Assessment of Aflatoxin M1 in human breast milk in Rafsanjan, Iran

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

2 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

3 Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

4 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

5 Occupational Environment Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

10.18502/cmm.7.1.6177

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Aflatoxins (AFs) are a group of highly toxic mycotoxins present both in the environment and in foodstuffs. The food of infants should be safe and free of various pollutants, including breast milk mycotoxins. This study aimed to measure the mycotoxin of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in human milk samples obtained from lactating mothers living in Rafsanjan city, Iran. 
Materials and Methods: In the current cross-sectional study, breast milk samples were collected from 150 lactating mothers in Rafsanjan city from September 2015 to April 2016 using the structured food-frequency questionnaire. The AFM1 was measured by employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay specific kits. The statistical analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 16).
Results: The AFM1 was detected in 98 mothers (65%) with a mean concentration of 14.69±8.15 ng/kg, ranging from 5.02 to 41.25 ng/kg. The AFM1 concentration exceeded the tolerable and accepted limit promulgated by the European Union and the USA (25 ng/kg) in only 10 milk samples. Moreover, in 59 milk samples, the AFM1 concentration exceeded the limit recommended by Australia and Switzerland (10 ng/kg).
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, lactating mothers and their infants are at risk of AFM1 exposure in southern Iran. Accordingly, the examination of AFM1 concentrations in lactating mothers, as a critical postnatal exposure marker of infants to this carcinogenic compound, requires further studies in various seasonal periods and different parts of Iran

Keywords


1. Gurbay A, Sabuncuoglu SA, Girgin G, Sahin G, Yigit S,
Yurdakok M, et al. Exposure of newborns to aflatoxin M1 and
B1 from mothers' breast milk in Ankara, Turkey. Food Chem
Toxicol. 2010; 48(1):314-9.
2. Maleki F, Abdi S, Davodian E, Haghani K, Bakhtiyari S.
Exposure of infants to aflatoxin M1 from mother's breast milk in
Ilam, Western Iran. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2015;
6(5):283-7.
3. Chadseesuwan U, Sangdokmai A, Pimpitak U, Puthong S,
Palaga T, Komolpis K. Production of a monoclonal antibody
against aflatoxin M1 and its application for detection of aflatoxin
M1 in fortified milk. J Food Drug Anal. 2016; 24(4):780-7.
4. Mousavi SA, Pourtalebi SM. Inhibitory effects of silver
nanoparticles on growth and aflatoxin B1 production by
Aspergillus parasiticus. Iran J Med Sci. 2015; 40(6):501-6.
5. Andrade PD, Gomes da Silva JL, Caldas ED. Simultaneous
analysis of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, M1 and ochratoxin A in
breast milk by high-performance liquid chromatography/
fluorescence after liquid-liquid extraction with low temperature
purification (LLE-LTP). J Chromatogr A. 2013; 1304:61-8.
6. Sadeghi N, Oveisi MR, Jannat B, Hajimahmoodi M, Bonyani H,
Jannat F. Incidence of aflatoxin M1 in human breast milk in
Tehran, Iran. Food Control. 2009; 20(1):75-8.
7. Fallah AA, Rahnama M, Jafari T, Saei-Dehkordi SS. Seasonal
variation of aflatoxin M1 contamination in industrial and
traditional Iranian dairy products. Food Control. 2011;
22(10):1653-6.
8. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks
to Humans. Some traditional herbal medicines, some
mycotoxins, naphthalene and styrene. IARC Monogr Eval
Carcinog Risks Hum. 2002; 82:1-556.
9. Gholami-Shabani M, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Razzaghi-Abyaneh
M. Aflatoxins and aflatoxigenic fungi in Iran: a systematic
review of the past, present, and future. Mycol Iran. 2017;
4(2):65-84.
10. Dehkordi AJ, Pourradi N. Determination of aflatoxin M1 in
breast milk samples in Isfahan, Iran. J Isfahan Med Sch. 2012;
30:182.
11. Afshar P, Shokrzadeh M, Kalhori S, Babaee Z, Saravi SS.
Occurrence of Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin M1 in human breast
milk in Sari, Iran. Food Control. 2013; 31(2):525-9.
12. Jafari T, Fallah AA, Kheiri S, Fadaei A, Amini SA. Aflatoxin
M1 in human breast milk in Shahrekord, Iran and association
with dietary factors. Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill. 2017;
10(2):128-36.
13. Atasever M, Yildirim Y, Atasever M, Tastekin A. Assessment of
aflatoxin M1 in maternal breast milk in Eastern Turkey. Food
Chem Toxicol. 2014; 66:147-9.
14. Alimentarius C. Maximum level for aflatoxin M1 in milk. Codex
Stand. 2001; 97:37.
15. Diaz GJ, Sanchez MP. Determination of aflatoxin M1 in breast
milk as a biomarker of maternal and infant exposure in
Colombia. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo
Risk Assess. 2015; 32(7):1192-8.
16. Kunter I, Hurer N, Gulcan HO, Ozturk B, Dogan I, Sahin G.
Assessment of aflatoxin M1 and heavy metal levels in mothers
breast milk in Famagusta, Cyprus. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2017;
175(1):42-9.
17. el-Nezami HS, Nicoletti G, Neal GE, Donohue DC, Ahokas JT.
Aflatoxin M1 in human breast milk samples from Victoria,
Australia and Thailand. Food Chem Toxicol. 1995; 33(3):173-9.
18. Elzupir AO, Abas AR, Fadul MH, Modwi AK, Ali NM, Jadian
AF, et al. Aflatoxin M(1) in breast milk of nursing Sudanese
mothers. Mycotoxin Res. 2012; 28(2):131-4.
19. Adejumo O, Atanda O, Raiola A, Somorin Y, Bandyopadhyay
R, Ritieni A. Correlation between aflatoxin M1 content of breast
milk, dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 and socioeconomic status
of lactating mothers in Ogun State, Nigeria. Food Chem Toxicol.
2013; 56:171-7.
20. Mahdavi R, Nikniaz L, Arefhosseini SR, Vahed Jabbari M.
Determination of aflatoxin M(1) in breast milk samples in
Tabriz-Iran. Matern Child Health J. 2010; 14(1):141-5.
21. Ghiasian S, Maghsood A. Infants’ exposure to aflatoxin M1
from mother’s breast milk in Iran. Iran J Public Health. 2012;
41(3):119-26.
22. Jafarian-Dehkordi A, Pourradi N. Aflatoxin M1 contamination
of human breast milk in Isfahan, Iran. Adv Biomed Res. 2013;
2:86.
 
Volume 7, Issue 1
March 2021
Pages 6-11
  • Receive Date: 22 September 2020
  • Revise Date: 12 April 2021
  • Accept Date: 12 April 2021
  • Publish Date: 01 March 2021