The updated and most recent evidence of the occurrence and co-occurrence of mycotoxins.
By Neha MathurSep 4 2023Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM In a recent article published in the Toxins Journal, researchers presented the updated and most recent evidence of the occurrence and co-occurrence of mycotoxins in cereal grains, one of the food staples for humans, livestock feed, and pet food, and their adverse health effects.
Background Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites of toxic fungi/molds, are synthesized mainly by Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Alternaria genera. Cereals could be contaminated by fungi in the field and post-harvesting, particularly during storage, especially in hot and humid climates. Moreover, these countries have barely been able to develop and implement cost-effective detoxification methods to reduce the toxicity of contaminated grains.
The 2020 BIOMIN World Mycotoxin Survey Report showed that Fusarium mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol and Fumonisins were the most prevalent globally, followed by Zearalenone . The severity of their effects depends on age, gender, and the type and quantity of food consumed. Chronic exposure to AFs and FUMs can cause cancer, liver diseases, neural tube defects in neonates, and impaired fetal growth.
Aflatoxin and OTA caused kidney diseases in livestock in Europe and Egypt and esophageal cancer caused by FUMs in Africa and some regions of China.