Determination of aflatoxins (AFs)‎ in different food samples : a case study from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

-Aflatoxin is one of the highly toxic metabolites produced by different species of fungi, growing in susceptible to agricultural commodities.

These fungi infect many crops, food commodities, milk, and milk derivative.

Commodities contamination by Aflatoxins (AFs) poses enormous economic losses and health problems worldwide.

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimated that every year 25% of the world’s crops lost due to AFs contamination.

Many studies around the world have been conducted to assess the risks of food contamination with AFs to reduce health, environmental and economic burdens.

While reviewing literature in the Middle East generally, and in Saudia particularly reveals that collected samples from local markets are found to be contaminated by AFs with varying levels.

From July to December 2018, 34 different kinds of food commodities samples were collected randomly from different municipalities of Jeddah city.

However; food commodities categorized groups including bakery, cereals, legumes, coffee, nuts, and dry-fruits.

HPLC system, equipped with a model 600 delivery system and the data were integrated and recorded by millennium chromatography manager software 210.

The mobile phase consists of Acetonitrile/Water/methanol (40:240:120; V/V/V, respectively) was used.

The separation was performed at the ambient temperature at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.

The injection volume was 20 μL for both standard solutions and sample extracts.

The fluorescence detector was operated at an excitation wavelength of 365 nm and an emission wavelength of 450 nm.

AFs concentration in samples was determined from the standard curve, using peak area for quantitation according to AOAC in 2012.

The results revealed that Walnut found to be the most aflatoxin-contaminated food item as it gave the highest mean values of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, and TAF which are 210.15, 0.90, 40.03, 23.99, and 282.28 μg kg-1, respectively.

Among the Cereals group, Brown rice items gave the highest mean values of AFB1 and TAF 2.83, and 3.75μg kg-1 respectively.

While the Macaroni item showed the lowest mean values of AFB1 and TAF, where it was 0.009 and 0.009 μg kg-1 respectively.

In the Coffee group, Turkish coffee showed the highest mean of aflatoxins concentration in AFB1 and TAF, where it was 0.506 and 0.506 μg kg-1, respectively, whereas Arabian coffee resulted in a mean of 0.232 and 0.232 μg kg-1 respectively.

Aflatoxin level was found below than maximum tolerated levels (MTL) as recommended by the European Union 4 μg kg-1.

Moreover, in our samples, aflatoxin range was found between 0.009 - 3.749 μg kg-1, which were fit for human consumption as per MTL (20 μg kg-1) assigned by the USA (FDA and FAO).