Aflatoxins: Food Safety, Human Health Hazards and Their Prevention

Abstract

Aflatoxins (AFTs) are group of secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, A. nomius, and Emericella nidulans. AFTs contaminate foods, feeds, other raw ingredients used to produce them and that pose a significant threat to human health. These toxins designated as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and aflatoxin M2 (AFM2) are hydroxylated metabolites form of AFB1 and AFB2 are known as difuranocoumarin compounds. Naturally, these AFs have carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects and caused several metabolic disorders such as aflatoxicosis in domestic animals and humans worldwide. For the increasing in cancer incidences these risk factors are liable. AFB1 is 1000 times more potent hepatocarcinogen found in food then benzo (α) pyrene carcinogen. This chapter offers contamination sources, effects and their controlling approaches to confirm the food safety.

A New Proposed Symbiotic Plant–Herbivore Relationship between Burkea africana Trees, Cirina forda Caterpillars and Their Associated Fungi Pleurostomophora richardsiae and Aspergillus nomius

“…This is supported by the relationship between C. forda and B. africana trees, which has shown that the infestation intensity does not result in the death of B. africana trees, except for severe defoliation. Aspergillus nomius produce carcinogenic secondary metabolites known as aflatoxins [ 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 ] responsible for hepatotoxic and immunosuppressive properties in humans and other animals [ 68 , 69 ] which may render agricultural products unusable as feeds and can lead to significant economic loss [ 70 ]. Several human case of ocular infection by A .…”

Aflatoxins in food: Prevalence, health effects, and emerging trends in its mitigation—An updated review

“…There have also been reports of the production of other forms of AFs, including GM 1 , GM 2 , GM 2 A, and B 3 , (Ashiq, 2015). AFB 1 is the most toxic mycotoxin (B 1 > G 1 > B 2 > G 2 ) as well as the most lethal naturally occurring liver carcinogen (Chandra, 2021). AF contamination can occur in a variety of products, including cereals (rice, maize, wheat, and sorghum), spices (turmeric, chilies, ginger, and coriander), oilseeds (cottonseed, groundnut, sunflower, and soybean), tree nuts (coconut, pistachio, almond, and walnut), and milk (human and animals) (Kumar et al., 2021).…”