Seasonal Variation of Aflatoxin Levels in Selected Spices Available in Retail Markets: Estimation of Exposure and Risk Assessment

Farah Naz; Francis Verpoort; Shahzad Zafar Iqbal; Nadia Naheed; Muhammad Rafique Asi

doi:10.3390/toxins14090597

Seasonal Variation of Aflatoxin Levels in Selected Spices Available in Retail Markets: Estimation of Exposure and Risk Assessment

Toxins (Basel). 2022 Aug 29;14(9):597. doi: 10.3390/toxins14090597.

Authors

Farah Naz^{1

2}, Francis Verpoort^{3

4

5}, Shahzad Zafar Iqbal⁶, Nadia Naheed⁶, Muhammad Rafique Asi⁷

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
² College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
³ Laboratory of Organometallic, Catalysis and Ordered Materials, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
⁴ Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon 406-840, Korea.
⁵ National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia.
⁶ Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.
⁷ Food Toxicology Lab, NIAB, Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.

Abstract

A total of 603 samples of selected spices from different seasons (winter and summer) were analyzed for the occurrence of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), total AFs, and tocopherols. The findings revealed that 120 (38.7%) samples from the summer and 136 (46.4%) samples from the winter season were observed to be infected with AFB₁ and a large amount of AFs. The highest means of both AFB₁ and total Afs were observed in red pepper, i.e., 15.5 ± 3.90 µg/kg and 22.90 ± 4.10 µg/kg, respectively. The minimum averages of AFB₁ and total AFs were observed in cloves of 6.32 ± 1.8 and 8.40 ± 1.60 µg/kg, respectively (from the winter season). The seasonal variations in the levels of the total AFs in selected spices were observed to be nonsignificant (p ≥ 0.05), except for the levels in red pepper and ginger samples, which showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05). The maximum average of the dietary intake of Afs, 4.80 µg/day/kg, was found in ginger from the winter season in individual females. Furthermore, the findings document that the maximum level of total tocopherol, i.e., 44.8 ± 9.3 mg/100 g, was observed in black pepper from the winter season. A significant difference in the concentration of total tocopherols was observed in selected spices from the summer and the winter seasons (p ≤ 0.05).

Keywords: AFB1; AFs; dietary intake; seasonal variations; selected spices; tocopherol levels.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aflatoxin B1 / analysis
Aflatoxins* / analysis
Capsicum*
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Food Contamination / analysis
Risk Assessment
Seasons
Spices / analysis
Tocopherols

Substances

Aflatoxins
Aflatoxin B1
Tocopherols

Grants and funding

F.N. postdoc fellow appreciates the funding of Shenzhen University, China. SZI acknowledge the funding (NRPU 5574) of Higher Education Commission, Islamabad Pakistan.