Determination of Aflatoxin M1 in Raw Milk from Different Provinces of Ecuador

Abstract

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a mycotoxin from Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, classified as carcinogenic and hepatotoxic. The objective of the present investigation was to determine its presence in raw milk from north-central Ecuador, constituted by the provinces of Pichincha, Manabí, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. These areas represent approximately 30% of Ecuadorian milk production. By the end of the investigation, a total of 209 raw milk samples were collected, obtained both during the dry (June and August) and rainy seasons (April and November) of 2019. AFM1 concentrations were measured with lateral flow immunochromatographic assays, and 100% of the samples were positive for this mycotoxin, presenting a mean value of 0.0774 μg/kg with a range of 0.023 to 0.751 μg/kg. These AFM1 levels exceeded the European Union regulatory limit of 0.05 μg/kg in 59.3% (124/209) of samples, while only 1.9% (4/209) exceeded the Ecuadorian legal limit of 0.5 μg/kg. By using non-parametric tests, significant differences were determined (p ≤ 0.05) between the provinces for months of study, climatic season (being higher in the dry season), and climatic region (greater in the coast region). On the other hand, there were no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) between the types of producers or between production systems. Therefore, AFM1 contamination in raw milk does not present a serious public health problem in Ecuador, but a monitoring and surveillance program for this mycotoxin in milk should be developed to prevent consumer health problems.

Occurrence and associated factors of aflatoxin M1 in raw cow milk in South Gondar Zone, North West Ethiopia, 2020

“…However, higher than the other studies conducted in Egypt (Ismaiel et al., 2020 ) and two studies from Turkey (Yilmaz et al., 2019 ). The mean value of AFM1 of this study was comparable with the study conducted in Addis Ababa but higher than the result reported from Peru (Puga et al., 2020 ) and Argentina (Costamagna et al., 2019 ) and lower than the study found in Egypt (Temamogullari et al., 2014 ). This variation in milk AFM1 level could be due to milk originating from different agroecological conditions, applying different feeding practices, different climate conditions, different cattle management systems, feed storage conditions, and different levels of awareness on milk AFM1.…”

Determination of patulin in products containing dried fruits by Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay technique Patulin in dried fruits

“…Since 1970, the popularity of the use of immunoenzymatic methods has increased in the analysis of mycotoxins (Singh & Mehta, 2020 ). In recent years, ELISA test kits are used to determine concentration of mycotoxins such as patulin (PAT), aflatoxins (AFs, AFB 1 ), ochratoxins (OTA), zearalanone (ZEN), trichothecenes, fumonisins (FBs), citrinin (CIT) in food samples, and agricultural commodities (Azam et al., 2021 ; Omar et al., 2020 ; Puga‐Torres et al., 2020 ; Sudakin & Fallah, 2008 ; Tang et al., 2019 ). The ELISA technique has also been used in herbal raw materials such as black pepper, coriander, ginger, garlic, and plants belonging to the Fabaceae family also (Dungkokkruad et al., 2017 ; Orina et al., 2020 ; Thirumala‐Devi et al., 2001 ; Tonti et al., 2017 ; L. Zhang et al., 2018 ).…”

“…In recent years, ELISA test kits are used to determine concentration of mycotoxins such as patulin (PAT), aflatoxins (AFs, AFB 1 ), ochratoxins (OTA), zearalanone (ZEN), trichothecenes, fumonisins (FBs), citrinin (CIT) in food samples, and agricultural commodities (Azam et al, 2021;Omar et al, 2020;Puga-Torres et al, 2020;Sudakin & Fallah, 2008;Tang et al, 2019…”

Determination of zearalenone in raw milk from different provinces of Ecuador

“…In milk, ZEA is frequently found together with ochratoxin A or aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) [49]. This is important because, in a parallel study, AFM1 was found in the same raw milk in 100% of the samples, with a mean of 0.0774 µg/kg [50].…”