4.2.3 Liver Cancer and Aflatoxin

4.2.3 Liver Cancer and Aflatoxin

Scholars have studied that Aspergillus flavus is present in grains such as peanuts, wheat, and corn, thriving best at temperatures of 30–38°C and relative humidity of 80%. At 28–32°C and 85% relative humidity, it produces the metabolite aflatoxin B (AFB1), which is highly carcinogenic. When the body is exposed to AFB1 over a long period, the liver suffers damage during detoxification, leading to hepatocyte necrosis and bleeding, which greatly increases the risk of liver cancer [80]. At the molecular level, AFB1 primarily causes mutations at positions 249 and 254 of the tumor suppressor gene P53 [81], promoting cancer cell proliferation. Studies have also found that AFB1 inhibits RNA and DNA synthesis. Ye Fushun discovered that in southern Guangxi, there is a positive correlation between hepatitis B virus, AFB1, and the occurrence of liver cancer: the higher the level of AFB1 in the body, the higher the mortality rate from liver cancer. When investigating the AFB1 intake of residents in Fusui and Qidong, he found that residents in these high-incidence areas excreted significantly higher amounts of AFB1 in their urine.