Mycotoxin Research最新文献

Throughout history, Turkish coffee has been the most widely consumed type of coffee in Turkey. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the amount of ochratoxin A (OTA) present in Turkish coffee and to analyze any potential health hazards. A total of 41 Turkish coffees were collected and analyzed for OTA activity using a competitive enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). Furthermore, dietary exposure and health risk assessments for the Turkish population were calculated based on analytical results and coffee consumption data from the Turkish Nutrition and Health Survey 2019 (TNHS-2019) in three age categories (15-18, 19-64, and 65 + years). Nine of the samples contained more than 2.5 μg/kg OTA, with an average of 5.24 μg/kg. The OTA concentration in 3 samples exceeded the permissible maximum limit (5 μg/kg) established by Turkish legislation, and the mean concentration was 8.41 μg/kg. A margin of exposure (MOE) approach was used for risk characterization, considering both non-neoplastic and neoplastic consequences. There were no concerns about health risks because MOEs were more than 10,000 for all categories. Although the levels of OTA analyzed in Turkish coffee did not pose a risk to individuals in the three age categories, emphasis should be placed on minimizing and controlling OTA concentrations in Turkish coffee. Additionally, it is also necessary to consider other food sources that could contribute to OTA exposure.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi with harmful effects such as carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, nephrotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity. They cause widespread contamination of plant products such as crops, food, and feed, posing serious threats to the life and health of human beings and animals. It has been found that many traditionally synthesized and natural compounds are capable of inhibiting the growth of fungi and their secondary metabolite production. Natural compounds have attracted much attention due to their safety, environmental, and health friendly features. In this paper, compounds of plant origin with inhibitory effects on ochratoxins, aflatoxins, Fusarium toxins, and Alternaria toxins, including cinnamaldehyde, citral, magnolol, eugenol, pterostilbene, curcumin, and phenolic acid, are reviewed, and the inhibitory mechanisms of different compounds on the toxin production of fungi are also elucidated, with the aim of providing application references to reduce the contamination of fungal toxins, thus safeguarding the health of human beings and animals.

Yogurt, a milk-derived product, is susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. While various methods have been developed for the analysis of dairy products, only a few have been specifically validated for yogurt. In addition, these methods are primarily focus on detecting aflatoxins and zearalenone. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation into the presence of regulated, emerging, and modified mycotoxins in natural and oat yogurts available in the Spanish market. For this, a QuEChERS-based extraction method was optimized and then validated to detect and quantify 32 mycotoxins using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The method was in-house validated for the analysis of natural and oat yogurt in terms of linearity, matrix effect, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. Satisfactory performance characteristics were achieved; for most of the analytes, LOQs were lower than 2 ng/g, and recoveries ranged from 60 to 110% with a precision, expressed as the relative standard deviation of the recovery, lower than 15%. Subsequently, the validated method was applied to analyze commercial yogurt samples, revealing a notable incidence of beauvericin and enniatins, with some analogues found in up to 100% of the samples. Alternariol methyl ether was also frequently found, appearing in 50% of the samples. Additionally, the study identified regulated toxins such as fumonisins, ochratoxin A , and HT-2 toxin. These results provide new incidence data in yogurt, raising concerns about potential health risks for consumers.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is among the most potent genotoxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins and is a major source of distress for the growing poultry sector. On the other hand, distillery yeast sludge or distillery sludge (DS) is a byproduct of molasses-based industries. It is often treated as a waste despite containing abundant nutrients particularly protein, basic amino acids, and vitamins along with other macro and micronutrients. This study was designed to investigate the oxidative stress and immunological alterations induced by AFB1 and their amelioration by dietary supplementation with DS. For this purpose, 360 newly hatched broiler chicks were randomly divided into twelve groups (30 birds each) and fed different combinations of AFB1 (100, 200, or 600 µg/kg) and DS (5 or 10 g/kg) for 42 days. The parameters under consideration were body weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), relative organ weights, histopathological examination of different visceral organs, total antioxidant capacity, antibody response to intravenous injection of sheep red blood cells, in situ lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin-P, and phagocytic potential through a carbon clearance assay system. The results of this study established that DS supplementation ameliorated AFB1-associated oxidative stress and ameliorated toxicopathological and immunological anomalies in groups given AFB1 at 100 µg/kg and 200 µg/kg; however, little to no relief was observed in birds fed AFB1 at 600 µg/kg. The determination of the actual ratio of the AFB1 to the DS for substantiating the ameliorating effects requires further investigation.

Deoxynivalenol ( DON) is one of the most harmful mycotoxins in food or feed or Traditional Chinese Medicine. An efficient and applicable method for the detoxification of DON is urgently developed. 1152 strains were isolated from the intestinal contents of crucian. Morganella morganii YC12-C3 and Enterococcus faecalis YC12-C10 were screened with the highest degradation rate of DON via HPLC methods. The optimal degradation condition of YC12-C3 and YC12-C10 is co-cultured 24 h and 36 h at 28 ℃ in LB medium with pH 7 and 1.0% inoculation dosage, respectively. LC-MS/MS and ¹H NMR results show that YC12-C10 and YC12-C3 can transform DON to 3-deoxy-6-demethanol-DON, a new metabolite biotransformed from DON, by deoxidization at C3 hydroxy and de-methanal reaction at methanol moiety of C6. In addition, the DON-degradation in agricultural material assay showed that YC12-C10 and YC12-C3 can degrade 150 μg·kg^-1 DON in Coix lacryma-jobi, with a degradation rate of 68.89% and 59.94%, respectively. This result shows that YC12-C10 and YC12-C3 have a sound efficiency in removing DON ability in Coix lacryma-jobi, providing a new strain resource and application technique for biological detoxification of DON in food or feed or TCM industry.

In our investigation, we probed the ramifications of low selenium diets and HT-2 mycotoxin exposure on spinal development and structural fidelity in murine models. A cohort of 48 male mice was segregated into six groups: a control set, a singular low selenium diet group, two cohorts exposed to distinct concentrations of HT-2 toxin (1.6 and 3.2 mg/kg·bw·d), and two assemblies subjected to a confluence of low selenium intake and each designated HT-2 dosage. Across an 8-week investigative period, parameters such as body mass, markers of bone metabolism, and cellular vigor were assiduously monitored. Analytical techniques encompassed biomechanical assessments, X-ray scrutiny, and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) evaluations. Our results unveiled a dose-dependent diminution in the body mass of mice exclusively exposed to HT-2 toxin, whereas concurrent exposure to both low selenium and HT-2 toxins elicited a synergistic effect. Pertinent shifts were observed in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D concentrations, as well as in the operational dynamics of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, aligning with toxin dosage and combined exposure. Variations in biomechanical attributes were also discerned, mirroring the levels of toxin exposure. Micro-CT and X-ray examinations further corroborated the extensive detrimental impact on the cortical and trabecular architecture of the mice's spinal columns. This inquiry elucidates the complex synergistic interactions between low selenium and HT-2 mycotoxin on murine spinal development and integrity under co-exposure conditions. These findings accentuate the exigency of comprehensively understanding the solitary and joint effects of these toxins on osseous health, providing pivotal insights for future toxicological research and public health strategies.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a fungal toxin consistently found as a contaminant in food products such as cereals, nuts, spices, and oilseeds. AFB1 exposure can lead to hepatotoxicity, cancer, immune suppression, reproductive deficiency, nutritional dysfunction, and growth impairment. AFB1 has also been listed as one of the most potent human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although the correlation between AFB1 exposure and cancer initiation and progression is already reported in the literature, very little information is available about what molecular pathways are affected during cancer development. Considering this, we first selected AFB1-responsive genes involved in five deadliest cancer types including lung, colorectal, liver, stomach, and breast cancers from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Then, using the PANTHER database, a statistical overrepresentation test was performed to identify the significantly affected pathways in each cancer type. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) pathway, the CCKR signaling pathway, and angiogenesis were found to be the most affected pathways in lung, breast, liver, and stomach cancers. In addition, AFB1 toxicity majorly impacted apoptosis and Wnt signaling pathways in liver and stomach cancers, respectively. Moreover, the most affected pathways in colorectal cancer were the Wnt, CCKR, and GnRHR pathways. Furthermore, gene analysis was also performed for the most affected pathways associated with each cancer and identified thirteen key genes (e.g., FOS, AKT1) that may serve as biological markers for a particular type of AFB1-induced cancer as well as for in vitro AFB1 toxicological studies using specific cancer cell lines.

This study examined the effects of fumonisins (FBs) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), alone or in combination, on the productivity and health of laying hens, as well as the transfer of aflatoxins (AFs) to chicken food products. The efficacy and safety of mycotoxin detoxifiers (bentonite and fumonisin esterase) to mitigate these effects were also assessed. Laying hens (400) were divided into 20 groups and fed a control, moderate (54.6 µg/kg feed) or high (546 µg/kg feed) AFB1 or FBs (7.9 mg/kg feed) added diets, either alone or in combination, with the mycotoxin detoxifiers added in selected diets. Productivity was evaluated by feed intake, egg weight, egg production, and feed conversion ratio whereas health was assessed by organ weights, blood biochemistry, and mortality. Aflatoxins residues in plasma, liver, muscle, and eggs were determined using UHPLC-MS/MS methods. A diet with AFB1 at a concentration of 546 µg/kg feed decreased egg production and various AFB1-contaminated diets increased serum uric acid levels and weights of liver, spleen, heart, and gizzard. Interactions between AFB1 and FBs significantly impacted spleen, heart, and gizzard weights as well as AFB1 residues in eggs. Maximum AFB1 residues of 0.64 µg/kg and aflatoxin M1 (below limits of quantification) were observed in liver, plasma, and eggs of layers fed diets with AFB1. The mycotoxin detoxifiers reduced effects of AFB1 and FBs on egg production, organ weights, blood biochemistry, and AFB1 residues in tissues. This study highlights the importance of mycotoxin detoxifiers as a mitigation strategy against mycotoxins in poultry production.

Following the use of sugar beet pulp that was retrospectively found to be predominantly contaminated with zearalenone (ZEN) in diets of reproducing sows largely exceeding the EU-guidance value for critical ZEN concentration of 0.25 mg/kg, farmers did not report any changes in the reproductive performance of sows. Thus, the aim of the study was to verify this guidance value in a dose-response setup by using sugar beet pulp as a ZEN source hitherto not considered a risky feedstuff additionally characterized by comparatively low levels of deoxynivalenol. A total of 90 sows was equally allocated to one of the three feed groups during experimental lactation 1 and up to 40 days after insemination: CON with a minimal ZEN concentration, ZEN1 with a target concentration of 250 µg ZEN/kg feed, and ZEN2 with a target concentration of 500 µg ZEN/kg feed. Thereafter, all sows received the same feed without ZEN for the rest of gestation, and the following lactation for testing of putative carry-over effects resulting from previous ZEN exposure. Exposure of sows to ZEN with blood serum as an indicator was linearly related to dietary ZEN concentrations. Reproductive and zootechnical performances of sows were only affected by ZEN exposure at weaning weight. Clinical-chemical parameters indicated no clear effect of ZEN exposure. An influence of ZEN on the occurrence of tail and ear injuries (not necrosis) in piglets and lesions on the mammary complexes in sows is possible. The influence of a ZEN concentration above the EU guidance value on the study farm can therefore not be neglected.

Exposure of school children to aflatoxin and fumonisin is mainly through diet. In Kenyan public schools, children are given porridge made from maize flour for breakfast, a mixture of maize and beans, also known as githeri for lunch and ugali for dinner. Nixtamalization has proved to reduce mycotoxins in most cereals and not a mixture of maize and beans. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the exposure of primary school children in Turkana County to aflatoxin and fumonisin through maize-based food under the school meals program and the effectiveness of nixtamalization in the reduction of these mycotoxins. Samples of githeri were randomly collected from all public primary schools (n = 128) under the homegrown school meals program in Turkana County and analyzed for aflatoxin and fumonisin. The data was analyzed using SAS software, version 9.4. The deterministic model was used to calculate the estimated daily intake (EDI) and the margin of exposure (MOE) used to characterize the exposure risk. The contaminated samples were then treated with various concentrations of Ca(OH)₂, 0.5-2.5%. The treated samples were cooked for 60 and 75 min and soaked for 6 and 8 h. Forty percent of the schools contained githeri samples with aflatoxin B1 levels above 5 µg/Kg, the maximum limit for Kenya. Exposure to aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin was up to 2 µg/kg/bw/day. The range for fumonisin exposure was 60-80 µg/kg/bw/day. Ca(OH)₂ concentration levels of up to 2.5% reduced aflatoxin by 75% and fumonisin by 72%. The findings indicate that githeri is contaminated with aflatoxin and fumonisin which exposes school children to these mycotoxins and nixtamalization can be used to reduce mycotoxin contamination in githeri.