Aflatoxin M₁in breast-milk of UAE women

Abstract

A study was undertaken to determine whether breast-milk of mothers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) contained aflatoxins. One hundred and forty lactating mothers, 55 who had delivered premature infants (<2500 g, </=37 wk gestational age) and 85 who had full-term infants, agreed to participate in the study. Breast-milk was collected during regular feeding of infants in the special care baby unit and postnatal wards using an electric breast pump and ten ml of milk was siphoned off into a zinc-free plastic container for analysis. Aflatoxin M(1) concentration in the breast-milk samples was measured by HPLC. Samples were collected between January 1999 and December 2000. Approximately 66% of the mothers were expatriates and 34% were UAE nationals. Babies' weight, postnatal age, sex, birthweight and gestational age, and mothers' nationality, age and parity were recorded. Overall, 92% of the breast-milk samples contained aflatoxin M(1). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis failed to show significant correlation between aflatoxin M(1) and gestational age, postnatal age, gender, nationality and clinical condition. Levels of lactose, protein and lipids did not correlate significantly with levels of aflatoxin M(1). The public should be educated about storing food and the hazards of aflatoxin ingestion to reduce the unacceptably frequent presence of aflatoxin in breast-milk.

Occurrence of Fungi and Mycotoxins in Some Commercial Baby Foods in North Africa

“…Aflatoxin M 1 has been reported in breast milk particularly in developing countries. For example in Egypt, AFM 1 was detected in breast milk at level 13.5 pg·mL -1 [38], in The United Arab Emirates in the range of 5 to 3400 pg·mL -1 [39] and from 5 -64 pg·mL -1 in the Sudan [40]. In Gambia AFM 1 was detected in one hundred samples of breast milk at ≥1.4 pg·mL -1 [41].…”

Effect of aflatoxin B1 on blood serum oestradiol-17² and progesterone concentrations during the luteal phase and the synchronized oestrus of goats

“…AFB 1 is very regularly detected in feedstuffs and sometimes in feed from households (Klarić et al, 2009) causing various detrimental effects after it is consumed by animals or humans. Furthermore, aflatoxin Μ 1 (AFM 1 ), the hydroxylized metabolite of AFB 1 , is excreted into the milk of most animal species and of human, as well (Galvano et al, 1996;Abdulrazzaq et al, 2003) and considered carcinogenic.…”

Effect of prolonged aflatoxin B₁ administration on blood serum oestradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations of goats during the anoestrus period --

“…The regions more affected by aflatoxins are those with tropic or doi: 10.17221/8130-CJAS subtropic climate, since the levels of humidity and temperature play a positive role in fungal growth (Galvano et al 1996;Abdulrazzaq et al 2003). The consumption of AFB 1 results in the excretion of aflatoxin M 1 into the milk.…”

“…The consumption of AFB 1 results in the excretion of aflatoxin M 1 into the milk. Aflatoxin M 1 is the major of AFB 1 metabolites, mainly produced in the liver, with carcinogenic potency as well, and in some cases it is detected at concentrations higher than the maximum permissible levels fixed by each country, making the milk inappropriate for consumption (El-Nezami et al 1995;Abdulrazzaq et al 2003;Kourousekos et al 2012).…”