An assessment of Aflatoxin level in wheat samples of 5 top provinces of Iran

Introduction: Wheat can be invaded by different microorganisms, especially fungi. Fungi are among microorganisms with highly powerful metabolic activity. Such metabolic activities during the fungi growth on wheat are accompanied by secretion of enzymes and compounds termed fungal toxins, Aflatoxin belongs to a group of fungal toxins known as mycotoxins. Aflatoxin is associated with both acute and chronic toxicity in animals and humans including acute liver damage, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancers. On the other hand, they cause different diseases in wheat or the decay of wheat grains in the farms and warehouses. Materials and methods: In the present research, wheat samples were provided from 5 provinces of the country (Mazandaran, Guilan, Zanjan, Kermanshah, and Khuzestan) in different places and their Aflatoxin production levels were studied by using ELISA method. Results: The average and standard deviation of 14 samples from the 14 cities were tested, that they were 8.32 and 3.78, respectively. These statistics indicate the presence of Aflatoxin in newly harvested domestic wheat. After Pearson’s statistical studies and the determination of correlation and significance in p<0.05, it was found that toxin level in wheat and its level in mixed flour can be inversely related to each other (PC: -0.135), and this correlation was not statistically significant (sig: 0.65). Thus, according to the standard values, for feeding and food there could be serious attention to the cumulative effects of toxins. Conclusion: There is a serious risk and this issue should not be underestimated in the cities and provinces in which the study was conducted. The maximum values that were found respectively were more than standards 30% up to 100%, so a serious risk is considered.

Keywords:

Wheat , Aflatoxin , Provinces of Iran