Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a very hazardous carcinogen, readily contaminating foodstuffs and traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) that has inspired increasing health concerns due to dietary exposure. Colloidal nanocrystals have been proposed as optical labels for aptasensor assembly, but these typically require tedious multistep conjugation and suffer from unsatisfactory robustness when used for complex matrices. In the present study, we report a rapid and sensitive method for screening for trace AFB1 levels in TCMs using a label-free fluorescent aptasensor PicoGreen dye-based strategy. Using PicoGreen to selectively measure complementary double-stranded DNA, fluorescence enhancement due to dsDNA is ‘turned off’ in the presence of AFB1 due binding of aptamer target over complementary sequence. Self-assembly of a label-free fluorescent aptasensor based on AFB1 aptamer and PicoGreen dye was performed. Due to competition between the complementary sequence and AFB1 target, this rapid method was capable of highly sensitive and selective screening for AFB1 in five types of TCMs. This proposed approach had a limit of detection as low as 0.1 μg·L−1 and good linearity with a range of 0.1–10 μg·L−1 (0.1–10 ppb). Among the 20 samples tested, 6 batches were found to be contaminated with AFB1 using this method, which was confirmed using sophisticated liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry analysis. The results of this study indicate the developed method has the potential to be a simple, quick, and sensitive tool for detecting AFB1 in TCMs.

Background and Objectives: In this work, yellow and green variety of Cucumis melo fruits belonging to different cultivars were studied. In detail, three Sicilian cultivars of winter melons tutelated by TAP (Traditional agro-alimentary products) labels were considered, whereas asun protected brand the Calabrian winter melon was studied too. With the aim to compare the selective uptakes of inorganic elements among winter and summer fruits, the “PGI Melone Mantovano” was investigated. The purpose of this work was to apply the obtained results i) to guarantee the quality and healthiness of fruits, ii) to producers defend, iii) to helpful the customers in food safe purchase. Method: All samples were analyzed by ICP-MS and the obtained results, subsequently, were subjected to Cluster analysis (CA), Principal component analysis (PCA) and Canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). Results: CA results were generally in agreement with samples origin, whereas the PCA elaboration has confirmed the presence of a strong relation between fruit origins and trace element contents. In particular, two principal components justified the 57.32% of the total variance (PC1= 40.95%, PC2= 16.37%). Finally, the CDA approach has provided several functions with high discrimination power, such as confirmed by the correct classification of all samples (100%). Conclusions: CA, PCA and CDA could be represent an integrated too label to discriminate the origin of agri-foods products and, thus, protect and guarantee their healthiness.

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The presence of hydroxylated metabolites of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), such as M1 (AFM1) Aflatoxin has been reported in breast laying hen, Diaz Zaragoza et al, 2014. The hens when their laying cycle end are sent to the trail of bird for his sacrifice. In Mexico chicken consumption in the form of stock, it is much in demand mainly in the center and southeast of the country. Some companies process meat to prepare various types of sausages, such that in one way or another becomes a food for human consumption. Currently the System Product Poultry in Mexico, is working to raise awareness about food safety in the poultry industry generated as egg and meat. The AFM1 is a compound considered as a carcinogen and is limited in milk at levels of 0.5 to 0.05 µg/L. This depend the regulations of each region of the world. The given the possibility that AFM1 is a chemical risk consumption of hen breast. Evaluating the Bio-transfer this AFB1 was performed in a contaminated diet with 500 µg/kg (ppb) and quantify AFM1 contamination in the breast, after 8 days of diet consumption. At the same time included an anti-aflatoxin agent to verify their efficiency in this experiment. AFM1 concentration in the breast of the negative control group was below the detection limit of 0.001 ppb. The concentration of the positive control group was 0.004 ppb and challenge group concentration was 0.002 ppb. The analytical tests were carried out by the technique of Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC). The results show that bio-AFB1 transfer to the breast as AFM1 is minimal. Therefore, this food is considered safe. Evaluated adsorbent efficiency was 50%. Complementarily AFB1 concentration in the liver, where the toxin is quantified levels of 0.467 ppb in the positive control and 0.196 ppb in the challenge group with adsorbent was evaluated. The effectiveness of the commercial adsorbent was the 60%.