Ptaquiloside milk residues; do they pose a public health risk in Northern QLD?
Conference Contribution ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
Natural toxicants (Toxins from 'natural' sources) in foods can have adverse effects on human health, and consequently trade. Many are regulated internationally in grain, nuts, milk and honey, particularly since some are carcinogenic. Grazing livestock are exposed to toxins from plants, fungi growing on grain and cyanobacteria in water supplies. In regions where bracken fern (P. aquilinum) is prevalent there are reports of increased gastric cancers in the human population. Human exposure can result from direct consumption of bracken or inhalation of spores, and also indirectly from consumption of milk from animals grazing pastures infested with bracken fern. P. esculentum is the primary bracken species present in Australia with P. aquilinum subsp. wightianum (previously P. revolutum) and P. semihausatum (previously P.esculentum x revolutum) having limited presence in northern Australia but with local abundance on the Atherton Tableland. Since the Atherton Tableland is also one of the major milk producing regions of Queensland and bracken toxicity has been reported in cattle in the region the question arose as to whether Tableland milk posed a risk to consumers. A survey of 50 dairy farms was carried out between October-November 2009, which comprised about 67% of the dairy farms on the Tablelands. A 500ml bulk milk sample was collected from each farm and analysed using a modified reverse phase HPLC UV method for the presence of ptaquiloside as its elimination product pterosin B. The results indicate that milk consumed from the Tablelands should pose minimal risk of ptaquiloside toxicity to consumers. The public health implications of ptaquiloside toxins and the role of other natural toxins in Queensland milk are discussed.
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Australian College of Veterinary Scientists: college science week: scientific meeting
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1
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Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
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Australian College of Veterinary Scientists
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Australia
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