Activation of the ras oncogene and its relationship to aflatoxins-DNA adduct formation in the rat liver treated with aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are produced by Aspergillus flavus, parasiticus and their related fungi that grow in improperly stored foods such as com, rice, peanuts and other cereals. In addition to its high mutagenicity and cytotoxicity, aflatoxin B$_1$ (AFB$_1$) is a potent hepatocarcinogen in experimental animals and an important factor for the human liver cancer. In spite of a high attention to the hepatocarcinogenicity of aflatoxins, the relative toxicity, for the risk assessment, of other types (AFB$_2$, AFG$_1$ and AFG$_2$) of the toxin was not fully studies.(omitted)