Risk assessment of aflatoxin B1 in herbal medicines and plant food supplements marketed in Malaysia using margin of exposure and RISK21 approaches.

Abstract

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a mycotoxin produced by several species of Aspergillus fungi which can cause liver cancer in animals and humans. This study aims to perform the risk assessment of AFB₁ in herbal medicines and plant food supplements (PFS) in Malaysian market. A total of 31 herbal medicines and PFS were purchased through online platforms and over the counter using a targeted sampling strategy. Of 31 samples analysed using the ELISA method, 25 (80.6%) were contaminated with AFB₁ at levels ranged from 0.275 to 13.941 μg/kg. The Benchmark Dose Lower Confidence level of 10 (BMDL₁₀) of 63.46 ng/kg bw/day and the estimated dietary intake of the adult population ranged from 0.006 to 10.456 ng/kg bw/day were used to calculate the Margin of Exposure (MOE). The MOEs for 24 (96%) out of the 25 positive samples were lower than 10,000. The RISK21 matrix revealed that AFB₁ exposure levels from herbal medicines and PFS differed greatly over the world. The calculated population risk of acquiring liver cancer from AFB₁ exposure ranged from 0 to 0.261 cancers/100,000 populations/year and accounted for an estimated percentage of liver cancer incidence ranged from 0.002 to 4.149%. This study revealed a moderate risk of liver cancer attributable to AFB₁ from herbal medicine and PFS among Malaysian populations and emphasised an urgency for risk management actions.