoxins are presented. In March 2023, various databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE and Web of Science) were systematically searched using Google Chrome to identify studies evaluating the association between exposure to mycotoxins and the occurrence of complications related to impaired fertility or cancer incidence. The analysed data indicate that exposure to the evaluated mycotoxins is widespread and correlates strongly with precocious puberty, reduced fertility and increased cancer incidence in women and men worldwide. There is evidence to suggest that exposure to the Aspergillus mycotoxin aflatoxin (AF) during pregnancy can impair intrauterine foetal growth, promote neonatal jaundice and cause perinatal death and preterm birth. In contrast, exposure to the Fusarium mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) leads to precocious sexual development, infertility, the development of malformations and the development of breast cancer. Unfortunately, the development of methods (biological, chemical or physical) to completely eliminate exposure to mycotoxins has limited practical application. The threat to human health from mycotoxins is real and further research is needed to improve our knowledge and specific public health interventions.
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pregnancy; Aflatoxins; Aspergillus; Food Contamination; Fusarium; Mycotoxins; Premature Birth; Zearalenone
PubMed: 37755941
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15090515 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a major risk to both human and animal health because it contaminates food, feed, and grains. These dangerous effects can be mitigated using...
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a major risk to both human and animal health because it contaminates food, feed, and grains. These dangerous effects can be mitigated using natural components. The purpose of this study was to examine the ameliorative effects of camel milk and silymarin supplementation upon aflatoxin B1 induced hepatic injury in rats. This improvement was assessed by measuring leukocytic and deferential counts, serum biochemical parameters, and gene expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α), antioxidant gene (NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)), and base excision repair genes (APE1 and OGG1) in the liver tissue, in addition to liver histopathology. Sixty mature males Wister white rats were used to perform the present study; the rats were distributed in six groups (ten rats/group). The control group (without any treatment) received saline by gavage. The camel milk group received 1 ml of camel milk/kg body weight. The silymarin group received 1 ml of silymarin suspension solution at a dose of 20 mg of silymarin/kg of b.wt. The aflatoxin group received an aflatoxin-contaminated diet at a dose of 1.4 mg of aflatoxin /kg of diet and received saline. The camel milk + aflatoxin group received the same previous oral doses of camel milk and an aflatoxin-contaminated diet at the same time. The silymarin + aflatoxin group received the same previous doses of silymarin orally and an aflatoxin-contaminated diet at the same time. The obtained data indicated the deleterious effect of aflatoxin B1 on the leukocytic count, activity of AST and ALT, serum proteins, ferritin, alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, liver pathology, and the expression of the studied genes. However, these deleterious effects were mitigated by camel milk and silymarin supplementation. Thus, we could conclude that the ingestion of camel milk and silymarin mitigated the negative effects of AFB1 on the hematology, activity of AST and ALT, serum proteins, ferritin, alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, liver pathology, and gene expression in the rat model.
Topics: Humans; Male; Animals; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Aflatoxin B1; Silymarin; Camelus; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; alpha-Fetoproteins; Milk; Liver; Aflatoxins; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Ferritins
PubMed: 37699912
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41586-4 -
Toxins Feb 2023Mycotoxins are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by groups of filamentous fungi that colonize food crops. Aflatoxin B (AFB), ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B...
Mycotoxins are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by groups of filamentous fungi that colonize food crops. Aflatoxin B (AFB), ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B (FB) are among the most relevant agricultural mycotoxins, as they can induce various toxic processes in humans and animals. To detect AFB, OTA and FB in the most varied matrices, chromatographic and immunological methods are primarily used; however, these techniques are time-consuming and expensive. In this study, we demonstrate that unitary alphatoxin nanopore can be used to detect and differentiate these mycotoxins in aqueous solution. The presence of AFB, OTA or FB inside the nanopore induces reversible blockage of the ionic current flowing through the nanopore, with distinct characteristics of blockage that are unique to each of the three toxins. The process of discrimination is based on the residual current ratio calculation and analysis of the residence time of each mycotoxin inside the unitary nanopore. Using a single alphatoxin nanopore, the mycotoxins could be detected at the nanomolar level, indicating that alphatoxin nanopore is a promising molecular tool for discriminatory analysis of mycotoxins in aqueous solution.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Ochratoxins; Fumonisins; Aflatoxins; Nanopores; Mycotoxins; Aflatoxin B1
PubMed: 36977074
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15030183 -
Toxins Aug 2022Raw feed materials are often contaminated with mycotoxins, and co-occurrence of mycotoxins occurs frequently. A total of 250 samples i.e., rice bran and maize from...
Raw feed materials are often contaminated with mycotoxins, and co-occurrence of mycotoxins occurs frequently. A total of 250 samples i.e., rice bran and maize from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand were analysed using state-of-the-art liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for monitoring the occurrence of regulated, emerging, and masked mycotoxins. Seven regulated mycotoxins - aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisin B, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, HT-2, and T-2 toxin were detected as well as some emerging mycotoxins, such as beauvericin, enniatin type B, stachybotrylactam, sterigmatocystin, and masked mycotoxins, specifically zearalenone-14-glucoside, and zearalenone-16-glucoside. and mycotoxins were the most prevalent compounds identified, especially aflatoxins and fumonisin B in 100% and 95% of samples, respectively. Of the emerging toxins, beauvericin and enniatin type B showed high occurrences, with more than 90% of rice bran and maize contaminated, whereas zearalenone-14-glucoside and zearalenone-16-glucoside were found in rice bran in the range of 56-60%. Regulated mycotoxins (DON and ZEN) were the most frequent mycotoxin combination with emerging mycotoxins (BEA and ENN type B) in rice bran and maize. This study indicates that mycotoxin occurrence and co-occurrence are common in raw feed materials, and it is critical to monitor mycotoxin levels in ASEAN's feedstuffs so that mitigation strategies can be developed and implemented.
Topics: Aflatoxins; Asia, Southeastern; Chromatography, Liquid; Food Contamination; Glucosides; Masked Mycotoxins; Mycotoxins; Oryza; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Zea mays; Zearalenone
PubMed: 36006229
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14080567 -
Toxins Dec 2020Aflatoxins (AFs) are harmful secondary metabolites produced by various moulds, among which is the major AF-producer fungus. These mycotoxins have carcinogenic or acute... (Review)
Review
Aflatoxins (AFs) are harmful secondary metabolites produced by various moulds, among which is the major AF-producer fungus. These mycotoxins have carcinogenic or acute toxigenic effects on both humans and food producing animals and, therefore, the health risks and also the potential economic damages mounted by them have led to legal restrictions, and several countries have set maximum allowable limits for AF contaminations in food and feed. While colonization of food and feed and AF production by are highly supported by the climatic conditions in tropical and subtropical geographic regions, countries in the temperate climate zones are also increasingly exposed to AF-derived health risks due to climate change. In the present study, we have reviewed the available mathematical models as risk assessment tools to predict the possibility of infection and levels of AF contaminations in maize in a changing climatic environment. After highlighting the benefits and possible future improvements of these models, we summarize the current agricultural practices used to prevent or, at least, mitigate the deleterious consequences of AF contaminations.
Topics: Aflatoxins; Agriculture; Aspergillus flavus; Climate Change; Food Contamination; Models, Theoretical; Risk Assessment; Zea mays
PubMed: 33291729
DOI: 10.3390/toxins12120768 -
Maternal & Child Nutrition Jan 2021Exposure to unsafe level of aflatoxin in early life may lead to growth faltering. However, the extent of contamination of breast milk and complementary foods is poorly...
Exposure to unsafe level of aflatoxin in early life may lead to growth faltering. However, the extent of contamination of breast milk and complementary foods is poorly examined. We determined aflatoxin M (AFM ) and B (AFB ) contamination of human breast milk and cereal-based cooked complementary foods, respectively, among households having children 6-23 months of age in Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia. Data were collected through two cross-sectional surveys implemented in the wet (n = 180) and dry (n = 180) seasons. Eligible households (n = 360) were recruited from three agroecological zones (lowland, midland and highland, each with sample size of 120) using a multistage sampling technique. AFB and AFM levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to compare aflatoxin levels between seasons and across the agroecological zones. Among 360 breast milk samples tested, 64.4% had detectable AFM and 5.3% exceeded the 0.025 parts per billion (ppb) limit set by the European Union for infant milk. The median AFM in the lowlands was significantly higher than in the other agroecological settings (P < 0.001). By season, AFM was higher in breast milk samples collected in the dry season (P = 0.041). AFB was detected in 96.4% of the food samples tested, and 95.0% had concentration exceeding the permissible European Union limit of 0.1 ppb. The median AFB was significantly higher in the lowland (P = 0.002), but there was no difference between the seasons (P = 0.386). The study indicated that, in southern Ethiopia, foods intended for infants are heavily contaminated with AFB . Contamination of breast milk is also a significant health concern.
Topics: Aflatoxins; Animals; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethiopia; Female; Food Contamination; Humans; Infant; Milk; Milk, Human
PubMed: 32954680
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13081 -
PloS One 2021Evidence about the magnitude of the aflatoxin menace can help policy makers appreciate the importance of the problem and strengthen policies to support aflatoxin...
Evidence about the magnitude of the aflatoxin menace can help policy makers appreciate the importance of the problem and strengthen policies to support aflatoxin mitigation measures. In this study, we estimated aflatoxin-induced liver cancer risk in 2016 for Tanzania and used the information to estimate the health burden due to the aflatoxin exposure in the country. The burden of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer was assessed based on available aflatoxin biomarker data from a previous epidemiology study, hepatitis B virus infection prevalence and population size of Tanzania in 2016. The health burden due to aflatoxin-induced liver cancer was estimated using disability adjusted life years (DALYs). The aflatoxin exposures ranged from 15.0-10,926.0 ng/kg bw/day (median, 105.5 ng/kg bw/day). We estimated that in 2016 there were about 1,480 (2.95 per 100,000 persons) new cases of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer in Tanzania and assumed all of them would die within a year. These morbidity and mortality rates led to a total loss of about 56,247.63 DALYs. These results show, quantitatively, the cases of liver cancer and related deaths that could be avoided, and the healthy life years that could be saved, annually, by strengthening measures to control aflatoxin contamination in Tanzania.
Topics: Aflatoxins; Biomarkers, Tumor; Child, Preschool; Cost of Illness; Female; Health Care Costs; Humans; Infant; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Morbidity; Prevalence; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Risk Factors; Tanzania
PubMed: 33705417
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247281 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024The use of clay materials in dairy technology requires a multidisciplinary approach that allows correlating clay efficiency in the targeted application to its... (Review)
Review
The use of clay materials in dairy technology requires a multidisciplinary approach that allows correlating clay efficiency in the targeted application to its interactions with milk components. For profitability reasons, natural clays and clay minerals can be used as low-cost and harmless food-compatible materials for improving key processes such as fermentation and coagulation. Under chemical stability conditions, clay materials can act as adsorbents, since anionic clay minerals such as hydrotalcite already showed effectiveness in the continuous removal of lactic acid via in situ anion exchange during fermentation and ex situ regeneration by ozone. Raw and modified bentonites and smectites have also been used as adsorbents in aflatoxin retention and as acidic species in milk acidification and coagulation. Aflatoxins and organophilic milk components, particularly non-charged caseins around their isoelectric points, are expected to display high affinity towards high silica regions on the clay surface. Here, clay interactions with milk components are key factors that govern adsorption and surface physicochemical processes. Knowledge about these interactions and changes in clay behavior according to the pH and chemical composition of the liquid media and, more importantly, clay chemical stability is an essential requirement for understanding process improvements in dairy technology, both upstream and downstream of milk production. The present paper provides a comprehensive review with deep analysis and synthesis of the main findings of studies in this area. This may be greatly useful for mastering milk processing efficiency and envisaging new prospects in dairy technology.
Topics: Clay; Adsorption; Aflatoxins; Blood Coagulation; Minerals
PubMed: 38255881
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020808