The Presence of Aflatoxin B1 and Fungi in Traditional Drugs in Vietnam

To explore the presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fungi in traditional drugs collected in Vietnam.

505 samples of 88 different traditional drugs were obtained from 10 hospitals in Nghe An, a central province of Vietnam. AFB1 contamination was determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay. Fungal contaminants were determined according to WHO regulations and the obtained Aspergillus strains were characterized via morphological and molecular identification.

24 samples (4.75% of the total samples) were contaminated with AFB1 and the average concentration was 0.062± 0.030 µg/kg (ranging from 0.009 to 0.097 µg/kg). Fungal isolates were detected from 174 samples (34.45%). The genus Aspergillus was predominant (82.76% of the isolates) but Rhizopus, Alternaria, Corynespora and yeast were also found in a few samples. Among 144 strains of Aspergillus recovered, A. niger (105 strains) was most frequently found, followed by A. tubingensis (31 strains), A. oryzae (4 strains) and A. flavus (4 strains).

This study suggests a low risk of aflatoxin B1 exposure to consumers of traditional drugs in Vietnam.