Biomonitoring of ochratoxin A in blood plasma and exposure assessment of adult students in Bangladesh

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research Vol. 58; no. 11; pp. 2219 - 2225
• Main Authors: Ali, Nurshad, Blaszkewicz, Meinolf, Manirujjaman, M, Perveen, Rasheda, Nahid, Abdullah Al, Mahmood, Shakil, Rahman, Mustafizur, Hossain, Khaled, Degen, Gisela H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley-VCH 01-11-2014; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Wiley
• Subjects: Adolescent; adults; Bangladesh; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; blood serum; Body Mass Index; carcinogenicity; college students; corn; data analysis; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exposure; exposure assessment; feed contamination; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; females; food analysis; Food Analysis - methods; food consumption; Food Contamination - analysis; food frequency questionnaires; food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; immunotoxicity; lentils; liquid-liquid extraction; Male; males; Medical sciences; metabolites; nephrotoxicity; Ochratoxin A; Ochratoxin alpha; Ochratoxins - blood; Plant poisons toxicology; Plasma; Reproducibility of Results; rice; staple foods; Students; Toxicology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; wheat; Young Adult; Bangladesh; Asia; Human; Biological fluid; Ochratoxin; Plasma; Nutrition; Mycotoxin; Ochratoxin alpha; Exposure; Student; Ochratoxin A; Biological monitoring; Blood plasma; Toxin; Bangladesh
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201400403

SCOPE: Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin known for its nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, and carcinogenic effects in animals, deserves attention due to its widespread occurrence as food and feed contaminant. Studies in many countries report the presence of OTA in human blood plasma or serum at variable levels. However, no biomonitoring study has been carried out in so far, and also food analysis data are insufficient to assess OTA exposure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Therefore, 64 blood samples were collected from healthy university students (32 female, 32 male) in Bangladesh for biomarker analysis. OTA and its metabolite ochratoxin alpha were determined in the plasma samples by a validated method using HPLC‐fluorescence analysis. After liquid–liquid extraction, OTA was detected in all plasma samples (100%) at a range of 0.20–6.63 ng/mL and ochratoxin alpha was detected in 95% of the samples at 0.10–0.79 ng/mL. The OTA mean level in plasma of males (0.92 ± 1.09 ng/mL) and females (0.78 ± 1.02) were not significantly different. Statistical analysis of food consumption data for the participants, provided in a food frequency questionnaire, did not reveal a significant association between OTA level in plasma and their intake of typical staple foods (rice, wheat, maize, and lentil). CONCLUSION: The dietary intake of OTA (mean 11.7, max 91.7 ng/kg b.w./wk) calculated on the basis of plasma concentration in Bangladeshi students was lower than the tolerable weekly OTA intake (120 ng/kg b.w./wk) set by EFSA. Nonetheless, further biomonitoring is recommended in cohorts from other parts of the country that may have higher mycotoxin exposure than the present group.