The Silent Culprit: Aflatoxin Contamination in Dairy Products and Its Serious Impact on Human Health

Aflatoxins are fungal toxins produced mainly Aspergillus spp., specifically Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The types of toxins produced by aflatoxins naturally are B1, B2, G1, and G2. Likewise, M1 and M2 which are found in the metabolic products of contaminated milk and dairy products. The aim of this article is to review on effects of aflatoxin in dairy cattle products and its public health significance. The outbreaks of aflatoxin are most serious in tropical and subtropical areas over the world and also in temperate regions. It is estimated that more than 5 billion people in developing nations worldwide are at risk of chronic exposure to aflatoxins through contaminated foods. Moreover, aflatoxin is third-leading cause of cancer death globally, with around 550,000- 600,000 new cases occur in East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa each year. Aflatoxins can affect a wide range of commodities including cereals, oilseeds, spices, nuts, and dried fruit, which is considered as aflatoxin B1. When animals consume feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1, it is bio transformed to aflatoxin M1 by the hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidase system and gets absorbed in the milk of mammals. Aflatoxin B1 present in livestock feed causes different problems in genital, digestive and respiratory tracts through interference in metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and nucleic acids. It also affects milk composition, body mass gain, immunity and reproductive performance. The presence of aflatoxin M1 poses high risk to public health by causing acute liver damage, liver cancer, toxic hepatitis, hemorrhage, immunosuppression, DNA damage, gene mutations, and can affect cell transformation. Children that have compromised immune systems are more prone to develop complications. Aflatoxins are diagnosed by various methods including thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Aflatoxicosis can only be prevented by feeding aflatoxin free rations to dairy animal and practicing good agricultural practice in dairy production farm and processing centers.