Exposure assessment of aflatoxins and zearalenone in edible vegetable oils in Shandong, China: health risks posed by mycotoxin immunotoxicity and reproductive toxicity in children.

Human exposure to aflatoxins (AFs) and zearalenone (ZEA) has not been sufficiently investigated. Here, we analyzed the exposure level and health risks posed by AFs (B1, B2, G1, G2) and ZEA through cooking oil consumption in Shandong, China. The individual daily consumption of cooking oil was calculated through 2745 questionnaires during 2017-2019. The average contamination levels of mycotoxins were estimated by examining 60 cooking oil samples. For the peanut oil, AFs ranged from <0.2 to 274 µg/kg, with a positive rate of 66.6% (20/30). Average levels of 36.62 µg/kg AFB1 and 44.43 µg/kg total AFs were found. Over-the-limit level (20 µg/kg) of AFB1 was detected in 8/30 samples. Estimated daily intake (EDI) and margin of exposure (MOE) for age-stratified population groups showed that children are facing highest adverse health risk with AFB1 (MOE 5.88-6.39). The liver cancer incidences attributable to AFB1 exposure are non-negligible as 0.896, 0.825, and 0.767 cases per 100,000 for 6-14 age group, 15-17 age group, and adult labor-intensive workers. Over-the-limit level (60 µg/kg) ZEA contamination was detected in 25/30 corn oil samples with a 50th percentile value of 97.95 µg/kg. Our health risk assessment suggested significant health risks of enterohepatic (inflammation and cancer), reproductive, and endocrine systems posed by AFs and ZEA. However, the health risk of immunotoxicity is unclear because currently animal study data are not available for the immunotoxicity induced after long-term exposure. In general, the health risks posed by mycotoxins are non-negligible and long-term mycotoxin surveillance is necessary.

Sugar Is the Key Cause of Overweight/Obesity in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB).

To evaluate association between overweight/obesity and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) types, SSB sugar, among children and adolescents. A total of 1,068 children and 751 adolescents were identified from a provincial survey conducted in Shandong, China. χ2 tests, logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), mediation analysis, pathway analysis, and ordinary least square (OLS) regression were applied to test association among overweight/obesity, SSB sugar, SSB types, and a set of factors. The mean daily SSB intake for children and adolescents was 210.7 and 208 ml, respectively. The threshold of SSB sugar consumption causing overweight/obesity was around 25 g/day and verified by RCS based on logistic regression. Approximately, 44.8% of the study subjects consumed more than 25 g/day of SSB sugar. SSB sugar intake above 25 g/day resulted in higher risk of overweight/obesity (OR = 1.391, 95% CI, 1.115-1.734). The effects of all types of SSBs on overweight/obesity were fully mediated by SSB sugar (p < 0.05), except for milk. Consumption of any types of SSBs had a positive impact on SSB sugar intake in both children and adolescents. Any type of SSB intake was a risk factor in excessive intake of SSB sugar (OR > 1, p < 0.05). In particular, milk powder, tea, and tea-flavored drinks, and carbonated have greater ORs for excessive intake of SSB sugar (OR = 76.08, 8.879, 4.355, p < 0.05, respectively). It was found that the effect of SSB on overweight/obesity was mediated by the intake of SSB sugar, and the effects of various SSBs were different according to multiple linear regression and pathway analysis (p < 0.05, respectively).

Occurrence of quinolones in cultured fish from Shandong Province, China and their health risk assessment.

The residue levels of 6 quinolones in 160 cultured fish samples from Shandong Province, China were investigated using UPLC-MS/MS. The detection rate was 43.1% and enrofloxacin had the highest detection rate as well as the highest residue concentration. The violation rates were 2.50% for the sum of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin and 1.25% for ofloxacin. Among the 9 fish species, quinolone contamination problems should receive more attention in Carp, Grass carp, Crucian and Catfish. The health risk assessment showed that when calculated by the maximum concentration, the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of Carp, Grass carp and Crucian for the high consumption group accounted for more than 10% of the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs), indicating that a large intake of these fish species might pose a potential health risk and health risk monitoring of quinolones in cultured fish should be continually performed.

Association between Serum Vitamin A, Blood Lipid Level and Dyslipidemia among Chinese Children and Adolescents.

Background: To study the relationship between serum vitamin A (VA) level and blood lipid profiles in children and adolescents aged 6−18 years, as well as the effect of VA on dyslipidemia. Methods: The project adopted a multistage stratified cluster sampling method. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain dietary factors data. Blood samples of subjects were taken via venipuncture. Generalized linear models were used to explore the correlation be-tween VA and biochemical indicators, as well as stratified and inter-actions analysis to explore the influence of confounders on these relationships. Generalized linear models were constructed to explore the association between VA and blood lipids. Restricted cubic splines were used to characterize dose−response associations between serum VA and dyslipidemia based on logistic regression. Results: Serum VA was positively correlated with TC, TG and HDL-C (p < 0.05), but these associations were influenced by age (p < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) values of VA for hypercho lesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, mixed hyperlipidemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia were 3.283, 3.239, 5.219 and 0.346, respectively (p < 0.01). Meanwhile, significant age interactions affected the relationship between VA and TC, as well as TG and LDL-C (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Serum VA was positively correlated with blood lipids, but these associations were influenced by age. VA was a risk factor for dyslipidemias, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and mixed hyperlipidemia, but was a protective factor for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia.

Occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fried and grilled fish from Shandong China and health risk assessment.

Diet is the main way for the human body to ingest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, the occurrence, dietary exposure, and health risks of 15 PAHs in 31 fried and grilled fish samples were investigated, which were collected from the Shandong Province of China. The results showed that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) of 5 samples exceeded the European Union (EU) limit value. Naphthalene (NaP) and fluorene (Fle) were present in all samples, and the average concentration of ∑15PAHs was 91.1 µg/kg, with light PAHs dominated. The average contamination level of ∑15PAHs in fried and grilled fish was distributed differently, and there seemed to be more PAH contamination in the grilled samples. The results of the margin of exposure (MOE) suggested that PAH ingestion through fried and grilled fish did not imply significant toxicological concern for consumers in Shandong. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values for the consumption of fried and grilled fish were higher than 1 × 10-6, indicating a potential health risk in the adult population. The study provides baseline health information on PAH intake by residents due to dietary exposure to fried and grilled fish food products, suggesting that health risk monitoring of PAHs in such foods should be continually performed.

Occurrence and dietary exposure assessment of multiple mycotoxins in corn-based food products from Shandong, China.

This study was designed to investigate the occurrence and exposure assessment of multiple mycotoxins in corn-based food products from Shandong Province, China. Results demonstrated that the mean level of total mycotoxins in test samples was 197.2 µg/kg. The most frequently found mycotoxins were deoxynivalenol (96.7%) and fumonisin B1 (94.4%), with mean contamination levels of 65.24 and 128.2, respectively. Among these corn-based food products, thin corn pancake had the highest mean contamination (886.7 µg/kg), followed by wotou (143.7 µg/kg), corn cake (135.4 µg/kg) and mantou (63.73 µg/kg). The average exposure values to total fumonisins and deoxynivalenol were 0.05 and 0.02 µg/kg bw/day, which were lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake values of 2 and 1 µg/kg bw/day, respectively, as established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. In the future strict control and systematic monitoring are needed to secure food safety and human health.

Deoxynivalenol and its acetyl derivatives in bread and biscuits in Shandong province of China.

In the present study, 100 commercial breads and biscuits were investigated for the occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetylated derivatives 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-Ac-DON) and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-Ac-DON). The target mycotoxins were determined by isotope dilution ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). DON was determined in 95% of the test samples with a mean value of 153.3 µg/kg. Compared with DON, 3-Ac-DON and 15-Ac-DON were far less frequently detected, with mean values of 1.14 and 0.37 µg/kg, respectively. The estimated daily intakes of the sum of DON and its derivatives in breads and biscuits were 0.0059 and 0.0313 µg/kg bw/day, respectively, which was within the group provisional tolerable daily intake of 1.0 µg/kg bw/day set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. In the future, systematic monitoring programmes of DON and its derivatives in relevant foodstuffs are still necessary for food safety and human health.

Mycotoxins in wheat flour and intake assessment in Shandong province of China.

In the present study, the occurrence and contamination levels of eight mycotoxins were investigated in wheat flour samples (n = 359) from Shandong Province of China. Samples were determined using a multi-mycotoxin method based on isotope dilution ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results indicated that the most frequently found mycotoxins were deoxynivalenol (DON) (97.2%), nivalenol (40.4%) and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (33.4%), and mean contamination levels in positive samples were 86.7, 3.55 and 3.34 µg kg(-1), respectively. The obtained data were further used to estimate the daily intake of the local population, and indicated that wheat flour consumption contributes little to DON exposure. However, with the aim to keep the contamination levels under control and to establish a more precise evaluation of the mycotoxin burden in Shandong Province, more sample data from different harvest years and seasons are needed in the future.

Fumonisins B1, B2 and B3 in corn products, wheat flour and corn oil marketed in Shandong province of China.

In this study a total of 522 samples were collected from Shandong province of China in 2014 and analysed for the occurrence of fumonisin B1 (FB1), FB2 and FB3 by isotope dilution ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Fumonisins were detected in 98.1% of the corn products, with the average total level of 369.2 µg kg(-1). The individual average values of FB1, FB2 and FB3 in corn products were 268.3, 53.7 and 47.2 µg kg(-1), respectively. The simultaneous occurrence of FB1, FB2 and FB3 was observed in 76.7% of the corn products. Especially, the results demonstrated that the difference in the contamination levels for fumonisins in these three types of corn products was apparent. In addition, 6.2% of the wheat flour samples were contaminated with FB1, with concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 34.6 µg kg(-1). No FB2 or FB3 was detected in wheat flour. In corn oil samples no fumonisins were detected.