Methods for chemical preparation of aflatoxin B1adducts, AFB1-N7-guanine and AFB1-lysine

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a hepatocarcinogen produced by fungi species of the genus Aspergillus. Dietary exposure to AFB1 is associated with increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. The biotransformation of AFB1 generates the adducts AFB1-N7-guanine and AFB1-lysine, which are used as biomarkers of human exposure to dietary AFB1 in epidemiological studies. This article presents a review of main studies on the use of AFB1 adducts as biomarkers of human exposure to AFB1, and the current status of chemical procedures for the preparation of AFB1-N7-guanine and AFB1-lysine as analytical standards.