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Aflatoxin B1 in chilies from the Punjab region, Pakistan

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Abstract

The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in chilies from Pakistan was determined by using HPLC in work undertaken in Pakistan. Whole (n = 22) and powdered (n = 22) chilies were analyzed. Sixteen (73.0%) and 19 (86.4%) samples of whole and ground chilies, respectively, were contaminated. The mean concentration in powdered chilies (32.20 μg/kg) was higher statistically than in whole chilies (24.69 μg/kg). Concentrations ranged from 0.00 to 89.56 μg/kg for powdered chilies, compared with 0.00–96.3 μg/kg for whole chilies. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.05 μg/kg and 0.53 μg/kg, respectively. The concentrations were high in general and greater than the statutory limit set by the European Union. There is considerable scope for improvements in chili production in Pakistan.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan (Indigenous PhD fellowship 5000 batch-III-063-00445-Ps3-047) for this project. R.R.M.P. is grateful for the FCT framework position: Commitment to Science ref. C2008-UMIN-HO-CEB-2.

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  1. Shahzad Z. Iqbal

    Present address: Department of Food Science, Cornell University, 164 Stocking Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, 38040, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Shahzad Z. Iqbal, Ijaz A. Bhatti, Munir A. Sheikh & Haq N. Bhatti

  2. IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    R. Russell M. Paterson

  3. Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad R. Asi

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  1. Shahzad Z. Iqbal
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  4. Muhammad R. Asi
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Correspondence to Shahzad Z. Iqbal.

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Iqbal, S.Z., Paterson, R.R.M., Bhatti, I.A. et al. Aflatoxin B1 in chilies from the Punjab region, Pakistan. Mycotox Res 26, 205–209 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-010-0055-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-010-0055-6

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