Effect of Aflatoxin B1 Contaminated Corn and Their Products on Some Physiology Parameters in Laboratory Rats

Abstract

Abstract This study was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Food Sciences/College of Agriculture and in the animal house of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Central Laboratory at Tikrit University for the period from the beginning of September 2020 to the end of February 2021, with the aim of identifying the types of fungi contaminating corn grains and their products in Iraqi stores and markets and estimating the concentration of Aflatoxin B1 toxins using ELISA technique, the results of Aflatoxin B1 tests showed that all samples contained a higher percentage of what is allowed to be used in human food, which was between (39.5-29) μg/g. The results also showed that feeding of corn samples and its products contaminated with Aflatoxin B1 to rats fed for 21 days affected the significant decrease (p<0.05) in body weight and weight gained for laboratory rats, as well as liver, kidney and spleen enlargement for those animals. There was also a significant decrease in the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin and an increase in the number of white blood cells compared with the control group. The results also showed a significant increase in the activity of liver enzymes for AST, ALT and ALP, and an increase in the concentration of renal parameters for both urea and creatinine concentrations.