Aflatoxin Contamination Risk: Bioactive Natural Compounds for Animal Health and Healthy Food

Abstract

Mycotoxin contamination is a worldwide problem and significant economic losses are associated with their impact on human health, animal productivity and both domestic and international trade. The FAO has estimated that up to 25% of the world's food crops and a higher percentage of the world's animal feedstuffs are significantly contaminated by mycotoxins and represent a human safety risk. Aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)), a potentially lethal metabolite, is a known human carcinogen. AFB(1) is toxic to the liver, immunosuppressant, hepatocarcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic. Aflatoxin carryover to animal products poses a health and economic liability and drives the demand for a method to prevent aflatoxin contamination of feedstuffs and/or animal food products such as milk, eggs, and meat. One of the innovative methods to overcome the toxic and carcinogenic effects of AFBI is to enhance its metabolism by natural substances reportedly possessing hepatoprotective effects. In this study we reported the effect of silymarin, a potent antihepatotoxic agent used as a hepatoprotector in man, on reducing aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) excretion in cows' milk and the effects of a silymarin in reducing the toxic effects of AFB(1) in broiler chickens.