Mycotoxin Research最新文献

Plant-based alternatives to animal-derived products have gained significant prominence in recent years, with the market for these products experiencing continuous growth. In response to this trend, we developed an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous quantification of 15 mycotoxins from Fusarium (deoxynivalenol (DON), DON-3-glucoside (D3G), 3-acetyl-DON, 15-acetyl-DON, HT-2 toxin, T-2 toxin), Alternaria (alternariol, alternariolmonomethylether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TeA)), and Aspergillus species (aflatoxin (AF) B1, B2, G1, G2, sterigmatocystin (STC), ochratoxin A) in plant-based meat, cheese, and fish substitutes. Sample extraction was performed using a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) approach, followed by dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE) for clean-up. Quantification was achieved through stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA). The method demonstrated limits of detection (LOD) ranging from 0.01 µg/kg (AFB2 and STC) to 14.1 µg/kg (D3G) and limits of quantification (LOQ) between 0.02 µg/kg (STC) and 41.9 µg/kg (D3G). This method was successfully applied to quantify mycotoxins in 32 plant-based alternative products, revealing contamination predominantly with Alternaria toxins such as AME and TeA. Seitan-based products were identified as having the highest levels of contamination. In total, 27 out of 32 analyzed products contained at least one of the target mycotoxins. With the obtained data, we performed a risk assessment and revealed a potential risk, especially for toddlers, but also for individuals of all ages, due to the presence of Alternaria toxins. However, none of the detected concentrations exceeded the established regulatory limits or recommended values, as plant-based alternatives are not specifically included in the relevant food safety regulations.

The consumption of tea as a beverage is considerably increasing worldwide. However, some questions are raised about its safety, particularly regarding the potential contamination by mycotoxins. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to assess the overall prevalence of mycotoxin contamination in different types of tea (black, green, dark, white and pu-erh), to compare the contamination rate between two periods (2000-2017 and 2018-2022), and to investigate the impact of country's income on this contamination. Included studies were selected from Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar research databases, according to PRISMA guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using MecdCalc software. Concerning the analytical methods used for mycotoxin detection, 84.6% of included studies used HPLC and or LC-MS/MS. In the 21 included studies, the mycotoxin contamination was predominantly by deoxynivalenol, with 43.8% (95% CI: 8.2%- 83.8%), followed by ochratoxin A (29.1% (95% CI: 11.9%- 50.2%)), enniatin (23.7% (95% CI: 1.7%- 60.1%)), citrinin (23.6% (95% CI: 6.2%- 47.8%)), zearalenone (17.8% (95% CI: 5.1%- 36.0%)), and aflatoxins (12.4% (95% CI: 7.8%- 17.9%)). Regarding tea categories, black tea was the most contaminated type, with a rate of 89.2% (95% CI: 73.9%-98.3%), followed by green tea with a rate of 67.3% (95% CI: 37.0%-91.2%). The contamination prevalence was higher in studies conducted before 2018 than those of the 2018-2022 period, and lower in high-income countries compared to middle and low-income countries, where tea contamination was rarely reported. Therefore, more stringent prevention strategies, including regulatory measures, are needed to decrease the risk of tea consumers exposure to mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites that pose serious challenges to worldwide food safety. It necessitates the rapid and sensitive methods for real-time detection of these compounds in food products. Conventional detection approaches are accurate, but their complexity, high cost and time consumption often create obstacles. The use of nanosensors, particularly those based on 2D-nanomaterials like phosphorene, are novel means for quick, sensitive, and low-cost detection of mycotoxins. Its tunable bandgap, high surface-to-volume ratio, and high electron mobility enables fast, sensitive, and low-cost detection of mycotoxins in real-food samples. Advances in synthesis and functionalization of phosphorene have improved its stability and integration into electrochemical, optical and field-effect transistor based sensors. Such phosphorene-based nanosensors exhibited exceptional low detection limits with improved selectivity for real-time monitoring of complex food products. Overall, phosphorene derived nanosensors have been established to be an innovative technology for on-site monitoring of mycotoxin contamination, facilitating overcome the challenges in food quality control.

This panel-type longitudinal study assesses the impact of socio-economic factors on aflatoxin contamination in milk and feed within Punjab, Pakistan. This study enabled monthly tracking of contamination and awareness levels, providing a dynamic assessment of changes over time. Utilizing a geographically representative cluster random sampling, 36 districts were stratified into five clusters (north, south, east, west and central) for comprehensive analysis. A total of 300 milk and 300 feed samples were collected monthly and analysed using competitive enzyme immunoassay kits. Data collected from face-to-face interviews and laboratory analyses were statistically analyzed using SPSS and R- software. Socio-economic variables, including education, income, landholding size, herd size, and milk yield, were examined in relation to contamination levels with adjustments for potential confounding factors. Results indicated significant correlations between education levels and aflatoxin awareness, with higher education correlating with reduced contamination. Aflatoxin levels were highest in the central region, linked to reliance on self-stored grains. Training on aflatoxin management significantly reduced contamination. Socio-economic attributes, except education, did not significantly impact contamination levels. Feed price inversely correlated with aflatoxin levels, suggesting economic investment in higher quality feed reduces contamination. This study showed the significance of a longitudinal monitoring framework and reinforces the need for policy-driven farmer education and improved feed management practices to enhance milk safety and public health.

The objective of the study was to assess the potential exposure of pig farmers to toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins by investigating their presence in feeds to understand whether these matrices may represent a source of release into the environment and pose an occupational health risk. Nine feed samples were collected from several intensive farms located in Southern Italy and analyzed through a multi-methodological approach. A total of 35 molds were isolated and A. flavus turned out to be the most frequently species, representing nearly 46% (16/35), followed by A. niger and A. candidus, each at 11.43%. Among the 16 A. flavus strains, 8 possessed all 5 key genes of the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway but only 4 showed the true aflatoxigenic capacity as confirmed by HPLC/MS-MS analysis (AFB₁ range: 0.52-1030 µg/L). The most frequent mycotoxin was Ochratoxin A (OTA), occurring in 100% of the samples at mean concentration of 33.6 µg/kg while Fumonisin B1 (FB₁) occurred in 97% of the feed samples at mean concentration of 247.1 µg/kg. Only one sample was contaminated by Aflatoxin B1 (5.84 µg/kg), classified as carcinogenic to humans. Our results confirm that feedstuffs can contribute to contamination of the work environment, and tasks involving their handling may represent critical procedures that expose personnel to airborne toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins.

Citrinin is a common mycotoxin found in food and poses risks to both human and animal health. While extensive research has been conducted on the nephrotoxicity of citrinin itself, the nephrotoxicity of its metabolites remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the nephrotoxic mechanism of citrinin and its metabolites (CIMs) using density functional theory, network toxicology, and computer simulations. Our findings revealed that CIMs also have potential toxicity, such as nephrotoxicity. Density functional theory explained the structural basis of the toxicity of CIMs. A total of 255 targets related to nephrotoxicity induced by CIMs were predicted by network toxicology. Notably, the enrichment results indicated the importance of multiple forms of programmed cell death in CIMs-induced nephrotoxicity. In addition, four key targets (TP53, MAPK1, MAPK3, and HSP90AA1) were identified, with molecular dynamics simulations validating stable binding between the four targets and CIMs. Van der Waals forces were the main driving force for stabilizing complexes formed between CIMs and the four targets through the binding free energy and independent gradient model analysis. Our research provides the theoretical basis and new insights for an in-depth study of the nephrotoxicity mechanism of CIMs and offers a new paradigm/approach for investigating the toxicity mechanism of other mycotoxins in the future.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a common feed contaminant, causes substantial economic losses in animal husbandry and threatens reproductive health. This study investigated the toxic mechanisms of AFB1 on bovine endometrial epithelial cells using in vitro experiments. Treatment with 5 μg/mL AFB1 for 24 h significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, indicated by a reduced EdU-positive rate and increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Caspase-3 expression. Transcriptome sequencing identified 810 differentially expressed mRNAs and 88 upregulated lncRNAs, which were primarily enriched in calcium signaling, oxytocin, and GnRH pathways. Experimental validation confirmed that AFB1 elevated intracellular Ca²⁺ levels, dysregulated calcium-related protein expression, and disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential. Further analysis suggested that lncRNAs such as MSTRG.32635 may perturb cellular homeostasis by modulating calcium signaling-associated genes. These findings elucidate a novel mechanism wherein AFB1 impairs endometrial cell function via an lncRNA-mRNA network that interferes with calcium signaling, offering potential targets for the prevention and treatment of AFB1-induced reproductive toxicity.

Mycotoxins pose a major health risk for humans in many parts of the world. For exposure assessment human biomonitoring (HBM) based on the analysis of serum, plasma, whole blood, urine or breast milk samples is a powerful approach which has been extensively used. However, there are several major challenges and pitfalls to be considered to achieve reliable and standardized data which can be used for risk assessment. These challenges include sampling (spot urine, 24 h urine, plasma, serum etc.) and analytical issues (missing reference standards, matrix effects, protein adducts, recovery, limit of detection, stability during storage, etc.). Further critical aspects needed for biomarker interpretation and human health risk evaluation are a lack of data for several mycotoxins such as (a) health-based guidance values (b) long-term biomarkers, (c) reliable food intake data (d) toxicokinetic parameters in humans, for example clearance and transfer rates to urine or milk and (e) HBM guidance values. In this review, these issues will be discussed based on recent HBM studies and recommendations for future studies as well as research needs will be derived.