Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60000, Pakistan.
Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60000, Pakistan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 14;19(6):3404. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063404.
Dry fruits and nuts are nutritious foods with several health-promoting properties. However, they are prone to contamination with aflatoxins at all stages of production and storage. The present study aimed to determine the natural occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), and total aflatoxins (AFT) in dates, pistachios, and walnuts collected from four districts of South Punjab (Pakistan), and to assess the associated health risks as estimated by dietary exposure and the Margin of Exposure (MoE) determinations. The contents of AFB1 and AFT in these food products were monitored during storage under three different conditions (open-air, hermetically closed jars, and refrigeration at 4 °C) to determine the most efficient conditions in preventing aflatoxin accumulation. HPLC-fluorescence analysis of 60 samples of these products for aflatoxin contamination showed that 52 (86.7%) samples were contaminated at different levels, with a maximum of 24.2 ng/g. The overall (all samples) mean concentrations of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, and AFT were 3.39 ± 2.96, 1.39 ± 1.68, 1.63 ± 1.48. 1.12 ± 1.23, and 7.54 ± 6.68, respectively. The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) and MoE of aflatoxins through the consumption of the products ranged from 0.06 ng/kg bw/day to 2.0 ng/kg bw/day and from 84.84 to 2857.13, respectively, indicating that consumers are at high health risk. Significant differences were recorded between aflatoxin levels in the samples stored under different storage conditions, with storage under refrigeration (4 °C) being the most effective in controlling aflatoxin accumulation, although storage in closed jars was also efficient and offers a more flexible alternative to retailers. The findings of the study urge official authorities of Pakistan to implement appropriate regulatory and control measures and surveillance program to alleviate the potential public health risks associated with the consumption of dry fruits and nuts in the scope of their increased consumption.
干水果和坚果是具有多种促进健康特性的营养食品。然而，它们在生产和储存的各个阶段都容易受到黄曲霉毒素的污染。本研究旨在确定从旁遮普省（巴基斯坦）四个地区采集的枣、开心果和核桃中天然存在的黄曲霉毒素 B1（AFB1）、黄曲霉毒素 B2（AFB2）、黄曲霉毒素 G1（AFG1）、黄曲霉毒素 G2（AFG2）和总黄曲霉毒素（AFT），并通过膳食暴露和暴露量（MoE）评估来评估相关的健康风险。在三种不同条件（露天、密封罐和 4°C 冷藏）下监测这些食品在储存过程中 AFB1 和 AFT 的含量，以确定防止黄曲霉毒素积累的最有效条件。使用 HPLC-荧光分析法对这些产品的 60 个样本进行黄曲霉毒素污染监测，结果显示 52（86.7%）个样本存在不同程度的污染，最高含量为 24.2ng/g。所有样本的 AFB1、AFB2、AFG1、AFG2 和 AFT 的总（所有样本）平均浓度分别为 3.39±2.96、1.39±1.68、1.63±1.48、1.12±1.23 和 7.54±6.68。通过食用这些产品，估计每日摄入量（EDI）和黄曲霉毒素的暴露量（MoE）范围分别为 0.06ng/kg bw/天至 2.0ng/kg bw/天和 84.84 至 2857.13，表明消费者面临高健康风险。在不同储存条件下储存的样本中，黄曲霉毒素水平存在显著差异，冷藏（4°C）储存是控制黄曲霉毒素积累最有效的方法，尽管密封罐储存也很有效，并且为零售商提供了更灵活的选择。该研究结果敦促巴基斯坦官方当局实施适当的监管和控制措施以及监测计划，以减轻食用干水果和坚果带来的潜在公共健康风险。
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