Ochratoxin A: Is it present in breast milk samples obtained from mothers from Ankara, Turkey?

Breast feeding is very important in the first year of life. However, breast milk may be contaminated with many residues of xenobiotics and naturally occuring toxins such as mycotoxins. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of mycotoxins that may play a causative role in some diseases seen in neonates. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine OTA levels in breast milk samples. For this purpose breast milk samples were collected from 75 mothers. Their babies were in-patients in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, in Ankara, Turkey. All samples were stored at -20 °C until analysis. Following an extraction procedure, OTA levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mean coefficient values for within-day and between-day variations of the method were 7.3 and 4.9%, respectively. The detection limit of the method was found to be 10 ng l^-1. The recovery percentage of OTA was 91.70 and 136.6 for two different concentrations added to breast milk samples. OTA was found in all samples tested in the range of 620.87-13111.30 ng l^-1. Considering potential hazard of OTA to human health, and especially the vulnerability of infants, the present data suggest the necessity of further research on OTA in Turkey, either monitoring its levels in biological fluids and foods or evolving protection strategies.