Peanut is the most important agricultural crop of Pakistan. Peanut is a dicotyledonous, herbaceous, pubescent, rigid or low growing plant and the only species cultivated is (Arachishypogaea L.). Peanut is rich in protein, fat and carbohydrates, some percentage of Ca, K, P, Mg and vitamin E is also present. Peanut is an excellent source of edible oil as it contains about 50 to 53 percent good quality oil used in ghee, margarine and salad. There is high risk of contamination of peanuts with aflatoxins(AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) because of fungal attack during the drying of peanut pods. Out of all these aflatoxins AFB1 is most important. Aflatoxins are toxic, carcinogenic secondary metabolites of Aspergillusflavus, Aspergillusparaciticus and Aspergillusnomius. Aflatoxins can cause illness to human results in Aflatoxicosis. Aflatoxins are carcinogenic compounds that are causative agents in human hepatic and extra hepatic carcinogenesis. The chief attacking organ for aflatoxins B1 toxicity and carcinogenicity is liver. From the safety point of view aflatoxin management is important for the production of safe and excellent quality peanuts.
For this purpose present study was conducted to determine the level of aflatoxins in peanuts (roasted, un-roasted). Samples will be collected/purchased by simple random collection technique from local markets and vendors from different areas ( Sabzazar, Wahdat road , Shad bagh, Data darbar, Akbarimandi, Beaden road, Lohari gate, Ek-moria pull, Liberty, Firdous market, Siddiqiacoloney, Mughal pura, Faizbagh, Rehmanpura, Gulberg, Model town, Islam pura, Shahdara, Rang mahal, Muslim town, Township, Iqbal town, Awan town, Niazbegh, Mozang, Outfall road, Sanatnagar, Cantt, Secretriate and Shad man) of Lahore. The samples were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) to check the presence of aflatoxins (B1, B2,
G1 and G2). TLC analyses were further confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to verify the accuracy of TLC. These analyses were performed in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and WTO labs, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. As out of 120 total samples of peanuts 60 samples were taken from vendors with 2 categories of roasted and unroasted while 60 samples were collected from shops with the same categories. Out of 120 samples, 55 (45.8%) were contaminated. In these 55 samples 48 (87.2%) samples were contaminated with aflatoxin B1.Aflatoxin G1 is also present in 3 samples (5.45%), aflatoxin B2 in 3 (5.45%) samples and Aflatoxin G2 is present only in one samples collected from vendors, and we can say that 1.8% samples were contaminated with aflatoxin G2.
Present study will be supportive for the investigation of aflatoxins in peanuts. Peanuts are widely consumed all over the world and occurrence of aflatoxins in this commodity is a major concern to human health. The present situation is too much worse about the levels of aflatoxins which are higher than the prescribed limit by the regulatory authorities. It was observed that TLC technique is good for the determination of aflatoxins in developing countries where the facilities of sensitive instruments are not accessible. Furthermore to quantify levels of aflatoxins by using sensitive instruments like HPLC, GC-MS and LC-MS is required for accurate detection of Aflatoxins in peanuts in markets to protect the consumers from exposure of aflatoxins high level which are carcinogenic and hepatotoxic.