**6. Conclusion**

Chronic consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods is a common problem in both hu‐ mans and animals worldwide especially in poor developing nations of south East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where there is poor food harvesting, processing and storage of food and food products thus allowing the growth of mold on them. Aflatoxins, their metabolites, the aflatoxin-8,9-epoxide and the generated ROS causes deleterious effects on the various body organs and body systems including the development of cancers especially the liver cancer mainly due to AFB1 exposure. Aflatoxins are also responsible for the suppression of both the humoral and cell-mediated immunity and thus making individuals susceptible to infectious diseases. Aflatoxins also responsible for the malabsorption of various nutrients thus leading to nutritional deficiencies, impaired immune function, malnutrition and stunted growth and hence the development of kwashiorkor and marasmus in infants. Aflatoxins also can affect almost all the different body systems and hence the health of the affected individuals espe‐ cially in poor developing nations of south East Asia and sub-saharan Africa where there is poor food harvesting, processing and storage thus allowing the growth of mold on them.
