Aflatoxin M1 in Serbia: A systematic review of occurrence and exposure assessment - an update

Milk is a highly nutritious diet for all age groups including YOPI (young, old, pregnant and immune suppressed) patients, because it contains numerous important nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals. On the other hand, contamination of milk is considered as one of the major public health problems, which mainly arises due to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination, recently reported in our region. Hence, the main objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and possible trends of AFM1 contamination of milk and milk products reported between 2007 and 2016 in Serbia, and to compare collected results with similar research in neighboring countries since aflatoxin crisis has broken in order to identify the predisposing factors for AFM1 contamination. In addition, this paper gives an evaluation of potential public health risk due to consumption of AFM1 contaminated milk. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-31008

Carbamazepine hypersensitivity syndrome with leukopenia and hepatitis - report of two cases

Drug hypersensitivity syndrome is a severe form of hypersensitivity to the antiepileptic agent carbamazepine, particularly in presence of visceral and hematological manifestations that must be evidenced and treated in time. Two cases of female patients with carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity syndrome are reported. Both patients had prominent general complaints (febricity, weakness). The first patient had leukopenia, lymphadenopathy and rash, while the other one had urticaria, angioedema and hepatitis after administration of carbamazepine. Hypersensitivity reactions induced by antiepileptics widely applied in the practice may be severe and life-threatening if blood elements are involved via the immune or nonimmune mechanisms and if they result in hepatitis

Study of aflatoxins incidence in cow feed and milk in Serbia during 2013.

Atypical weather and climate conditions during the spring and summer 2012th were assumed to be the main reason for the aflatoxins contamination of corn crops in Serbia. High humidity in spring, and summer temperatures above the average contributed to the increased possibility of mycotoxins occurance in cereals in the fields. As a consequence, at the begining of 2013th contaminated corn used for dairy cows diet had negative impact on the safety of cow milk. The routine laboratory control data revealed an increased content of aflatoxin M1 in milk samples. Large number of raw milk and various feedstuff samples were collected from February to April 2013th and were analysed for the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and aflatoxin B1 respectively. The collected samples were a part of enhanced self-control plans of the large dairy farms. Quantitative competitive and sandwich types of ELISA tests were used for the screening analysis of the feed and milk samples. Confirmation of the positive results obtained by ELISA tests was performed by UPLC-MS/MS method. Out of 281 samples of complete mixtures for dairy cows, 67 samples (24%) contained aflatoxin B1 quantities higher than the MRL of 0,005 mg/kg [4]. Corn samples were also tested for the presence of aflatoxin B1 revealing contamination of 22% above the MRL (0.03mg/kg). Aflatoxin M1 content in the 934 positive milk samples ranged from 0,005- 1,25 μg/kg. The corresponding feed samples of sunflower meal, hay silage, corn silage and sugar beet pulp were screening negative, with the content of aflatoxin B1 less than 2 μg/kg. The main source of aflatoxins were corn samples, wholemeal and feed mixtures derived from contaminated corn. The contamination peak was during March 2013, when 65% of milk samples contained amounts of aflatoxin M1 higher than 0,05 μg/kg, and 13% of milk samples contained amounts higher than 0,5 μg/kg

The fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles of conventionally and organically produced grains of maize, spelt and buckwheat

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) and free fatty acids (FAs) present an important part of the grain lipid fraction. Knowing about its composition can be important information for both chemotaxonomic and nutritional parameters. The aim of the present study was to determine the TAG and FA profiles (and their similarities/differences) of several important crops (maize, spelt, buckwheat) grown under dissimilar agroecological systems - conventional and organic. Fatty acid composition was determined by applying the GC-FID method while HPLC method was used for the determination of the triacylglycerol profile of selected grains. To the best of our knowledge, the TAG profile of spelt grains was determined for the first time. Ten different FAs were identified in examined samples with a predominant presence of linoleic acid, except in the case of buckwheat (oleic acid) grains. Uniformly, buckwheat grains stood out due to the predominance of triglycerides with an equivalent carbon number of fifty (ECN 50) or forty-eight (ECN 48). In contrast, other samples contained ECN 44 and ECN 46 TAGs as the most represented triglycerides. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster statistical analysis results, there is no uniformity in the differences between organic and conventional production growing systems