Detection of ochratoxin A in human breast milk in Jiroft city, south of Iran

Introduction and Objectives: Breastfeeding plays an important role in the growth and development of infants. However, breast milk may be contaminated with various mycotoxins. Ochratoxin A is one of the most important mycotoxins with nephrotoxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, genotoxic, and immunotoxic properties. Thus, we carried out this study to determine the concentration of ochratoxin A in human breast milk in Jiroft, Kerman Province, south of Iran.Materials and Methods: Eighty-four human breast milk samples were collected from mothers visiting the number one clinic in Jiroft city. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect ochratoxin A in the samples.Results: Ochratoxin A was found in all the tested samples at a concentration ranging from 0.11 to 7.34 ng/ml. The mean concentration of ochratoxin A in the samples was 1.99±1.34 ng/ml. Fourteen samples contained ochratoxin A at concentrations exceeding the quantitation limit (3 ng/ml).Conclusion: The results of this study showed that infants are exposed to ochratoxin A in our region. In cases exceeding the quantitation limit, the infant s body cannot detoxify the toxin. Therefore, the infant can be affected by various illnesses such as nephropathy, immune system deficiency, and different types of cancer.

کلیدواژه ها:

Ochratoxin A ، Breastfeeding ، Breast milk