Hepatocellular carcinoma as a consequence of exposure to aflatoxins

Resumen

Aflatoxins are toxic substances produced by microscopic fungi of the genus Aspergillus, having as main representatives A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius (TRABULSI et al., 2015). According to Oliveira and Germano (1997), this group of chemical compounds has 17 representatives, being the most relevant for the health area the types B1, B2, G1 and G2. Trabulsi et al. (2015) state that aflatoxins were discovered in the 1960s, after an investigation into the deaths of hundreds of birds in England, which were fed feed from Brazil and Africa. Since then, it has been found that these substances have, in addition to a high toxicity, a great mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic power (KEW, 2013). Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has been described as the most potent natural carcinogen known (MURRAY; ROSENTHAL; Pfaller, 2017).

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevenIIImulti2023-238