Aflatoxin M1 and ochratoxin A in a human milk bank in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Because infants are more susceptible to the adverse effects of mycotoxins, this work was carried out to determine aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) and ochratoxin A (OA) in milk from the Human Milk Bank of the Southern Regional Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Analytical methods were first established and evaluated. The methods involved the extraction of AFM1 with methanol and OA with 1% aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution and methanol, clean-up with immunoaffinity columns having antibodies specific for each mycotoxin and quantification by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The method established for AFM1 had mean recovery percentages of 94, 77 and 82% and coefficients of variation of 17.5, 3.4 and 4.2% at 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 ng ml(-1), respectively. For the OA method, the corresponding values were 84, 84 and 75% for recovery and 14.1, 3.7 and 4.0% for the coefficient of variation. The limit of quantification for both methods was 0.01 ng ml(-1). Of a total of 50 samples analysed, only one was contaminated with AFM1, at 0.024 ng ml(-1), and two with OA, at 0.011 and 0.024 ng ml(-1). Although the incidence observed was low, it is recommended that the study be extended to other milk banks of the city of Sao Paulo.