Human Health Risk Associated with the Consumption of Aflatoxins in Popcorn

Abstract

Introduction

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced mainly by the molds Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius, and they contaminate cereals, dry fruits, oilseeds and spices. Aflatoxins have harmful effects in animals and humans, inducing vomiting, diarrhea, hepatitis, cirrhosis, immunosuppression, miscarriages, mutagenic and teratogenic effects, resulting in different cancers. Popcorn (Zea mays everta) is a cereal susceptible to aflatoxin contamination, and there are no reports about the risk of its consumption.

Purpose

A study on the incidence and consumption of aflatoxins in popcorn marketed in the city of Veracruz, Mexico was conducted and evaluated to carry out a risk assessment for human health.

Methods

To obtain popcorn, a random sampling in 30 places was done. Frequency of consumption was obtained with informed consent of participants of 253 surveys that considered gender (56% women and 44% men), age (13 less than 18 years, 218 older than 18 years and 22 older than 60 years) and the average body weight, which was 65.5 kg for women and 72.7 kg for men.

Results

Aflatoxins were found in 47% of the 30 samples. The estimated daily consumption among women was 21 g of popcorn daily with 2.8 ng kg⁻¹ body weight aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and 18.29 ng kg⁻¹ body weight total aflatoxins, and for men, the values were 3.0 ng kg⁻¹ body weight AFB₁, and 16.0 ng kg⁻¹ body weight of total AF; 1 ng kg⁻¹ body weight is recommended as the tolerance limit by the JECFA (2001).

Conclusion

The highest liver cancer risk was detected in men population under 18 years of age, with 0.137 cases in 100,000 persons. The results show that 9.5% of the consumers of AFB₁-contaminated popcorn are at risk, and 52.2% are at risk for total aflatoxin exposure. Popcorn is accessible to children with lower weight, increasing the risk.

Keywords:

• risk assessment
• mycotoxins
• liver cancer

Acknowledgments

The authors thank CONACYT for the scholarship given to Tomás Morales-Moo for his Mastership studies. To the Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz for the popcorn sampling and the Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IBUNAM) for the data analysis, funding, methodology and laboratory analysis. The authors also thank IBUNAM´s personnel: Pedro Mercado from the Secretaría Técnica, and Joel Villavicencio, Jorge López, Alfredo Wong, Celina Bernal, provided valuable assistance with, computer analysis and design. Additionally, we thank Georgina Ortega Leite and Gerardo Arévalo for library information.

Ethics and Consent Statements

The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics of Veracruz, Mexico approved the use of the data obtained in que questionnaires, for research purposes. We fulfilled all the ethical requirements, and we confirm in the revised manuscript that this study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interests in this work.

Additional information

Funding

Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz.