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

oleh: Farah Naz, Francis Verpoort, Shahzad Zafar Iqbal, Nadia Naheed, Muhammad Rafique Asi

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-08-01

Deskripsi

A total of 603 samples of selected spices from different seasons (winter and summer) were analyzed for the occurrence of aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub> (AFB<sub>1</sub>), 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 AFB<sub>1</sub> and a large amount of AFs. The highest means of both AFB<sub>1</sub> 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 AFB<sub>1</sub> 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 (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.05), except for the levels in red pepper and ginger samples, which showed significant differences (<i>p</i> ≤ 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 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05).