Aflatoxin

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, most notably Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic. After entering the body, aflatoxins are metabolized by the liver to a reactive intermediate, aflatoxin M₁, an epoxide. Aflatoxin is frequently misspelled as alfatoxin which could be confused with alpha toxin.

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Contamination conditions

  Aflatoxin producing members of Aspergillus are common and widespread in nature. They can colonize and contaminate grain before harvest or during storage. Host crops are particularly susceptible to infection by Aspergillus following prolonged exposure to a high humidity environment or damage from stressful conditions such as drought, a condition which lowers the barrier to entry.

The native habitat of Aspergillus is in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains undergoing microbiological deterioration and it invades all types of organic substrates whenever conditions are favorable for its growth. Favorable conditions include high moisture content (at least 7%) and high temperature.

Crops which are frequently affected include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut).

The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed.

Virtually all sources of commercial peanut butter contain minute quantities of aflatoxin,^[1] but it is usually far below the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommended safe level.

Pathology

High-level aflatoxin exposure produces an acute necrosis, cirrhosis, and carcinoma of the liver exhibited by hemorrhage, acute liver damage, edema, alteration in digestion, and absorption and/or metabolism of nutrients.

No animal species is immune to the acute toxic effects of aflatoxins including humans; however, humans have an extraordinarily high tolerance for aflatoxin exposure and rarely succumb to acute aflatoxicosis.

Chronic, subclinical exposure does not lead to as dramatic of symptoms as acute aflatoxicosis. Children, however, are particularly affected by aflatoxin exposure which leads to stunted growth and delayed development.^[2] Chronic exposure also leads to a high risk of developing liver cancer, as the metabolite aflatoxin M₁ can intercalate into DNA and alkylate the bases through its epoxide moiety.

Medical research indicates that a regular diet including apiaceous vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, celery and parsley, reduces the carcinogenic effects of aflatoxin^[3].

Detection of aflatoxin in humans

There are two techniques that have been used most often to detect levels of aflatoxin in humans.

The first method is measuring the AFM₁-guanine adduct in the urine of subjects. Presence of this breakdown product indicates exposure to aflatoxin in the past 24 hours. However, this technique has a significant flaw in that it only produces a positive result in approximately one-third of positive test subjects. Additionally, due to the half-life of this metabolite, the level of AFM₁-guanine measured can vary significantly from day to day, based on diet, and thus is not useful for assessing long term exposure.

Another technique that has been used is a measurement of the AFB₁-albumin adduct level in the blood serum. This approach is significantly more accurate, as positive results are generated in 90% of positive test subjects. This test is also useful for measuring long-term exposure, as it remains positive for two to three months.

Aflatoxin in pets

Aflatoxin in dry dog food manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods was responsible for at least 23 dog deaths due to liver failure between Dec 2005 and early 2006. In an April 12 2006 letter FedEx'd from the Department of Health and Human Resources to a manufacturing plant,^[4][5] the FDA warned Gary Schell, president of Schell and Kampeter Inc. of Missouri that independent testing of three samples of incoming corn to their processing plant showed between 90 and 1851 ppb, while paperwork on three (of four samples) showed aflatoxins levels <20 ppb, and other sample was not recorded. The results of this letter are unknown.

Major types of aflatoxins and their metabolites

At least 13 different types of aflatoxin are produced in nature. Aflatoxin B₁ is considered the most toxic and is produced by both Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin G₁ and G₂ are produced exclusively by A. parasiticus. While the presence of Aspergillus in food products does not always indicate harmful levels of aflatoxin are also present, it does imply a significant risk in consumption of that product.

Aflatoxins M₁, M₂ were originally discovered in the milk of cows which fed on moldy grain. These compounds are products of a conversion process in the animal's liver. However, aflatoxin M₁ is present in the fermentation broth of Aspergillus parasiticus.

• Aflatoxin B₁ & B₂ : produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus.
• Aflatoxin G₁ & G₂ : produced by Aspergillus parasiticus.
• Aflatoxin M₁ : metabolite of aflatoxin B₁ in humans and animals (exposure in ng can come from mother's milk).
• Aflatoxin M₂ : metabolite of aflatoxin B₂ in milk of cattle fed on contaminated foods.
• Aflatoxicol.

Interaction of aflatoxin with the Hepatitis B virus

Studies have shown that concurrent infection with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) during aflatoxin exposure increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As HBV interferes with the ability of hepatocytes to metabolize aflatoxins, an aflatoxin M₁-DNA conjugate exists for a longer period of time in the liver, increasing the probability of damage to tumor supressor genes such as p53. This effect is synergistic with the resulting damage far greater than just the sum of aflatoxin or HBV individually. (Williams, 2004)

Decreasing HBV infection levels through vaccination is an effective and simple approach that can be taken to reduce these harmful synergistic effects, thus decreasing the impact of chronic aflatoxin exposure. This strategy may prove to be highly effective – many regions of the world which have high aflatoxin rates, such as western Africa and China, also have high HBV infection rates^[6].

Manufacturers

As of January 2007, there are but two primary manufacturers (as distinguished from re-packers and re-sellers) of pure aflatoxins known:

• Sigma-Aldrich ^[7]
• Fermentek, the only one that produces aflatoxin M₂

Customers use these compounds for instance as internal standard when monitoring foodstuffs for aflatoxin contaminants.

See also

• Aflatoxin total synthesis
• Foodborne illness

Notes

1. ^ quantity can range from 0ppb-20ppb for direct human consumption, although feedlot food for finishing beef cattle/swine/poultry can acceptably reach 300ppb; http://scientificteaching.wisc.edu/products/PeanutFiles/library/places/FoodDrugAdmin.htm
2. ^ Abbas, Hamed K. (2005). Aflatoxin and Food Safety. CRC Press. ISBN 0824723031. 
3. ^ University of Washington, Apiaceous vegetable constituents inhibit human cytochrome P-450 1A2 (hCYP1A2) activity and hCYP1A2-mediated mutagenicity of aflatoxin B1., 2006 Sep;44(9):1474-84. (PMID 16762476)
4. ^ http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/g5811d.pdf
5. ^ http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:tMz3hrvL8OgJ:www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/g5811d.htm
6. ^ Williams JH, Phillips TD, Jolly PE, Stiles JK, Jolly CM, Aggarwal D. Human aflatoxicosis in developing countries: a review of toxicology, exposure, potential health consequences, and interventions. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:1106-22. (PMID 15531656)
7. ^ For example see: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/SIGMA/A9887