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A longitudinal one-year study was conducted to determine aflatoxin M1 levels in different types of milk marketed in Pakistan. Processed and raw liquid milk from 21 sources, two milk powder and six tea whitener brands were sampled on monthly basis from Islamabad. The aflatoxin M1 levels in liquid milk were lower (p < 0.05) in summer (April to July) compared with the levels in winter (January, November and December). The mean aflatoxin M1 levels were 254.9, 939.5, and 1535.0 ng/L in UHT, pasteurized, and raw milk, respectively (differing at p < 0.001). The mean toxin level in powdered milk after reconstitution was 522.1 ng/L. Overall, 12.9, 41.0, 91.9 and 50.0% of the UHT, pasteurized, raw and powdered milk samples, respectively, exceeded the Codex maximum tolerable limit of 500 ng of aflatoxin M1/L. It was estimated that consumers of raw and processed milk were exposed to 11.9 and 4.5 ng aflatoxin M1, respectively, per kg of body weight daily. The study indicates potential aflatoxin M1 exposure risks for the consumers of raw milk in the country. The levels of the toxin though comparatively lower in milk powder, requires attention as this type of milk is consumed by infants.
Agha Waqar Yunus; Nida Imtiaz; Haider Khan; Mohammed Nawaz Mohammed Ibrahim; Yusuf Zafar. Aflatoxin Contamination of Milk Marketed in Pakistan: A Longitudinal Study. Toxins 2019, 11, 110 .
AMA StyleAgha Waqar Yunus, Nida Imtiaz, Haider Khan, Mohammed Nawaz Mohammed Ibrahim, Yusuf Zafar. Aflatoxin Contamination of Milk Marketed in Pakistan: A Longitudinal Study. Toxins. 2019; 11 (2):110.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAgha Waqar Yunus; Nida Imtiaz; Haider Khan; Mohammed Nawaz Mohammed Ibrahim; Yusuf Zafar. 2019. "Aflatoxin Contamination of Milk Marketed in Pakistan: A Longitudinal Study." Toxins 11, no. 2: 110.
The information from this study is important for helping promote a more sustainable use of resources, such as grasses and shrubs, and in increasing an understanding of the utilization dynamics and their impact on potential recovery in the study area and beyond. This study contributes insight toward ensuring the achievement of conservation measures outside protected areas to restore biodiversity in degraded habitats, through comparing the plant characteristics between a protected and unprotected site. This study substantiates other findings, which suggest that using protected areas is one of several strategies that need to be adopted for recovering lost biodiversity and ensure their effective management. This study improves our understanding of how shifts in vegetation characteristics resulting from land use change and management can modify the recovery of, in the case of Cholistan, previously grazed vegetation.
Muhammad Zubair; Ahmar Saleem; Mirza Asim Baig; Muhammad Islam; Abdul Razzaq; Shamim Gul; Sarfraz Ahmad; Hloniphani P. Moyo; Sawsan Hassan; Barbara Rischkowsky; Mohamed N.M. Ibrahim; Mounir Louhaichi. The Influence of Protection From Grazing on Cholistan Desert Vegetation, Pakistan. Rangelands 2018, 40, 136 -145.
AMA StyleMuhammad Zubair, Ahmar Saleem, Mirza Asim Baig, Muhammad Islam, Abdul Razzaq, Shamim Gul, Sarfraz Ahmad, Hloniphani P. Moyo, Sawsan Hassan, Barbara Rischkowsky, Mohamed N.M. Ibrahim, Mounir Louhaichi. The Influence of Protection From Grazing on Cholistan Desert Vegetation, Pakistan. Rangelands. 2018; 40 (5):136-145.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Zubair; Ahmar Saleem; Mirza Asim Baig; Muhammad Islam; Abdul Razzaq; Shamim Gul; Sarfraz Ahmad; Hloniphani P. Moyo; Sawsan Hassan; Barbara Rischkowsky; Mohamed N.M. Ibrahim; Mounir Louhaichi. 2018. "The Influence of Protection From Grazing on Cholistan Desert Vegetation, Pakistan." Rangelands 40, no. 5: 136-145.
Controlled grazing is considered a good management strategy to maintain or increase the live weight of livestock and to reduce vegetation degradation of rangelands. The present study investigated soil characteristics, aboveground vegetation biomass dynamics and controlled grazinginduced changes in the live weight of local ewes in the semi-arid rangeland of Ahmadun, Ziarat, Balochistan province of Pakistan. An area of 115 ha was protected from livestock grazing in April 2014. In June 2015, soil characteristics within 0-30 cm depth i.e. soil organic matter (SOM), mineral nitrogen, pH and texture in controlled and uncontrolled grazing sites were assessed. Aboveground vegetation biomass measured in early (June) and late summer (August) in 2015 and 2016. The nutritional value i.e. crude protein, phosphorus (P), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) of dominant plant species were assessed at the beginning of experiment in 2015. Vegetation cover of controlled and uncontrolled grazing sites was also measured during the two years of the study period using the VegMeasure software. From June to November in 2015 and 2016, controlled and uncontrolled livestock grazing sites were grazed on a daily basis by local ewes with a stocking rate of 2 and 1 head ha-1 respectively. Results reveal that the organic matter contents of coarse-textured, slightly alkaline soil of the study site were in the range of 9.4 - 17.6 g kg-1 soil and showed a strong positive correlation with aboveground vegetation biomass. The biomass of plants was 56.5% and 33% greater at controlled than uncontrolled grazing site in 2015 and 2016 respectively and plant cover was also higher at controlled than uncontrolled grazing site in both years. The nutrient contents were significantly (P<0.05) lower in grasses than shrubs. In both years, the controlled grazing increased the weight gain of ewes about two folds compared to the uncontrolled grazing. The results indicate that controlled grazing improved the vegetation biomass production and small ruminant productivity.
Muhammad Islam; Abdul Razzaq; Shamim Gul; Sarfraz Ahmad; Taj Muhammad; Sawsan Hassan; Barbara Rischkowsky; M. N. M. Ibrahim; Mounir Louhaichi. Impact of grazing on soil, vegetation and ewe production performances in a semi-arid rangeland. Journal of Mountain Science 2018, 15, 685 -694.
AMA StyleMuhammad Islam, Abdul Razzaq, Shamim Gul, Sarfraz Ahmad, Taj Muhammad, Sawsan Hassan, Barbara Rischkowsky, M. N. M. Ibrahim, Mounir Louhaichi. Impact of grazing on soil, vegetation and ewe production performances in a semi-arid rangeland. Journal of Mountain Science. 2018; 15 (4):685-694.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Islam; Abdul Razzaq; Shamim Gul; Sarfraz Ahmad; Taj Muhammad; Sawsan Hassan; Barbara Rischkowsky; M. N. M. Ibrahim; Mounir Louhaichi. 2018. "Impact of grazing on soil, vegetation and ewe production performances in a semi-arid rangeland." Journal of Mountain Science 15, no. 4: 685-694.