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Abstract
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Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a secondary metabolite produced by some Aspergillus species, which have harmful impacts on human health such as carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, acute and chronic toxicity. In this study, the occurrence of AFB1 in pistachio nuts during various preparing processes was investigated in two pistachio farms from Qazvin province, Iran, from September to November 2012. High Performance detected level of AFB1 and Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) contained fluorescence detector using especial immunoaffinity columns. The results showed that AFB1 was present in the samples (100%) in during pre-harvesting, harvesting and post-harvesting stages. The highest mean value of AFB1 (27.58±2.12 μg/kg) was found in pistachio samples after harvesting process. Forty-six of 84 pistachio nuts (54.76%) in various process periods exceeded the maximum tolerable limit (2μg/kg) that set for AFB1 by European Union regulations. In addition, the results indicated that AFB1 levels in the samples had increased over storage time (P<0.05). As a result, postharvest and storage strategies are the best time to prevent mold growth and aflatoxins production.
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