The carcinogenic potential of aflatoxin or its metabolites in rats from dams fed aflatoxin pre- and postpartum.

Pregnant rats were fed a diet to which groundnut meal containing aflatoxin was added. The rats were fed the diet either prior to or after parturition or for both periods. The progeny developed inflammatory, hyperplastic,and neoplastic changes in the livers that were not seen in progeny of control animals ted a diet that did not contain aflatoxin. Malignant liver neoplasms were seen in the progeny but not in the dams.