Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, cilt.132, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Aflatoxins (AFs) are toxic metabolic products of fungi found in feed and food. Sheep, goats and cattle can convert aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). AFB1 concentrations in feed contaminated with AFB1 result in high AFM1 levels in milk and dairy foods. In this study, milk samples (relatively 792) collected from the Mediterranean region of Turkey between 2020 and 2022 were evaluated for the presence of AFM1 whereas in feed AFB1, aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2) contents were determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence (UHPLC-FLD) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results of the study indicated that of the 550 feed samples analyzed, only 74 (13.45 %) showed AFB1 values above the EU threshold limit of 5 µg/kg. AFs were detected in approximately more than half of the feed samples (234 feed samples), representing 42.54 %. AFB1 contents of 27.27 % of feed samples (150) ranged from 0.12 to 9.25 µg/kg. Out 234 of feed samples, 7.26 % contained AFB2, 22.22 % contained AFG1 and 5.12 % contained AFG2. A total of 113 milk samples taken in 3 days were positive for aflatoxin. The AFM1 levels of 62 samples taken after 24 h and 50 samples taken after 48 h were positive for aflatoxin. In addition, the number of the aflatoxin positive samples was found to be higher at the end of three days in June, July and August 2020 and in August 2021. Strict agricultural practices, proper harvesting and drying techniques, and frequent testing of feed components for the presence of aflatoxin can all help lower aflatoxin levels.