This book is an outcome of the MycoGlobe conference in Accra. Most of the chapters are based on invited oral presentations made at the conference. The chapters in this book touch on issues including health, trade, ecology, epidemiology, occurrence, detection, management, awareness and policy. This book serves as a source of information on the occurrence and impact of mycotoxins on everything from trade and health to agricultural production in addition to suggesting opportunities for their management in Africa and elsewhere by researchers, policy makers and development investors.
The evaluation of the presence of mycotoxins in different matrices is achieved through different analytical tools (including quantitative or qualitative determinations). Studies of mycotoxin isolation, using chromatographyc equipment coupled to spectrometry detectors (QTrap-MS/MS, MS/MS tandem, QTOF-MS/MS), are the most useful tools to control their presence. All these studies represent key steps in the establishment of the limits of detection, limits of quantification, points of identification, accuracy, reproducibility, and repeatability of different procedures. The maximum permitted or recommended levels for mycotoxins in different matrices are within a wide range (including the levels tolerated by infants and animals). In addition, decontaminated strategies, as well as control and evaluation of exposure, are demanded by authorities and food safety systems. These authorities are not only concerned with the determination of mycotoxin presence but also with the toxicological effects of mycotoxins, and in vivo or in vitro assays are necessary for a complete evaluation. In fact, these assays are the basis for the control and prevention of population exposure to mycotoxins in dietary exposure studies. The most recent surveys focused on regulated mycotoxins (aflatoxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, and zearalenones) and emerging toxins, such as enniatins and beauvericin in adult consumers, while very few studies have monitored mycotoxin levels in infant products. This Book of Toxins comprises 11 original contributions and one review. New findings regarding presence of mycotoxins in aromatic and medicinal plants, mango and orange juice, juices, pulps, jams, and beer, from Morocco, Pakistan, and Portugal are reported. In these studies, innovative techniques to study their presence has been developed, including liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry to analyse mycotoxins and conjugated mycotoxins. Novel strategies to detect mycotoxin presence and comparisons the characteristics of a rapid quantitative analysis of different mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, patulin, sterigmatocystin, and zearalenone) are also presented using acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterases and photobacterial strains of luminescent cells. Additionally, toxicological effects of zearalenone metabolites and beauvericin on SH-SY5Y neuronal cells are presented. One important point in the control of mycotoxins is related to decontaminated strategies, and in this sense the efficacy of potentially probiotic fruit-derived Lactobacillus isolates in removing aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is presented. Other mycotoxin decontaminated techniques included in this book are electron beam irradiation (EBI) and degradation of zearalenone and ochratoxin A using ozone. Finally, a review that summarizes the newly discovered macrocyclic trichothecenes and their bioactivities over the last decade is included.
The Biosynthesis of Mycotoxins: A Study in Secondary Metabolism focuses on the biosynthetic analysis of mycotoxins, which are inherently a heterogeneous group of metabolites that are formed along the terpene route and the route polyketide, as well as from amino acids. This book discusses the unique biological properties and structural complexity of the highly specialized secondary microbial metabolites. Organized into 12 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the characteristics of secondary metabolites, including their problematic function and the combination of their structural diversity with their restricted biological occurrence. This text then explains the sporadic occurrence of the mycotoxins as fungal metabolites. Other chapters explore ergochromes, which are a group of light yellow mycotoxins that are isolated from ergot, mold fungi, and lichens. The final chapter discusses the biosynthesis of several unrelated fungal metabolites for which toxicological data are reported. Biochemists, organic chemists, mycologists, enzymologists, plant pathologists, toxicologists, and graduate students will find this book useful.
Microbial Toxins: A Comprehensive Treatise, Volume VIII, Fungal Toxins is devoted to topics related to algal and fungal toxins and includes critically reviewed articles from different experts in related fields. The text is divided into three sections. Section A covers coumarins — its isolation, identification, biological action, natural occurrence, and uses. Section B deals with the epizootiology, clinical characteristics, and pathological findings of Stachybotryotoxicosis. Section C talks about phytopathogenic and helminthosporium toxins, toxic peptides found in Amanita species as well as other mushroom toxins, compounds accumulating in plants after an infection, and ergot. The book is recommended for microbiologists and toxicologists, especially those who would like to know more about the toxins produced by algae and fungi and their effects.
Mycotoxins are toxins produced by aerobic, microscopic fungus under special conditions of moisture and temperature. They colonize in a variety of foods from harvest to the grocer. Mycotoxins have gained world wide interest in recent years with the revelation of the effect of these toxins on health. A current example is the presence of ochratoxin A, a human carcinogen and nephrotoxin, in wines. The increased concern about fruit safety has led to increased studies throughout the world and enhanced awareness for stringent regulations governing mycotoxin limits in food.Presented in three defined sections, this is the first book to provide comprehensive analysis of the main mycotoxins contaminating fruits and vegetables and their derived products. The first section provides a safety evaluation of mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables, details regarding factors affecting mycotoxin production and diffusion in the fruit tissue, and recent methods for detection of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins produced by the fungi. The second part takes a critical look at the main individual mycotoxins and the third section focuses on approaches for prevention and control. - The first book dedicated to mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables - Presents mycological, mycotoxicological and phytopathological aspects of fruits and vegetables - Includes an analysis of detection, prevention and control methods for mycotoxigenic fungi and the mycotoxins they produce - Provides a complete risk assessment and safety evaluation of mycotoxins in perishable produce
The biosynthetic diversity of secondary metabolites; Epidemiology of fusarium ear diseases of cereals; Breeding for resistance to fusarium wheat and maize; Spectral characteristic of secondary metabolites; Penicillium and aspergillus toxins; Ecological aspects of growth and mycotoxin production by storage fungi; Alternaria toxins; Immunotoxic effects of mycotoxins; Toxicology of mycotoxins; Residues in food products of animal origin; Decontamination of fusarium mycotoxins; Prevention of human mycotozicoses through risk assessment and risk management; Factors responsible for economic losses due to fusarium mycotoxin contamination of grains, foods, and feedstuffs; Diseases in humans with mycotoxins as possible causes.
This Edited Volume Mycotoxins - Impact and Management Strategies is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters, offering a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of Mycotoxicology. The book comprises of single chapters authored by various researchers and edited by an expert active in this research area. This book is divided into three sections. Section 1 consists of one chapter that gives an overview of the socioeconomic impact of mycotoxins. Section 2 has five chapters that address the prevention and control of aflatoxins both at pre- and post-harvest stages. Section 3 has two chapters that deal with health impact and control in the poultry industry. This publication aims at providing a thorough overview of the latest research efforts in the field and opens new possible research paths for further novel developments in addressing the problem of mycotoxins.
This thorough volume explores the possibility of detecting and identifying toxigenic fungi, able to produce secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins, which cause severe health problems in humans and animals after exposure to contaminated food and feed, having a broad range of toxic effects, including carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Beginning with a section on fungal genera and species of major significance along with their associated mycotoxins, the book continues with sections on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based methods for the detection and identification of mycotoxigenic fungi, PCR-based methods for multiplex detection of mycotoxigenic fungi, as well as sections on combined approaches and new methodologies. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Mycotoxigenic Fungi: Methods and Protocols will aid researchers working in this vital field to provide insight into possible actions to reduce mycotoxin contamination of crop plants and the food/feed byproducts.
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by the fungi of different species (mainly Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium), with toxic effects for humans and animals. These mycotoxins can contaminate food and feed. The European Union (EU) has established the maximum permitted or recommended levels for well-known mycotoxins in different foodstuffs. However, there are other mycotoxins that are not included in the regulations: the “emerging mycotoxins” (whose toxicity is still not clear), and the “modified or masked mycotoxins” (produced as a consequence of a detoxification strategy of the host plant of the fungus or during food processing). These mycotoxins could pose a risk and should also be taken into account. In order to assure consumers’ health, analytical methods for the accurate determination of mycotoxins in different food matrices and feeds are required. In this sense, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) is a powerful tool for their unique identification and quantification. Moreover, the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) allows one to identify novel mycotoxins and targeted/untargeted approaches for study. This Special Issue compiles recent applications of LC–MS/MS in mycotoxin studies, as well as the development and validation of new analytical methods for their identification and quantification in different food matrices and feed, occurrence studies, and the biomonitoring of mycotoxins and their metabolites in biological fluids.
