Effects of Turmeric Powder on Aflatoxin M1 and Aflatoxicol Excretion in Milk from Dairy Cows Exposed to Aflatoxin B1 at the EU Maximum Tolerable Levels

Abstract

Due to the climatic change, an increase in aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) maize contamination has been reported in Europe. As an alternative to mineral binders, natural phytogenic compounds are increasingly used to counteract the negative effects of AFB1 in farm animals. In cows, even low dietary AFB1 concentrations may result in the milk excretion of the genotoxic carcinogen metabolite aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). In this study, we tested the ability of dietary turmeric powder (TP), an extract from Curcuma longa (CL) rich in curcumin and curcuminoids, in reducing AFM1 mammary excretion in Holstein–Friesian cows. Both active principles are reported to inhibit AFM1 hepatic synthesis and interact with drug transporters involved in AFB1 absorption and excretion. A crossover design was applied to two groups of cows (n = 4 each) with a 4-day washout. Animals received a diet contaminated with low AFB1 levels (5 ± 1 µg/kg) for 10 days ± TP supplementation (20 g/head/day). TP treatment had no impact on milk yield, milk composition or somatic cell count. Despite a tendency toward a lower average AFM1 milk content in the last four days of the treatment (below EU limits), no statistically significant differences with the AFB1 group occurred. Since the bioavailability of TP active principles may be a major issue, further investigations with different CL preparations are warranted.

Carry-Over of Aflatoxin B1 from Feed to Cow Milk—A Review

“…It is reported that clay products have not consistently prevented decreases in milk yield caused by AFB1 ingestion, and yeast fermentation products have been reported to have potential to improve animal performance parameters [ 42 ]. More recent studies have focused on the combined application of clays and yeast [ 17 , 24 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 67 ] or the use of natural compounds, particularly phytogenic compounds, such as curcumin and curcuminoids from turmeric powder [ 68 ]. A short summary of the reviewed studies is provided in Appendix A .…”

“…Cha et al (2021) [ 24 ] experienced significantly lower milk AFM1 concentrations and AFB1-AFM1 transfer rates (0.57% and 0.63% compared to 1.16%) when a montmorillonite-diatomite based patented adsorbent and a montmorillonite, diatomite, yeast cell wall and sodium-alginate-based adsorbent were fed to cows in addition to an aflatoxin challenge. In one of the most recent works, Girolami et al (2022) [ 68 ] studied the effects of curcumin and curcuminoids from turmeric powder on the carry-over of aflatoxins. Beneficial effects had previously been demonstrated with this substance in vitro and in other food-producing species, including ruminants.…”

Computational Studies of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1): A Review

“…Aflatoxins are metabolites of Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fries, a fungus that under certain conditions, grows prolifically on peanuts, cereals, and milk produced by cows [ 1 , 2 ]. AFB 1 is the most carcinogenic of the aflatoxins (aflatoxin B 2 (AFB 2 ), aflatoxin G 1 (AFG 1 ), and aflatoxin G 2 (AFG 2 ); aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 , Figure 1 ) [ 3 ]).…”

Multiple Year Influences of the Aflatoxin Biocontrol Product AF-X1 on the A. flavus Communities Associated with Maize Production in Italy

“…Furthermore, climate change is predicted to worsen the maize contamination in Europe [ 31 ]. The use of different compounds able to bind AFB1 to reduce its bioavailability was purposed, but this approach is not totally effective and implies side effects [ 32 , 33 ]. A biocontrol formulation comprised on an AF- A. flavus strain, AF-X1, was successfully developed to address the contamination in commercially grown maize in Italy.…”