Seasonally Feed-Related Aflatoxins B₁ and M₁ Spread in Semiarid Industrial Dairy Herd and Its Deteriorating Impacts on Food and Immunity

Figure 1

Upper panel, map of the study area showing many intensively large scaled industrial cattle farming in part of semiarid northeastern Iran, where feed and milk samples were seasonally obtained. Lower panel (a), chemical structure of aflatoxins (AFs) B₁ (C₁₇H₁₂O₆) and M₁ (C₁₇H₁₂O₇) routinely found in animal feed and milk. AFM₁ is derivative of hydroxy AFB₁ and predominant secondary metabolite of AFB₁. One oxygen atom more in AFM₁ leads to a polar lipophobic toxin. Middle, aflatoxin B₁ levels in different types of cattle feed ( feedstuffs), and lower, aflatoxin M₁ levels in bulk milk () during four seasons (in -axes, kg is equal to liter). Different letters with their symbols (i.e., #, ¥, and € for concentrate, silage, and TMR/totally mixed ration, resp.) represent significant difference between their respective treatments ( versus control).