ABSTRACT
Aflatoxins are one of the most important mycotoxins that are harmful to public health. Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are the known moulds which produce mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds named aflatoxins. These compounds are naturally considered to be toxic and dangerous for humans and animals. In this review, toxicology of these compounds is considered and the ways for their decreasing are discussed. Finally, the level of aflatoxins in Iranian foodstuffs and the analytical and extraction methods are mentioned based on scientific databases. The results indicate that aflatoxins are present in many foods in Iran. This research highlights the need for more public health intervention to reduce the level of aflatoxins in Iran. This work reviewed the papers published in Iran in recent 10 years.
Abbreviations: : AF,Aflatoxin; OTA, Ochratoxin A; AFB1, Aflatoxin B1; AFB2, Aflatoxin B2, AFG1, Aflatoxin G1, AFG2, Aflatoxin G2; AFM1, Aflatoxin M1, AFM2, Aflatoxin M2, TLC, Thin layer chromatography; HPLC, High performance liquid chromatography; FLD, Fluorescence detector; MS, Mass spectrometry; ELISA, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; DSPE, Dispersive solid phase extraction; DLLME, Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).