Fate of aflatoxins M 1 and B 1 within the period of production and storage of Tarkhineh: A traditional Persian fermented food.

The objective of the study was to assess the amount of aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) and aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) during fermentation, drying, and storage of Tarkhineh-a traditional Persian fermented food-over four months. Tarkhineh samples were produced based on a traditional method. Various concentrations of AFB 1 (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 µg/kg) and AFM 1 , stood at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 µg/kg, were added to Iranian yogurt drink, called doogh, samples. Tarkhineh samples were evaluated for AFB 1 and AFM 1 on days 0, 2, 6, and 8 and also after drying and four months of storage. In cases of repeatability, recovery, and reproducibility, the high-performance liquid chromatography through fluorescence detector (HPLC-FD) method was successfully done to demonstrate aflatoxins (AFs) in Tarkhineh samples. The fermentation process had a considerable consequence on the reduction in AFM 1 and AFB 1 as compared to the control group, evidenced by 65.10%-81.20% and 55.80%-74.10%, respectively, after eight days of fermentation ( p  < .05). The highest reduction in AFB 1 existed in samples containing 2.5 µg/kg toxin, followed by 5, 7.5, and 10 µg/kg, respectively. A similar trend was found for AFM 1 , as the highest concentration was found in samples containing 0.25 µg/kg toxin, followed by 0.5, 0.75, and 1 µg/kg, respectively.