Dietary determinants of aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct in pregnant women consuming a rice-dominated diet in Nepal

Aflatoxins are found in diverse foods widely consumed worldwide. This study investigated the association between aflatoxin exposure and (a) consumption of specific foods, (b) dietary

diversity (DD), and (c) seasonality.

Women enrolled in the AflaCohort Study in Banke, Nepal (n = 1648) were asked how often they ate certain food items in the past 7 days and 24 h. Serum aflatoxin B1-lysine (AFB1-lys) adduct

levels, measured during pregnancy, were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariable ordinary least squares and quantile regression models were used to examine

incremental increases in AFB1-lys adduct levels per frequency of food consumption and the relationship between DD, seasonality, and increases in AFB1-lys adduct.

Roughly 94% of women were exposed to aflatoxin (geometric mean 1.37 pg/mg). Women in the 30th, 50th, and 70th quantiles of aflatoxin exposure who reported one more occasion of maize

consumption in the past week showed increases in AFB1-lys adduct levels: 0.094, 0.112, and 0.109 pg/mg (p