Aflatoxin Contamination and Research in China

Abstract

Aflatoxins(AF) are highly poisonous secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They have been found in moldy human food and animal feeds and have been implicated in numerous animal disorders. A. parasiticus produces four major aflatoxins: B1 , B2 , G1 and G2 , while AFB1 is the most toxic in the group and the toxicity is in the order of B1 > G1 > B2 > G2. Since the 1960 outbreak of Turkey X disease, when more than 10,000 turkeys died after being fed with aflatoxin contaminated peanut meal, scientists in China have paid more attention to the studies on aflatoxins including its distribution, pollution, health hazards, testing, monitoring, detection technology, managing, microbiology, ecology, toxicology, and policies in controlling aflatoxins. In this review, we present a brief report on the situation of aflatoxin contamination and research progress in China.