Seasonal, age and sex fluctuations in aflatoxin B₁ content in the liver and kidney of brown hares (Lepus europaeus Pall)

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to monitor the accumulation of aflatoxin B₁ in the liver and kidney of brown hares (Lepus europaeus Pall) in the region of south-western Slovakia. A total of 65 samples were involved for analysis by RIA method. Brown hares were divided into the groups according to age, sex and season (month). The sex was determined visually after shooting, and the age was assigned from dried eye lens. The average concentration of AFB₁ in the liver of hares was 0.54 ± 0.053 µg/kg, and lower values were measured in the kidney (0.41 ± 0.038 µg/kg). The significantly (P < 0.05) higher values were found in winter months when compared to summer months. According to the age, juvenile animals showed significant higher accumulation of B₁ in both organs than adults (P < 0.05). Wild animals can serve as a good model of real environmental contamination. Thus, monitoring of risk factors such as mycotoxins in the environment is important with regard to public health, as game animals constitute an important part of food chain for humans.

KEYWORDS:

• Aflatoxins
• brown hare
• gender
• monitoring
• season
• Slovakia

Funding

This work was financially supported by the scientific grant agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic (ME SR) and of Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) VEGA project no. 1/0760/15 and by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV 0368-10.