Aflatoxins contaminate approximately 25% of agricultural products worldwide. They can cause liver failure and liver cancer. Kenya has experienced multiple aflatoxicosis outbreaks in recent years, often resulting in fatalities. However, the full extent of aflatoxin exposure in Kenya has been unknown. Our objective was to quantify aflatoxin exposure across Kenya. We analysed aflatoxin levels in s...

Glutathione-S-transferase-catalyzed conjugation of glutathione (GSH) to aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide plays an important role in preventing binding of this ultimate carcinogen to target macromolecules. Once formed, the aflatoxin B1-epoxide-GSH conjugates are actively extruded from the cell by an unidentified ATP-dependent export pump or pumps. Two possible candidates for this GSH conjugate pump are ...

Aflatoxin B1 and benzo(a)pyrene were activated by both cultured human bronchus and human colon as measured by binding to cellular DNA and protein. The binding of aflatoxin B1 to DNA was dose dependent, and the level of binding was higher in cultured human bronchus than it was in the colon. When compared to aflatoxin B1, the binding level of benzo(a)pyrene to both bronchial and colonic DNA was g...

This paper reports the evidence for the existence of multiple sites of action of aflatoxin B1 in relation to its inhibition of rat hepatic nuclear RNA synthesis. Two hours after aflatoxin B1 injection (0.3 mg/100 g body weight), rat hepatic nuclear and nucleolar RNA synthesis, in vitro, were inhibited 70 and 90% respectively. When total nuclear free and engaged RNA polymerases were solubilized ...

Isolation of Apergillus flavus from groundnut and production of aflatoxin on rice. a method has been developed for the production of aflatoxin by growing Aspergillus flavus strain AJ on the solid substrate rice. Optimal yields, more than 1mg of aflatoxin B1 per gram of starting material, were obtained in 5 days at 28C.A crude product containing aflatoxin was isolated by HPLC (High Performance L...

BACKGROUND Aflatoxin contamination of foods is a worldwide problem. Chronic aflatoxin exposure is associated with kidney damage. Curcumin is a herbal agent, used in medicine with a wide range of beneficial therapeutic effects. OBJECTIVE to evaluate the effect of curcumin against experimentally induced aflatoxicosis on the renal cortex of adult male albino rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty a...

Mycotoxins are harmful auxiliary metabolites delivered by species of filamentous organisms developing on grains some time recently collect and in capacity. The study was planned to evaluate the protective role lycopene (LYC) against Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) induces oxidative stress, hepatic toxicity, apoptosis Japanese quail. Sixty quail chicks (three-week-old) were randomly allocated into four grou...

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent immunosuppressive agent in endotherms, which can be related to the up-regulated apoptosis of immune organs. In this study, we investigated the roles of the mitochondrial, death receptor, and endoplasmic reticulum pathways in Aflatoxin B1 induced thymocytes apoptosis. Chickens were fed an aflatoxin B1 containing diet (0.6 mg/kg AFB1) for 3 weeks. Our results showe...

Extended Abstract Aflatoxin B1 is one of the most common mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by fungi, and produced by Aspergillus flavus. It is classified as one of International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Group 1 carcinogens and only few nanograms of aflatoxin B1 may cause liver cancer and stunted growth by permeation through skin. There are conventional diagnosis methods such as ...

In an earlier report, it was shown that aflatoxin B1 treatment strongly inhibits rat liver nucleolar RNA synthesis (Yu, F. L. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 3245-3251). The present paper is an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of this inhibition. Two h after aflatoxin B1 injection (0.3 mg/100 g body weight), rat liver nucleolar RNA synthesis, in vitro, was inhibited by an average of 90%. This inhi...