Mycotoxins: The silent enemy

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that can have toxic effects on both human and animals, mainly due to their exposure through food. Presence of these compounds has been demonstrated in a wide variety of raw materials, foods and feeds, in which it is common to find co-occurrence of different mycotoxins, in small amounts, which can generate subchronic toxic effects, as well as bioaccumulation. This article reviews the main elements that shape the problem of mycotoxins for human and animals, and explains the future challenges that will arise in the study of mycotoxins, among which are the effects that climate change can have on the pattern of contamination by mycotoxins in food, the growing discovery of new modified mycotoxins, the evaluation of the co-occurrence of these toxins and other chemical contaminants, and the ways to detect and eliminate these toxic compounds from food.