Investigation of the level of aflatoxin M1 in milk samples of Gilan dairy factories using ELISA
Subject Areas : Food Microbiology
Mahmood Najafian
1
(
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Jahrom branch, Islamic Azad University, Jahrom, Iran.
)
Bahareh Najafian
2
(
B.Sc., Department of Biology, Shiraz Education District 4, Shiraz, Iran.
)
Keywords: ELISA, Aflatoxin M1, Milk, Gilan,
Abstract :
Aflatoxin M1 is a metabolite of aflatoxin B1 that is found in milk when lacteal animals are fed with contaminated feedstuff. The presence of aflatoxin M1 causes major disorders in humans, including immunosuppressive, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk of dairy factories of Gilan using ELISA. In this study, totally 100 sample milk were collected in different seasons (5 times in each season) from five dairy factories in Gilan province, randomly. Then samples were examined for the presence of aflatoxin M1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Totally 11 samples (11%) showed contamination less than the limit level of codex (50 ng/l). Winter samples with an average of 138 ng/l and summer samples with an average 70.92 ng/l had the most and the least amount of contamination, respectively. Factories B and D with yearly average of 135.15 and 60.90 ng/l had the most and the least amount of contamination, respectively. Due to contamination of 89 % of milk samples with high levels of this toxin, and since this contamination can lead to public health problems, it looks necessary a routine serial control of milk and its products. Furthermore, control of foods from mold pollution is the best protection method for prevention of milk from pollution with aflatoxins.
