Mycotoxin-Producing Fungi

Abstract

Food spoilage fungi are classified into three types by source: plant pathogenic field fungi, storage fungi and soil-borne storage fungi. Some mycotoxin-producing fungi are reported to be pathogenic for humans and domestic animals. Some of the fungi from the fields are Alternaria spp., Fusarium spp. and Trichoderma spp., The storage fungi are primarily Aspergillus spp., Eurotium spp., Penicillium spp. and Wallemia sebi. The soil-borne storage are Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, A. terreus, Emericella spp., Neosartorya spp., Penicillium chrysogenum, P. expansum and P. verrucosum. Among them, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. ochraceus, A. parasiticus, A. terreus, Emericella nidulans, E. rugulosa, Neosartorya fischeri, N. glabra, Fusarium graminearum, F. moniliforme, F. oxysporum, F. solani, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P. expansum and P. verrucosum are important mycotoxin-producing fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus, A. neoellipticus, N. fischeri and N. glabra produce tremorgenic mycotoxins such as fumitremorgins A, B and verruculogen, while Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, A. versicolor and Emericella spp. produce carcinogenic mycotoxins, aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin. © 1994, The Japanese Society for Medical Mycology. All rights reserved.