Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 in Dairy Products in Southern Italy

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Abstract

A screening survey of the presence of aflatoxin M ₁ (AFM ₁) was carried out on 265 samples of cheese made from cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, sheep-goat milk collected in the Apulia region (Southern Italy). Selected samples included unripened, medium and long-term ripened cheeses. AFM ₁ was found in 16.6% of the analyzed samples. The highest positive incidence was for medium and long-term ripened cheeses, especially those made from sheep-goat milk, while buffalo cheeses tested consistently negative. Our results show that the level of contamination by AFM ₁ in dairy products from Apulia Region are lower than in other Italian and European regions. Moreover, it is important to underline that a common European norm concerning the AFM ₁ threshold limits for dairy products is still lacking.

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Most cited references 44

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Update of survey, regulation and toxic effects of mycotoxins in Europe.

Edmond E. Creppy (2002)

The most frequent toxigenic fungi in Europe are Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium species. They produce aflatoxin B1 transformed into aflatoxin M1 found in the milk, as well as Ochratoxins and Zearalenone, Fumonisin B1, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin), which are of increasing concern in human health. These mycotoxins are under continuous survey in Europe, but the regulatory aspects still need to be set up and/or harmonised at European level. They are found in foodstuffs and are not destroyed by normal industrial processing or cooking since they are heat-stable. Some of their metabolites are still toxic and may be involved in human diseases. Their toxic effects (liver, kidney and hematopoetic toxicity, immune toxicity, reproduction toxicity, foetal toxicity and teratogenicity, and mainly carcinogenicity) are mostly known in experimental models, the extrapolation to humans being always inaccurate. The inaccuracy of extrapolation to humans may be explained by the lack of adequate food consumption data, lack of knowledge about relative health risks associated with specifically proposed limits and by the possibility of synergism with other mycotoxins present in the same food commodities. Other pathological causes are viral hepatitis, immune or hormonal deficiencies or organ dysfunction. Even when a specific biomarker of a given mycotoxin is identified in humans, it remains difficult to establish the relation with a given illness, because of genetic polymorphism and the possible beneficial influence of diet, and because other environmental toxicants may well interfere. The acceptable daily intake limits are mostly based on animal data and may be too high, due to the differences in the sensitivity of different animal species. The prevention involves first reduction of mycotoxin levels in foodstuffs and further increasing the intake of diet components such as vitamins, antioxidants and substances known to prevent carcinogenesis.

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Toxic effects of mycotoxins in humans.

M Peraica, B Radić, Jelena M Pavlović … (1998)

Mycotoxicoses are diseases caused by mycotoxins, i.e. secondary metabolites of moulds. Although they occur more frequently in areas with a hot and humid climate, favourable for the growth of moulds, they can also be found in temperate zones. Exposure to mycotoxins is mostly by ingestion, but also occurs by the dermal and inhalation routes. Mycotoxicoses often remain unrecognized by medical professionals, except when large numbers of people are involved. The present article reviews outbreaks of mycotoxicoses where the mycotoxic etiology of the disease is supported by mycotoxin analysis or identification of mycotoxin-producing fungi. Epidemiological, clinical and histological findings (when available) in outbreaks of mycotoxicoses resulting from exposure to aflatoxins, ergot, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, 3-nitropropionic acid, zearalenone and fumonisins are discussed.

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Studies on Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from maize in northern Italy.

A Pietri, P Giorni, T Bertuzzi … (2007)

In 2003, for the first time in Italy, significant problems arose with colonization and contamination of maize destined for animal feed with Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins (AFs). This resulted in milk and derived products being contaminated with AFM(1) at levels above the legislative limit. There was little knowledge and experience of this problem in Italy. The objectives of this research were thus to study the populations of Aspergillus section Flavi in six northern Italian regions and obtain information on the relative role of the key species, ability to produce sclerotia, production of the main toxic secondary metabolites, aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid, and tolerance of key environmental parameters. A total of 70 strains were isolated and they included the toxigenic species A. flavus and A. parasiticus. A. flavus was dominant in the populations studied, representing 93% of the strains. Seventy percent of strains of Aspergillus section Flavi produced AFs, with 50% of strains also producing cyclopiazonic acid. Sixty-two percent of A. flavus strains and 80% of A. parasiticus were able to produce sclerotia at 30 degrees C. Using 5/2 agar, only 1 strain developed S sclerotia and 19 L sclerotia. With regard to ecological studies, growth of Aspergillus section Flavi was optimal at between 25 and 30 degrees C, while AFB(1) production was optimal at 25 degrees C. Regarding water availability (water activity, a(w)), 0.99 a(w) was optimal for both growth and AFs production, while the only aflatoxin produced in the driest condition tested (0.83 a(w)) was AFB(1). This information will be very useful in identifying regions at risk in northern Italy by linking climatic regional information to levels of fungal contamination present and potential for aflatoxin production in maize destined for animal feed. This would be beneficial as part of a prevention strategy for minimising AFs in this product.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Int J Mol Sci

Journal ID (publisher-id): ijms

Title: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Publisher: Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)

ISSN (Electronic): 1422-0067

Publication date Collection: December 2008

Publication date (Electronic): 12 December 2008

Volume: 9

Issue: 12

Pages: 2614-2621

Affiliations

Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11 - 70124 Bari, Italy. E-Mails: c.napoli@ 123456igiene.uniba.it (C. N.); osvaldadegiglio@ 123456tiscali.it (O. G.); iroberta@ 123456hotmail.com (R. I.); gbarbuti@ 123456dimo.uniba.it (G. B.)

Author notes

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: montagna@ 123456igiene.uniba.it ; Tel. 0039-0805478476

Article

Publisher ID: ijms-09-02614

DOI: 10.3390/ijms9122614

PMC ID: 2635657

PubMed ID: 19330096

SO-VID: c4ad833c-e80a-49ff-981d-03184295abb2

Copyright © © 2008 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

License:

This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

History

Date received : 27 October 2008

Date revision received : 5 December 2008

Date accepted : 10 December 2008

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