Mycotoxins Consumption and Burden of Aflatoxin-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in People Subsisting on Sorghum Based Products in the Derived Savannah Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

Sorghum is a local grain that grows predominantly in the semi-arid, savannah and grassland region of Northern Nigeria and other parts of the world. Sorghum samples were collected from five districts in each of the six agro-ecological zones, while the sorghum based products such as gruel, pap and porridge were also sampled using A quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) followed by measurement of the body weight and  the quantity of food consumed by the respondents. The mycotoxin concentrations in both raw sorghum sample and the sorghum based products were determined using High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mycotoxin concentrations determined from the two different samples was used to determine the amount of mycotoxins consumed by respondents from different age groups. Subsequently the burden of aflatoxin induced Hepato celluar carcinoma (HCC) in communities (within the zone) that subsist on sorghum and sorghum based products was also determined. There was a significant difference (P = 0.05) between the concentration of the mycotoxins in the raw and the processed sorghum samples in the area under study. The processing methods employed in the in the preparation of these products could not reduce the toxin level below the PTDI and TDI levels set by the regulatory agencies. Average daily consumption of sorghum based products based on age range was found to be 192.5 g/day, 617.0 g/day, 810.2 g/day and 746.1 g/day for the infants, children, adults and elderly respectively The incidence of HCC and the burden aflatoxin induced HCC in the HbsAg+ and the HbsAg- populations was alarmingly high. Sorghum is a major grain corn in the world agricultural economy and represents an important staple food for the populations of many developing countries. Nevertheless, the nutritional value of sorghum as human food, as well as a feed material for animals, is impaired by its susceptibility to infection by fungi and fungal metabolites and this calls for urgent mitigation strategies to avoid health emergencies particularly in the poverty stricken countries of the sub Saharan Africa where this crop is a common staple.