Aflatoxin content and health risks associated with consumption of some herbal products sold in Kampala, Uganda

Onen, Patrick; Watmon, James; Omara, Timothy; Ocira, Daniel

doi:10.17721/fujcv9i1p1-8

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The review also highlighted the occurrence of biotoxins, particularly mycotoxins, in agricultural products and food items. Aflatoxins and other fungal toxins were detected in crops such as maize and groundnuts (97,110,111,127). Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated foods can pose significant health risks, including liver damage and cancer.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging Pollutants in Uganda: A Systematic Review

Baguma,

Bamanya,

Gonzaga

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Emerging pollutants pose significant threats to Uganda's ecosystems and public health amidst rapid urbanization, industrial growth, and intensified agriculture. This systematic review comprehensively assessed these pollutants by analyzing existing Ugandan literature and research studies, revealing various types in different environmental compartments. These pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, radionuclides, biotoxins, disinfection byproducts, hydrocarbons, and microplastics, originate from urban, industrial, and agricultural regions. Wastewater and improper waste disposal are major contributors. From an initial search of 794 articles across multiple databases such as PubMed, African Journal Online (AJOL), Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, 138 were found relevant. The review underscores potential ecological and health impacts, including antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption, and carcinogenicity. Existing monitoring and regulation efforts are discussed, alongside the need for specific regulations, improved data collection, and public awareness campaigns. Recommendations include advanced wastewater treatment, sustainable agriculture, and source control measures. Emphasis is placed on further research to address knowledge gaps and develop effective policies and interventions. Uganda can mitigate these risks by implementing comprehensive monitoring, robust regulations, and sustainable practices, safeguarding the environment and public health.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging Pollutants in Uganda: A Systematic Review

Baguma,

Bamanya,

Gonzaga

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Furthermore, the systematic review brought to light the occurrence of biotoxins, particularly mycotoxins, in agricultural products and food items. Aflatoxins and other fungal toxins were detected in crops such as maize and groundnuts [101,114,115,138]. Consuming mycotoxin-contaminated foods can pose significant health risks, including liver damage and cancer.…”

Section: Ambient Air As a Transport Medium For Cocs In Ugandamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Contaminants of Concern in Uganda: Occurrence, Sources, Potential Risks, and Removal Strategies

Baguma,

Bamanya,

Gonzaga

et al. 2023

Pollutants

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Contaminants of concern (CoCs) pose significant threats to Uganda’s ecosystems and public health, particularly in the face of rapid urbanization, industrial expansion, and intensified agriculture. This systematic review comprehensively analyzed Uganda’s CoC landscape, addressing imminent challenges that endanger the country’s ecosystems and public health. CoCs, originating from urban, industrial, and agricultural activities, encompass a wide range of substances, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, radionuclides, biotoxins, disinfection byproducts, hydrocarbons, and microplastics. This review identified the major drivers of CoC dispersion, particularly wastewater and improper waste disposal practices. From an initial pool of 887 articles collected from reputable databases such as PubMed, African Journal Online (AJOL), Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, 177 pertinent studies were extracted. The literature review pointed to the presence of 57 pharmaceutical residues and personal care products, along with 38 pesticide residues and 12 heavy metals, across various environmental matrices, such as wastewater, groundwater, seawater, rainwater, surface water, drinking water, and pharmaceutical effluents. CoC concentrations displayed significant levels exceeding established regulations, varying based on the specific locations, compounds, and matrices. This review underscores potential ecological and health consequences associated with CoCs, including antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption, and carcinogenicity. Inefficiencies in traditional wastewater treatment methods, coupled with inadequate sanitation practices in certain areas, exacerbate the contamination of Uganda’s aquatic environments, intensifying environmental and health concerns. To address these challenges, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) emerge as promising and efficient alternatives for CoC degradation and the prevention of environmental pollution. Notably, no prior studies have explored the management and mitigation of these contaminants through AOP application within various aqueous matrices in Uganda. This review emphasizes the necessity of specific regulations, improved data collection, and public awareness campaigns, offering recommendations for advanced wastewater treatment implementation, the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, and the enforcement of source control measures. Furthermore, it highlights the significance of further research to bridge knowledge gaps and devise effective policies and interventions. Ultimately, this comprehensive analysis equips readers, policymakers, and regulators with vital knowledge for informed decision-making, policy development, and the protection of public health and the environment.

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“…Small-scale farmers from regions with high contamination vulnerability to mycotoxin, produce approximately 75 percent of total maize in Kenya (Wagacha et al, 2008). Several factors have been assessed due to aflatoxicosis outbreak in the year 2004 and 2005 in eastern Kenya (Lewis et al, 2005b;Onen et al, 2021). Maize handling along the food chain is the biggest contributor of the aflatoxin accumulation as its shown in Figure 2.…”

Section: Aflatoxin Contamination Of Maize and Its Products Incidences...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk mitigation of aflatoxin contamination in maize and its food and feed products in developing countries: a review

WANJIRU,

NJUE,

OKOTH

et al. 2023

EAJSTI

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Food safety is key to a health population in the developing countries along the whole value. Maize and its products’ safety from aflatoxin is a concern taking into consideration that they are highly consumed in these countries as their staple food by individuals from different socio- economic levels and upbringings. It’s used to manufacture human foods which include maize flour, grits, porridge, beers among others and animal feeds where their consumption show health benefits such as provision of vitamin B-complex for skin, heart, brain, hair and improved digestion in humans. Aflatoxin exposure from maize products and feeds consumption have been so frequent in alarming rates leading to Aflatoxicosis which is a serious health risks to consumers and livestock, maize grain scarcity and global trade impact therefore nations have set strict threshold limits. Google Scholar database was used in the research of the literature articles that are recent and related to aflatoxin in maize grains. Great emphasis is based on maize grains and feeds’ safety from aflatoxins thus this review is focused on the aflatoxin in maize in terms of research on recent toxicity data, maize contamination impacts, mitigation measures research on safe methods that can’t lead to risks due to further contamination with harmful residuals and the future interventions from the literature that should be installed considering that maize is the main food in Sub- Saharan Africa. Therefore, available mitigations are applicable and hence the government relevant bodies are required to enforce strict measures on their application while enhancing a favorable environment to partners who would be available in installation of the future predicted measures.

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Aflatoxin content and health risks associated with consumption of some herbal products sold in Kampala, Uganda

Cited by 4 publications

References 34 publications

Emerging Pollutants in Uganda: A Systematic Review

Emerging Pollutants in Uganda: A Systematic Review

A Systematic Review of Contaminants of Concern in Uganda: Occurrence, Sources, Potential Risks, and Removal Strategies

Risk mitigation of aflatoxin contamination in maize and its food and feed products in developing countries: a review

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