Recent Advances on Environmental Toxicology of Mycotoxins

Abstract

Several genera of fungi belonging to Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria and others produce toxic secondary metabolites, so-called mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, sterigmatocystin, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone and fumonisins. Some of these toxic compounds are detected in foods and animal feeds, causing food-born intoxication in man and livestocks. Current molecular epidemiology has demonstrated a close association between the exposure of these mycotoxins and human diseases, particularly of hepatic, renal and esophageal cancers in endemic areas. Newly isolated mycotoxins, fumonisins, and the trichothecene, nivalenol, are defined as a tumor promoter. Recent advances on ELISA methods are presenting the information on human exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA). The adducts of AFBi with serum albumin and hepatic DNA and the urinary metabolites such as AFP1 and AFB1-guanine adduct are expected as an excellent biomaker for AFB1 exposure. On the basis of the toxicological and epidemiological surveys, the risk assessment is performed for AFB1; OTA and zearelenone. To minimize the human hazards derived from the mycotoxins as environmental contaminants, the maximum tolerable limits for aflatoxins, trichothecenes and ochratoxins in foods and feeds are regulated in the most countries. © 1993, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.