Super-Sensitive LC-MS Analyses of Exposure Biomarkers for Multiple Mycotoxins in a Rural Pakistan Population

Abstract

High levels of mycotoxin contamination have been reported in various food commodities in Pakistan, however, there has been no exposure assessment study using multiple mycotoxins’ biomarkers. This study aimed to simultaneously assess the exposure to the five major mycotoxins: aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin B1 (FB1), ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEN) in a Pakistani population using an integrated approach of human biomonitoring. Human urine samples (n = 292) were analyzed by a super-sensitive liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Rice and wheat were also collected and analyzed for mycotoxins by the LC-MS/MS method. Food consumption data were collected using a 24 h recall method. A high prevalence of urinary AFM1 (66%, mean ± SD 20.8 ± 41.3 pg/mL) and OTA (99%, 134.7 ± 312.0 pg/mL) were found, whilst urinary DON, FB1 and ZEN levels were low. The probable daily intake (PDI) derived from the urinary biomarkers revealed that 89% of the participants had exposure to OTA exceeding the established tolerable daily intake (TDI = 17 ng/kg bw/day). The average PDI of AFB1 for the studied population was 43 ng/kg bw/day, with rice as the main source of AFB1 exposure. In summary, exposure to AFB1 and OTA are of health concern and require further management.

Nafion-Immobilized Functionalized MWCNT-based Electrochemical Immunosensor for Aflatoxin B1 Detection

“…At present, many traditional strategies have been proposed for AFB 1 detection, − exhibiting fascinating advantages, including rapid analysis and high selectivity. Nevertheless, these methods rely on expensive and bulky instruments and professional operators, exhibit low detection ability, or easily cause false-positive results, making them unable to quickly and accurately monitor a large number of real samples.…”

Development and Validation of an Automated Magneto-Controlled Pretreatment for Chromatography-Free Detection of Aflatoxin B1 in Cereals and Oils through Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

“…Among these, AFB 1 is the most toxic and has the highest detection frequency [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The AFB 1 contamination of food products is the most common contamination problem in the food chain and is potentially hazardous to humans and animals because it causes high carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, suppression of immunity, and liver damage [ 8 , 9 ]. To minimize the human health risk, many countries and regions have set extremely low maximum limits (MLs) for AFB 1 in food.…”