Background: Consumption of mycotoxic foods is associated with several cases of human poisoning, or mycotoxicosis, sometimes resulting in death.Objective: Phytopreventive inhibition of Aspergillus parasiticus growth and its aflatoxin production by the essential oils extracted from Thymus kotschyanus Boiss & Hohen and Zataria multiflora Boiss. is reported in this study.Methods: Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) and fungicidal kinetics of the oils were determined and compared with each other.Results: The oils from the above mentioned plants were found to be strongly fungicidal and inhibitory to aflatoxin production. Both oils inhibited aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production by A.parasiticus. T. kotschyanus and Z. multiflora oils at 25 ppm concentration, reduced AFB1 levels by 100% and 47.87% respectively. aflatoxin production was significantly inhibited at lower than fungistatic concentration of both oils. The analysis of oils by GC and GC/MS led to identification of 27 and 22 components in T. kotschyanus and Z. multiflora Boiss. respectively which were very similar to each other.Conclusion: Prevention of fungal growth and aflatoxin production by natural compounds is recommended.

Objective: To determine the levels of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in produced cheeses by different plants in province of Tehran.Design: Cross- sectional study.Sample: Eighty cheese samples.Procedure: Chromatography was used for determining the presence of AFM1.Statistical analysis: One- way analysis of variance and Tukey test.Results: AFM1 was found in 83.8% out of 80 cheese samples. The range of contamination levels varied among different months. AFM1 in June, September, December, and March ranged from 197 to 1423, 177 to 1274, 179 to 1506 and 219 to 2918 ng/ kg, respectively. However, the mean values were 549.7, 503.9, 602.1 and 749.6 ng/ kg, respectively. Moreover, the highest mean concentration of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was registered in samples March (2918 ng/ kg). The lowest mean concentration of aflatoxin M1 was registered in samples of September (177 ng/ kg). Statistical evaluation showed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) among the mean concentrations of AFM1 in cheese samples of June, September, December and March. However, mean concentrations of AFM1 in cheese samples of spring and summer was significantly lower than autumn and winter (P=0.004).Conclusion: It can be concluded that the high occurrence of AFM1 in cheese is probably due to the presence of aflatoxin in the feed. This condition should be considered as a probable hazard for human health.

Background and objectives: Contamination of food products with mycotoxins is a public health problem. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified mycotoxins as hepatotoxic and carcinogenic agents to humans (Group 1). The Kurdistan Province is the ninth largest producer of wheat in Iran. We aimed to determine the level of contamination with total aflatoxin (TAF), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in 66 wheat samples randomly selected from 11 wheat flour factories in spring and summer. Methods: The level of toxins was measured by microtiter plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a microtitre plate ELISA reader and total AF, AFB1 and OTA commercial kits. Results: Overall, the level of TAF and AFB in 16. 67% of the samples exceeded the maximum tolerable limit set by the Institute of Standard and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI). However, the level of OTA contamination did not exceed the maximum tolerable limit set by the ISIRI. In addition, the level of TAF, AFB1 and OTA exceeded the maximum tolerable limit set by the EU in 68. 18, 90. 91 and 36. 36% of the samples, respectively. The level of contamination with these mycotoxins differed significantly in spring and summer (P<0. 05). Conclusion: The level of mycotoxin contamination in wheat samples produced in the Kurdistan Province is alarmingly high and appropriate measures should be taken to eliminate the causes of this issue.

Background: aflatoxins, especially aflatoxin B1, have lethal effects on human and animal health. This study is intended to present a specific, sensitive, and relatively fast method for measurement, detection, and isolation of aflatoxin-albumin (Af-Alb) adducts in serum.Materials and Methods: In this experimental-trial, three groups of rats were selected and used as positive control (treated with aflatoxin B1), negative control (without treatment) and standard (treated with radioactive aflatoxin B1). After drawing blood samples from the rats, blood serum and then, serum albumin were isolated. Albumin was hydrolyzed by pronase and eventually, was injected into HPLC system. The sample was then identified and measured by fluorescence detector.Results: Electrophoresis on PAGE revealed albumin isolated from serum to be perfectly pure. In HPLC method, detection limit for the measurement of Af-Alb adduct was determined to be 60 pg/ml. The mean of aflatoxin positive control rats serum was 19.2 ng/mg albumin. In inter- and intragroup experiments, a remarkable level of reproducibility was seen for this method.Conclusion: The amount of Af-Alb adduct is proportionate to the amount of aflatoxin received. This project was conducted with rat serum sample, but since albumin is hydrolyzed and can be isolated from aflatoxin, this method is applicable to the measurement of Af-Alb adducts in human serum samples.

Background: In recent years, limited information has been provided regarding the occurrence of aflatoxins in flour samples and in traditional flat breads in comparison to the leavened breads in Iran. In this study, aflatoxin contamination in some bakery products and assessment of risk of aflatoxin intake were investigated.Methods: In this experimental cross-sectional study, 66 samples including 29 different flour samples, 14 traditional flat bread samples, 10 leavened bread samples, and 13 samples of sesame and seeds used for dressing breads were randomly collected from different factories and bakeries in Isfahan, Iran, and examined for aflatoxin residue using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific kit. The risk of aflatoxin intake for consumers was assessed using hazard quotient and mean and data analysis was conducted using oneway ANOVA and Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD).Findings: aflatoxin residue was found in all of the studied samples in the range of 0.5 to 6.54 pbb and did not exceed the national standard level (15 pbb). Traditional flat breads contained two times more aflatoxin than leavened breads. Hazard quotient ranged from 5.4 to 101 and the relative carcinogenic risk was higher than 10-4.Conclusion: Despite the low aflatoxin contamination levels in bread in this study, the hazard index of higher than the tolerable limit for humans showed that reduction of daily bread consumption in Iran is critical.

aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) that it can be found in milk and dairy products. In this study, ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) technique was used for detection of AFM1 in ice-cream in Guilan province (Northern Iran). A total of 90 ice-cream samples was randomly obtained from different supermarkets. In 62 of the 90 ice-cream samples examined (68.88%), the presence of AFM1 was detected in concentrations between 8.4-147.7 ng/l. The mean level of AFM1 in positive samples was 40.36 ng/l. AFM1 levels in 11 samples (12.22%) were higher than the maximum tolerance limit (50 ng/l) accepted by ISIRI, European Community and Codex Alimentarius.