Seasonal Variation in Aflatoxin Levels in Edible Seeds, Estimation of Its Dietary Intake and Vitamin E Levels in Southern Areas of Punjab, Pakistan

Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis, Muhammed Muzammel Shehzad, Sunusi Usman, Nada Basheir Ali, Shahzad Zafar Iqbal, Nadia Naheed and Muhammad Rafique Asi
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Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis: Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Muhammed Muzammel Shehzad: Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Sunusi Usman: Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Nada Basheir Ali: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Shahzad Zafar Iqbal: Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Nadia Naheed: Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Rafique Asi: Food Toxicology Lab, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: A total of 779 samples of edible nuts (melon seeds, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cantaloupe seeds) from Southern Punjab (Pakistan), were collected during the summer and the winter seasons. The natural occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) and vitamin E (tocopherols) levels were investigated using HPLC. The results have shown that 180 (43.4%) of samples from the winter season and 122 (33.4%) samples from the summer season were found positive for AFs. Elevated average levels of total AFs (20.9 ± 3.10 μg/kg, dry weight) were observed in watermelon seeds without shell, and the lowest average amount (15.9 ± 3.60 μg/kg) were documented in melon seeds without shell samples from the winter season. An elevated average amount of total AFs 17.3 ± 1.50 μg/kg was found in pumpkin seeds available without a shell. The results have documented a significant difference in total AFs levels in edible seeds available with shells versus without shells (α = 0.05 & 0.01). The highest dietary intake of 6.30 μg/kg/day was found in female individuals from consuming pumpkin seeds (without shell) in the winter season. A value of 3.00 μg/kg/day was found in pumpkin seed without shell in the summer season in female individuals. The highest total tocopherol levels were 22.2 ± 7.70 ng/100 g in pumpkin seeds samples from the winter season and 14.5 ± 5.50 mg/100 g in melon seed samples from the summer season. The variation of total tocopherol levels in edible seeds among the winter and summer seasons showed a significant difference ( p ≤ 0.0054), except watermelon seeds samples with non-significant differences ( p ≥ 0.183).

Keywords: AFs; edible seeds; tocopherols levels; dietary intake (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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