Guillermina Font
University of Valencia, Spain
Title: Environmental and dietetic factors related to mycotoxin exposure in Spanish women
Biography
Biography: Guillermina Font
Abstract
Statement of the problem: Human exposure to mycotoxins is a global concern since filamentous fungi can contaminate food and feed from crops to ready-to-eat meals. Human urine bio-monitoring is a widely used technique to evaluate mycotoxins exposure, as an alternative to food correlation studies. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of socio-demographic, environmental and dietary variables with mycotoxins exposure in adult women.
Methodology & theoretical orientation: Urine samples obtained from female adult participants resident at the Valencian region (Spain) were analyzed (n=540). A validated multi-mycotoxin method using HPLC-Q-TOFMS was applied to determine the concentration of ten selected mycotoxins, Enniatin A, Enniatin B, Enniatin A1, Enniatin B1, Beauvericine, Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B2, Aflatoxin G1, Aflatoxin G2 and Ochratoxin A, as well as simultaneously perform a screening of other untargeted mycotoxins and their metabolites. Mycotoxins associations were assessed by bivariate and multivariate regression models using participants’ socio-demographic and diet data collected through questionnaires.
Findings: Results showed mycotoxin exposure in 81% of samples. At least one mycotoxin was quantified in 151 samples. Most quantified mycotoxins were: Enniatin B [% of detection (concentration range)]=26% (1.0–39.7 ng/ml) and Enniatin B1=7% (0.5–14.4 ng/ml). Besides the ten-targeted mycotoxins, other mycotoxins and metabolites included in the METLIN PCDL database were identified and according to this, high incidence was observed for Deepoxy-deoxynivalenol (45%), Ochratoxin B (18%) and Ochratoxin α (17%).
Conclusion: Mycotoxin exposure was higher in rural areas as well as among participants with lower social class, passive smoking and beer consumers. It can be due to their consumption of cereals, legumes and fruits. On the contrary, processed meat intake was correlated with lower mycotoxin exposure. Women consuming more processed foods are less exposed. Studies are required to better evaluate the exposure to mycotoxins from different diets.