Ochratoxin Contamination of Red Chili Peppers from Chile, Bolivia and Peru Showing High Incidences of Gallbladder Cancer

Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), and G1(AFG1) have been detected in red chili peppers from Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, each of which have a high incidence of gallbladder cancer (GBC) as shown in our previous studies (Tsuchiya el al., 2011; Asai et al., 2012). The association between exposure to AFB1 and the development of liver cancer had already been demonstrated by several studies (e.g., WHO 2002), especially when it is associated with hepatitis B or C virus infection (Kew, 2003), and some groups have reported an association between exposure to AFB1 and the risk of GBC (Sieber et al., 1979; Olsen et al., 1988). Since our earlier epidemiological study demonstrated that a high consumption of red chili peppers is a risk factor for GBC in Chilean women who had gallstones (Serra et al., 2002), we suspected that a high consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated red chili peppers