The Effects of Aflatoxin B1 on Chromosome Aberrations and Sister Chromatid Exchanges in Human Lymphocytes

Abstract

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a ubiquitous mycotoxin produced by toxicogenic Aspergillus species. AFB1 has been reported to cause serious adverse health effects, such as cancers and abnormal development and reproduction, in animals and humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to induce chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in human lymphocytes. AFB1 exposure significantly increased the number of CA and the frequency of SCE when compared with the control group. This significant increase in CAs as well as SCE may be attributed to the fact that AFB1 can induce genotoxicity through DNA damage. Thus, the present study indicates that AFB1 was genotoxic in human lymphocytes. K e y w o r d s Aflatoxin B1 Chromosome aberrations Genotoxicity Human lymphocytesHow to cite this article: