霉菌毒素是经常污染农作物和食品的有效真菌毒素。真菌毒素暴露在人类中经常被报道,已知儿童特别有超过安全暴露水平的风险。尿液生物监测用于评估多种真菌毒素的总体饮食暴露。这项研究旨在量化英国儿童的多种霉菌毒素暴露,并确定导致暴露的主要食物组。从29名儿童(13名男孩和16名女孩,年龄2.4-6.8岁),并记录食物日记以评估他们对11种真菌毒素的暴露。尿样(n=114)用β-葡萄糖醛酸苷酶水解,通过免疫亲和柱富集,并通过LC-MS/MS分析脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(DON),雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(NIV),T-2/HT-2毒素,玉米赤霉烯酮(ZEN),曲霉毒素A(OTA)和黄曲霉毒素。使用WinDiet软件分析食物日记,并总结了霉菌毒素污染高风险食品的每日摄入量。在尿液样本中发现的最普遍的霉菌毒素是DON(占所有样本的95.6%),OTA(88.6%),HT-2毒素(53.5%),ZEN(48.2%)和NIV(26.3%)。谷类食物的摄入量与尿液中DON和T-2/HT-2的水平以及燕麦的摄入量与尿液中T-2/HT-2的水平呈正相关。平均每日霉菌毒素排泄量为12.10µg/d(DON)至0.03µg/d(OTA),在66%的样本中发现了三种或更多种真菌毒素的共同暴露。将霉菌毒素摄入量估计值与可容忍的每日摄入量(TDI)进行比较,显示出频繁的TDI超标(DON占所有样本的34.2%,T-2/HT-214.9%,NIV4.4%和ZEN5.2%)。经常在低水平检测到OTA。当平均每日OTA摄入量与非肿瘤性病变的参考值进行比较时,由此产生的65的曝光边际(MoE)很窄,表明健康问题。总之,这项研究表明,如果持续暴露,英国儿童经常接触多种真菌毒素,其暴露水平足以引起健康问题.
Mycotoxins are potent fungal toxins that frequently contaminate agricultural crops and foods. Mycotoxin
exposure is frequently reported in humans, and children are known to be particularly at risk of exceeding safe levels of
exposure. Urinary biomonitoring is used to assess overall dietary
exposure to multiple mycotoxins. This study aims to quantify multi-mycotoxin exposure in UK children and to identify major food groups contributing to
exposure. Four repeat urine samples were collected from 29 children (13 boys and 16 girls, aged 2.4-6.8 years), and food diaries were recorded to assess their exposure to eleven mycotoxins. Urine samples (n = 114) were hydrolysed with β-glucuronidase, enriched through immunoaffinity columns and analysed by LC-MS/MS for deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), T-2/HT-2 toxins, zearalenone (ZEN), ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins. Food diaries were analysed using WinDiet software, and the daily intake of high-risk foods for mycotoxin contamination summarised. The most prevalent mycotoxins found in urine samples were DON (95.6% of all samples), OTA (88.6%), HT-2 toxin (53.5%), ZEN (48.2%) and NIV (26.3%). Intake of total cereal-based foods was strongly positively associated with urinary levels of DON and T-2/HT-2 and oat intake with urinary T-2/HT-2. Average daily mycotoxin excretion ranged from 12.10 µg/d (DON) to 0.03 µg/d (OTA), and co-exposure to three or more mycotoxins was found in 66% of samples. Comparing mycotoxin intake estimates to tolerable daily intakes (TDI) demonstrates frequent TDI exceedances (DON 34.2% of all samples, T-2/HT-2 14.9%, NIV 4.4% and ZEN 5.2%). OTA was frequently detected at low levels. When mean daily OTA intake was compared to the reference value for non-neoplastic lesions, the resulting Margin of Exposure (MoE) of 65 was narrow, indicating a health concern. In conclusion, this study demonstrates frequent exposure of UK children to multiple mycotoxins at levels high enough to pose a health concern if
exposure is continuous.