Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals

Mupunga, Innocent; van Rensburg, Ilse Janse; Luthuli, Nokuthula; Abafe, Ovokeroye A.; Shai, Leshweni J.; Katerere, David R.

doi:10.3390/toxins13080570

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals

by

Innocent Mupunga

¹

,

Ilse Janse van Rensburg

²,

Nokuthula Luthuli

³,

Ovokeroye A. Abafe

³

,

Leshweni J. Shai

¹

and

David R. Katerere

^4,*

¹

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

²

Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa

³

Residue Laboratory, Agricultural Research Centre, Ondersterpoort Veterinary Institute, Pretoria 0110, South Africa

⁴

Chair in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Advancement in Africa, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Toxins 2021, 13(8), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13080570

Submission received: 17 June 2021 / Revised: 17 July 2021 / Accepted: 20 July 2021 / Published: 16 August 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Biomonitoring and Risk Assessment of Mycotoxins)

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Abstract

Analysis of body fluids and tissues of aflatoxin exposed individuals for the presence of aflatoxins and aflatoxin metabolites has emerged as a reliable indicator of exposure and metabolism of aflatoxins. However, current aflatoxin biomarkers are not appropriate for investigating the long-term effects of aflatoxin exposure. In this explorative study, we investigated the analysis of hair as a complementary or alternative matrix for the assessment of biomarkers of long-term aflatoxin exposure. Three groups of guinea pigs were orally dosed with 5 ugkg⁻¹bw⁻¹, 50 ugkg⁻¹bw⁻¹, and 100 ugkg⁻¹bw⁻¹ of AFB1. Urine and hair samples were collected on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 30, 60, and 90 and analysed for AFB1 and AFM1 using UHPLC-MS/MS. AFB1 and AFM1 were detected in 75% and 13.6%, respectively, of the day 1 to day 7 urine samples. AFB1 was detected in hair samples collected from day 3 up to day 60. This is the first report to confirm the deposition of AFB1 in the hair of experimental animals. These findings indicate that hair analysis has the potential to provide an accurate long-term historical record of aflatoxin exposure with potentially important implications for the field of aflatoxin biomarkers.

Keywords: aflatoxin biomarkers; AFM1; AFB1; hair; UHPLC-MS/MS

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mupunga, I.; van Rensburg, I.J.; Luthuli, N.; Abafe, O.A.; Shai, L.J.; Katerere, D.R. Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals. Toxins 2021, 13, 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13080570

AMA Style

Mupunga I, van Rensburg IJ, Luthuli N, Abafe OA, Shai LJ, Katerere DR. Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals. Toxins. 2021; 13(8):570. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13080570

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mupunga, Innocent, Ilse Janse van Rensburg, Nokuthula Luthuli, Ovokeroye A. Abafe, Leshweni J. Shai, and David R. Katerere. 2021. "Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals" Toxins 13, no. 8: 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13080570

APA Style

Mupunga, I., van Rensburg, I. J., Luthuli, N., Abafe, O. A., Shai, L. J., & Katerere, D. R. (2021). Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals. Toxins, 13(8), 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13080570

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Analysis of Aflatoxin Biomarkers in the Hair of Experimental Animals

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