1.
Presence of unreported carcinogens, Aflatoxins and their hydroxylated metabolites, in industrialized Oaxaca cheese from Mexico City.
Carvajal-Moreno, M, Vargas-Ortiz, M, Hernández-Camarillo, E, Ruiz-Velasco, S, Rojo-Callejas, F
Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2019;:128-138
Abstract
Aflatoxins (AFs) are toxic secondary metabolites of the fungi Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. The fungi produce these AFs in cereals, oilseeds and spices. AFs have damaging effects on all organisms, including humans, and their symptoms can be classified as acute (vomiting, hemorrhage and death) or chronic (immunodepression, Reye syndrome, Kwashiorkor, teratogenesis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and various cancers). Basic AFs (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2) are metabolized in the liver or by microbes that produce hydroxylated metabolites (AFM1, AFM2, and AFP1) and aflatoxicol (AFL), soluble in water and easy to dispose. Thus, AFs can be excreted in fluids, such as milk. AFs are not destroyed in the process of making cheese. The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the AFs present in 30 samples of industrialized Oaxaca-type cheese sold in Mexico City. The average concentrations of AFs detected in the 30 samples of industrialized cheese were as follows: AFB1 (0.1 μg kg-1) in 20% (6/30); a trace amount of AFB2 (0.01 < LOD) in only 3% (1/30); AFG1 (0.14 μg kg-1) in 10% (3/30); AFG2 (0.6 μg kg-1) in 30% (9/30); AFM1 (1.7 μg kg-1) in 57% (17/30); AFP1 (0.03% μg kg-1) in 3% (1/30); and AFL (13.1 μg kg-1) in 97% (29/30). AFB1 and AFL were the most abundant aflatoxins in Oaxaca-type cheese. However, eight aflatoxins were present, contributing an average of 15.7 μg kg-1 AFs distributed among the 30 samples. The risk assessment analysis showed that there was no substantial risk for cancer due to AFs in industrialized Oaxaca cheese from Mexico City.
2.
The toxic oil syndrome: 20 years on.
Diggle, GE
International journal of clinical practice. 2001;(6):371-5
Abstract
With hindsight, it is easy to criticise the standards of food regulation of two decades ago. Nevertheless, when the Spanish toxic oil syndrome (TOS) appeared in 1981, there were many who asked why aniline was permitted as an official adulterant for imported French rape seed oil, and why such adulterated oils were often illegally refined in Spain and marketed without difficulty. This review brings up to date a comprehensive survey of the ensuing research published in 1995 and concentrates on recent significant findings. These include the identification of the refinery that produced the toxic oil, and the detection of oil contaminants with possible aetiological significance. Possible chemical links have been found between oil contaminants and those detected in L-tryptophan implicated in the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). There is good evidence that the initial pathogenetic mechanism is immunological. On metabolic evidence, it is suggested that not one, but a group of, toxic agents was responsible for TOS.