Aflatoxin M1 Levels in Milk Samples Produced in the Northern Part of Cyprus

Abstract

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B<inf>1</inf> (AFB<inf>1</inf>), which is formed in the liver by cytochrome P450 enzymes and can be secreted into the urine, feces, and milk of mammals. AFM1 is a carcinogenic, cytotoxic, teratogenic, mutagenic and genotoxic agent that poses a significant health risk to both humans and animals. This study was conducted to determine the presence of AFM<inf>1</inf> in both raw and ultra-high temperature (UHT) cow's milk samples produced in the northern part of Cyprus, and to determine whether it poses a risk to public health. In this survey, a total of 20 UHT cow's milk samples from 2 different milk brands produced in the northern part of Cyprus, and 22 raw cow's milk samples collected from the different dairies were analyzed for the presence of AFM<inf>1</inf> by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detector after immunoaffinity cleanup. AFM<inf>1</inf> could not be detected in any of the analyzed raw and UHT cow milk samples. The LOD and LOQ values of the HPLC-FLD method were 1.038 ?g/kg and 3.145 ?g/kg, respectively. The mean recovery and repeatability values of the method were 95.6% and 4.9%, respectively. Although the presence of AFM<inf>1</inf> in milk samples produced in the northern part of Cyprus poses no major risk to public health, more milk samples and animal feed must be monitored on a regular basis to decrease potential consumer exposure. © 2023 The Author(s).