Fumonisin B1 Contamination of Cereals and Risk of Esophageal Cancer in a High Risk Area in Northeastern Iran

Introduction: Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin produced in cereals due to fungalinfection. This study was conducted to determine FB1 contamination of rice and corn samples and its relationshipwith the rate of esophageal cancer (EC) in a high risk area in northeastern Iran.
Methods: In total, 66 rice and66 corn samples were collected from 22 geographical subdivisions of Golestan province of Iran. The levels ofFB1 were measured for each subdivision by thin layer and high pressure liquid chromatographies. The meanlevel of FB1 and the proportions of FB1 contaminated samples were compared between low and high EC-riskareas of the province.
Results: The mean of FB1 levels in corn and rice samples were 223.64 and 21.59 μg/g,respectively. FB1 contamination was found in 50% and 40.9% of corn and rice samples, respectively. FB1 levelwas significantly higher in rice samples obtained from high EC-risk area (43.8 μg/g) than those obtained fromlow risk area (8.93 μg/g) (p-value=0.01). The proportion of FB1 contaminated rice samples was also significantlygreater in high (75%) than low (21.4%) EC-risk areas (p-value=0.02).
Conclusion: We found high levels of FB1contamination in corn and rice samples from Golestan province of Iran, with a significant positive relationshipbetween FB1 contamination in rice and the risk of EC. Therefore, fumonisin contamination in commonly usedstaple foods, especially rice, may be considered as a potential risk factor for EC in this high risk region.