• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.488-493
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• 2007

A survey for total aflatoxins (aflatoxins $B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$, and $G_2$) was conducted on 245 cereals and processed cereal products, and 148 nuts and processed nut products in Korea, for a total of 393 commercialized ed samples. The total aflatoxins were quantified by the immunoaffinity column clean-up method with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) - fluorescence detection (FLD), and were confirmed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Total aflatoxins(AFs) were detected in 37 samples (9.4% incidence), including 2 millet samples, 1 mixed cereal (sunsik), 1 powdered malt sample, 2 processed cereal products, 6 peanut samples, 22 peanut butter samples, and 1 sample each of almonds, adlay tea, and a processed nut product. The contamination levels were $0.04-2.65{\mu}g/kg$ for aflatoxin $B_1$, and $0.04-5.51{\mu}g/kg$ for total aflatoxins. Finally, LC-MS/MS analysis of the contaminated samples was conducted to confirm the detected aflatoxins, and all 37 samples showing aflatoxins by HPLC-FLD were confirmed by LC-MS/MS.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5167-5170
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• 2012

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.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.990-994
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• 2004

Effects of addition of a mycotoxin detoxifier in poultry feed were studied in broilers. Aflatoxins were present in the poultry feed as 28 ppb (normal feed), 78 ppb (contaminated feed) and 170 ppb (highly contaminated feed). The mycotoxin detoxifier was used in 3 concentrations i.e. 1, 3 and 5 kg/ton of feed. Aflatoxins reduced the body weight in broiler chicken and treatment of contaminated feed with low level of detoxifier improved the body weight equivalent to that of normal feed. Higher level of detoxifier proved better than lower level addition in alleviating the effects of highly contaminated feed. Addition of detoxifier also resulted in improvement of FCR to the level of normal feed. Antibody levels against Newcastle disease virus on day 28 of age were significantly lower in chicken fed on contaminated feed. Addition of detoxifier in feed improved the antibody levels in chicken. Mortality was highest in groups given contaminated feed throughout the study period of 7 weeks. Significant mortality was also observed in groups given highly contaminated feed for 2 weeks. Mortality in chicken given detoxifier added contaminated feed was lowest and similar to the group given normal feed. The study shows that mycotoxin detoxifier containing oxyquinol, dichloro-thymol and micronized yeast can effectively neutralize the ill-effects of aflatoxins in poultry feed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 1996

A comparison was made of two detection methods(UV absorbence detection and fluorescence detection with pre-column derivatization, with trifluoroacetic acid) coupled with HPLC for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxin $B_1, B_2, G_1$ and $G_2$. A good separation of the four aflatoxins was achieved on a reversed-phase $C_{18}$ column (30 cm x 3.9 mm) with methanol-acetonitrile-water(20+20+60) for absorbence detection or acetonitrile-water(25+75) for fluorescence detection at the flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The calibration graphs were linear over the ranges 100 ppb-1 ppm for $B_1/G_1$ and 30~300 ppb for $B_2/G_1$ with absorbence detection, and 1~500 ppb for $B_1/G_1$ and 0.3~150 ppb for $B_2/G_2$ with fluorescence detection. The correlation coefficients were greater than 0.94 and 0.99 for absorbance detection and for fluorescence detection, respectively. The detection limit was 100 ng for $B_1/G_1$ and 30 ng for $B_2/G_2$ with absorbence detection, and 1 ng for $B_1/G_1$ and 0.3 ng for $B_2/G_2$ with fluorescence detection. Recovery rates of aflatoxin $B_1, B_2, G_1$ and $G_2$ added to yeast-extract sucrose broth medium were 66.6%, 59.4%, 67.5% and 59.2%, respectively, for absorbence detection and 82.9%, 71.5%, 80.0% and 69.3%, respectively, for fluorescence detection. The four aflatoxins in culture medium were quantitatively detected by the two methods. The aflatoxins in the rice sample were not detected the absorbence detection method, but were below 10 ppb using the fluorescence detection method. Analysis of aflatoxins by both the absorbence and fluorescence methods coupled with HPLC showed acceptable linearity and good recovery. The absorbence detection was less timeconsuming and safer for treatment. The fluorescence detection was more elective and sensitive though elevated $B_1$ and $G_1$ contents were determined from the TFA-induced conversion of $B_1$ to $B_{2a}$ and $G_1$ to $G_{2a}$.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 1990

Aflatoxins is a chemically diverse group of toxic secondary metabolites that are produced by fungi and often occur in agricultural commodities. Because of their wide range of toxic effects, Aflatoxins cause severe economic losses to farmers and livestock producers and pose a health to human consuming contaminated foods. Long term prospects for biotechnological control of Aflatoxins require elucidation of the specific steps and regulation of their biosynthetic pathways . Aflatoxin determinations can be approached many ways. It is essential to safely handle all experimental materials associated with aflatoxin analysis or aflatoxigenic fungi Visual screening of suspect samples, base on the presence of conidial head of the aspergillus flavus group, and screening samples for the presence of bright greenish yellow flourescence are not chemical tests and such screening techniques may allow aflactoxin contaminated lots into commerce. Microcolumn screening procedures should always be used in conjunction with a quantitative method. Several thin layer chromatography(TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) methods are suitable for quantitation and are in general use. Immunochemical Methods such as the ELISA or affinity column chromatography methods are being rapidly developed. The chemical and immunochemical methods can be reliable if care is taken, using suitable controls and personnel that are well trained . All analytical laboratories should stress safety and include suitable analytical validation procedure. Especially a worldwide enquiry was undertaken in recent to obtain up-to-date information about aflatoxin legislation in as many countries of the world as possible. The information concerns aflatoxin in foodstuffs. aflatoxin MI in dairy products, aflatoxins in animal feedstuffs. Limits and regulations for aflatoxin have been expended in recent with more countries having legislation on subject, more products, and more aflatoxins covered by this legislation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2010

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS) have been widely used to quantify aflatoxins in food, but these methods are expensive, time-consuming, unsuitable for analysis of the routine screening of large sample numbers and require derivatization and high level techniques to perform. The objective of this study is to detect aflatoxins in a large number of foods by a high efficient analytical system of combined enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for screening and LC/MS/MS for confirmation. The samples spiked individually with aflatoxin $B_1$ (0.5 and 1.0 ng/g) and total aflatoxins (10 ng/g) were analyzed by ELISA and LC/MS/ MS, and the recoveries for ELISA and LC/MS/MS were 71.8~119.2% and 70.8~135.3%, respectively. A total of 378 samples (grains, nuts, soybean and fermented soybean foods, pepper and fermented pepper foods) were purchased from the six major cities in Korea and analyzed by ELISA-LC/MS/MS system. Twenty two (5.8%; peanut: 11, pistachio: 2, walnut: 6, almond: 1, pepper powder: 1, pepper paste: 1) out of 378 samples were screened as aflatoxin B1 positive by ELISA, but, 4 (1.1%; peanut: 2, pistachio:1, pepper powder: 1) out of the 22 samples screened were confirmed as aflatoxins positive at levels of 1.02~52.79 ng/g by LC/MS/MS. ELISA-LC/MS/MS system provides a more rapid, accurate and cost-effective method for the detection of aflatoxins in large number of samples.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.339-345
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• 2005

Aflatoxins are produced by Aspergillus flavus, parasiticus that grows in improperly stored cereals. Aflatoxin $B_1\;(AFB_1)$ is a potent hepatocarcinogen in a variety of experimental animals including human beings. In spite of a high attention to the hepatocarcinogenecity of aflatoxins, the relative toxicity of other types $(AFB_2,\;AFG_1\;and\;AFG_2)$ of the toxins is not fully clarified. Sprague-Dawley male rats were orally administered with $AFB_1,\;AFB_2,\;AFG_1\;and\;AFG_2$ at the dose of 250, 1250, and $2500\;{\mu}g/kg$ body weight. Animals were then killed at 12, 24 or 48 hrs following aflatoxin adminstration. Subsequently the relative weight of liver was measured and histopathological examination on the liver was performed. Level of 8-OxodG and expression of ras gene in the liver was determined. The relative liver weights at high doses of $AFB_1\;and\;AFG_1$ was significantly low. The treatment of $AFB_1$ at the high dose of $2500\;{\mu}g/kg$ showed vacuolar degeneration and centrilobular hepatic necrosis with inflammatory cells. The pathological changes by $AFB_2\;AFG_1,\;and\;AFG_2$ were not clearly found. The formation of 8-OxodG by $AFB_1$ increased in a dose-dependent manner up to 24 hrs after a single treatment of $AFB_1$ thereafter decreased to the level of the control. The treatments of $AFB_2\;AFG_1,\;and\;AFG_2$ showed an inconsistent pattern in the formation of 8-OxodG in the liver of rats with increasing time. The expression of ras oncogene in the liver by $AFB_1$ at the dose of $1250\;{\mu}g/kg$ was increased twice compared to the control. The treatments of $AFB_2\;AFG_1,\;and\;AFG_2$ at all doses decreased the expression of ras in the liver. These results in the present study indicate that $AFB_1$ among aflatoxins with low comparable levels is the most toxic as determined by early biomarkers such as 8-OxodG formation and ras expression. However, the levels of 8-OxodG and ras as biomarkers were not useful to predict the relative hepatocarcinogenicity of aflatoxins to $AFB_1$ in the present model. Further studies are required to look for other biomarkers to predict carcinogenic potency of aflatoxins.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.158-167
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• 2013

This study was carried out to assess the safety of cereals and their products (20 species, 205 samples) distributed in Gyeonggi province by analyzing contamination levels such as exposure frequency of Aflatoxins and Deoxynivalenol (DON). Aflatoxins were detected in 16 (8%) samples in total with a range of 0.01~27.88 ${\mu}g/kg$, including 3 of 9 bake flour (33%), 2 of 6 dried corn (33%), 3 of 12 frying flour (25%) and 2 of 11 sorghum (18%). DON was found in 56 (27%) samples including 11 of 13 adlay (85%), 6 of 8 wheat (75%), 6 of 10 processed corn for popcorn (60%), 6 of 11 sorghum (55%) and 7 of 16 barley (44%) with a range of 2.2~754.4 ${\mu}g/kg$. In particular, both Aflatoxins and DON were detected in 8 samples (2 millet, 2 wheat, 1 sorghum, 1 adlay, 1 dried corn, 1 bake flour) simultaneously. As a result of this study, we found that an adult is exposed to Aflatoxins of $0.80({\times})10^{-3}{\mu}g/kg$ b.w./day and DON of 0.18 ${\mu}g/kg$ b.w./day. The quantity of exposure to DON amounted to 18.5 percentage level compared with PMTDI 1 ${\mu}g/kg$ b.w./day suggested on JECFA, therefore we can assess that the possibility of health risks by intake cereals distributed in Gyeonggi province is low. However the concentration of Aflatoxins in one dried corn was 27.88 ${\mu}g/kg$ which was over the maximum residue limits (MRL) suggested on internal and external level, the monitoring about mycotoxin should be conducted on continuously.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2003

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)

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1998

A postcolumn derivatization method was tried for the simultaneous determination of four major aflatoxins ($B_1,\;B_2,\;G_1,\;and\;G_2$) by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. As compared with a previous precolumn derivatization method, it was found that the postcolumn derivatization combined with an electrochemical cell (Kobra cell) was less time-consuming, safer, improved the sensitivity and selectivity, and provided good recoveries for aflatoxin $B_1$ (88.9%) and $G_1$ (100.5%). This method showed linearity from 10~100 ppb for aflatoxin $B_1\;and\;G_1$, and from 3~30 ppb for aflatoxin $B_2\;and\;G_2$. However, aflatoxin Bz and Gz were not detected satisfactorily although they showed good resolution.