Aflatoxin Contamination of Red Chili Pepper from Bolivia and Peru with High Gallbladder Cancer Incidence Rates

A high level of consumption of red chili peppers was demonstrated to be an environmental risk factor for gallbladder cancer (GBC) in Chilean women who carry gallstones (GS) in a previous epidemiological study (Serra et al., 2002). However, the pathogenic mechanism by which GBC occurs through red chili pepper consumption in the presence of GS remains unclear. A recent study has shown that the highest incidence rates of GBC are found among populations living in the western parts of the Andes, and in North-American Indians, Mexican Americans and inhabitants of northern India (Wistuba and Gazdar, 2008). In South America, the highest rates were found among women in La Paz, Bolivia, and high incidence rates were found in Trujillo, Peru; Quito, Ecuador; and Cali, Colombia; (Lazcano-Ponce et al., 2001). Bolivia is believed to be the place of origin of chili peppers known as “Andean peppers”. The consumption of red chili peppers is very popular not only among