Public health risk associated with the co-occurrence of aflatoxin B(1) and ochratoxin A in spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxin B(1) and ochratoxin A are mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi that attack crops on field and storage. Both mycotoxins present a risk on public health since aflatoxin B(1) is a hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic agent while ochratoxin A can be nephrotoxic. Those mycotoxins can be found in several food items including spices, herbs, and nuts. OBJECTIVES: In Lebanon, few studies address aflatoxin B(1) and ochratoxin A contamination in spices, herbs, and nuts. So, the aim of this study is to investigate the concentrations of those two mycotoxins particularly in spices and herbs and the concentration of aflatoxin B(1) in nuts, and to determine the dietary exposure of the Lebanese population and their possible attribution to liver cancer and renal damage. METHODS: In this work, a total of 198 samples of spices, herbs, and nuts were collected from different sites. Aflatoxin B(1) and ochratoxin A were quantified using immune-affinity columns. A food frequency questionnaire was used to quantify the consumption of spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon. Exposure to aflatoxin B(1) and ochratoxin A was calculated accordingly and liver and kidney cancer risks were evaluated. RESULTS: Aflatoxin B(1) was respectively found in 100, 20.4, and 98.6% of the spices, herbs, and nuts samples, while ochratoxin A was found in 100 and 44.4% of spices and herbs, respectively. Aflatoxin B(1) was found at mean concentration of 0.97, 0.27, and 0.40 μg/kg in spices, herbs, and nuts, respectively while ochratoxin A was found at mean concentrations of 38.8 and 1.81 μg/kg in spices and herbs, respectively. Aflatoxin B(1) occurrence was shown to be associated in this study with 0.017 additional cancer cases per 100,000 persons per year, and ochratoxin A weekly exposure was shown to be 5.04 ng/kg bw less than the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake of 100 ng/kg bw which indicates low risk of renal damage from spices and herbs consumption. CONCLUSION: The consumption of spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon could lead to an increase in health risks associated with aflatoxin B(1) and ochratoxin A, specifically spices. The reported occurrence may be directly related to poor storage conditions.