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MgO-SiO₂ Nanocomposite Can Adsorb Aflatoxin in Wheat Flour



Author(s)

Seyedhossein Hekmatimoghaddam¹, Ali Jebali² and Karim Daliri³

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DOI:10.17265/2161-6221/2012.01.006

1. Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
2. Medical Nanotechnology, Department of Nanotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3. Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Genetics, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Aflatoxin is a fungal toxin that causes liver tumor and hepatitis, and is produced mostly by Aspergillus flavuson food and culture media. In this in-vitro lab trial study we used nanocomposite magnesium oxide-silicon dioxide (MgO-SiO₂) for aflatoxin adsorption in wheat flour samples. This study showed that nanocomposite MgO-SiO₂ was an effective adsorbing agent for aflatoxin, and the amount of reduction is related to concentration of aflatoxin, incubation times, concentrations of nanocomposite and temperature. The maximum reduction was 88% at aflatoxin concentration of 1,000 ppb, after 1.5 h of incubation with 0.4 g/mL of nanocomposite at 25 °C.

Aflatoxin, adsorption, nanocomposite, magnesium oxide, silicon dioxide.