A Study on the Presence of Aflatoxin M1 in Cow’s Milk in Jiroft

Mohadeseh  Kamali; Seyyedeh Sedigheh   Seyyedi; Mehdi  Taheri Sarvtin

doi:10.18502/ijml.v8i2.6281

Mohadeseh Kamali Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Seyyedeh Sedigheh Seyyedi Faculty of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
Mehdi Taheri Sarvtin Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijml.v8i2.6281

Keywords: Aflatoxin M1, Fungi, Milk, Toxin

Abstract

Background and Aims: Cow's milk is a daily staple food for many individuals that can be contaminated with many toxins such as aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁). AFM₁ is a chemical form of the aflatoxin B₁ produced by some species of Aspergillus genus like A. ochraceus, A. flavus, A. nomius, and A. parasiticus that can contaminate feed and forage cattle. This toxin enters into the milk after eating contaminated feed by cows. AFM₁ can cause various dangerous diseases such as cancer and immune deficiency in humans. The present study is aimed to investigate the level of AFM₁in cow's milk in Jiroft, Kerman Province, Iran.

Materials and Methods: A total of 90 cow’s milk samples were collected in spring and summer 2019 from available stores in Jiroft city. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure AFM₁ in all cow’s milk samples.
Results: In the present study, AFM₁ was found in 88 (97.8%) milk samples with a range of 0.2-90.62 ppt (mean, 20.07±24.46 ppt). AFM₁ concentrations exceeded 50 ppt (maximum tolerance level of AFM₁ in the European Union) was seen in 12 (13.3%) samples.

Conclusions: The results of this study showed the presence of AFM₁ in cow's milk in Jiroft city. So, in this region, many people are exposed to dangerous diseases such as cancer due to the consumption of milk contaminated with AFM₁.