Mycotoxin Research最新文献

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is an unavoidable environmental pollutant frequently found in feed and foodstuffs and is considered the most toxic of all aflatoxins, known to impair testicular function. This study investigated the potential protective effect of artichoke leaves powder (ArLP) against the reproductive toxicity induced by AFB₁ in male rats. In a 42-day experiment, rats received either sterile water, 4% DMSO, ArLP (100 mg/kg/body weight), AFB₁ (72 µg/kg/body weight), or a combination of ArLP and AFB₁ via oral gavage. AFB₁ exposure led to increased oxidative stress, abnormal sperm parameters, hormonal disturbances, elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and histopathological damage in the testes. Co-administration of ArLP with AFB₁ significantly mitigated these adverse effects, with most parameters approaching values observed in the control groups. These findings suggest that oral administration of ArLP exerts a protective effect against AFB₁-induced reproductive toxicity in male rats and support its potential use in mitigating toxin-related reproductive damage.

Mycotoxins are ubiquitous in cereals and cereal products worldwide, presenting substantial health hazards to both humans and animals. Enzymatic degradation has recently gained prominence as a highly effective, selective, and environmentally friendly approach to neutralizing mycotoxins, converting them into non-toxic or less toxic compounds. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the enzymatic properties and degradation pathways of mycotoxin-degrading enzymes that target major mycotoxins, including aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxins (OTs), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisins (FUMs). The identification of multiple mycotoxin-degrading enzymes, such as peroxidases, laccases, esterases, and oxidoreductases, has paved the way for transforming mycotoxins into less or non-toxic products through diverse pathways, offering a promising avenue for complete detoxification.

Mycotoxin contamination in maize-based foods poses a significant public health risk, especially for infants and young children (IYC), yet limited data exist on caregiver knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This study assessed KAP among 428 mothers and caregivers in South Kivu through a cross-sectional survey conducted in February-March 2024 using a multistage sampling method across eight health zones. Structured questionnaires captured data, which were analysed using SPSS v26 and R software. Findings show that knowledge of mycotoxin contamination was generally fair and associated with geographic location (OR = 4.195, p < 0.000), household size (OR = 1.106, p = 0.036) and education level (OR = 1.04, p = 0.04). Attitudes were largely positive and also linked to location (OR = 0.591, p = 0.036). Most caregivers practiced safe food handling: 90.3% stored flour in ventilated areas, 93.3% shelled maize manually and 89.3% pre-treated flour, though adoption of nixtamalization was low. Better knowledge and attitudes correlated with improved practices. The results highlight the need for targeted nutrition education to enhance food safety and reduce mycotoxin exposure in complementary foods for IYC in the DRC.

Fusarium proliferatum is one of the main pathogens causing Fusarium basal rot of onion, which is a major problem in onion cultivation worldwide. In this work, three Fusarium proliferatum isolates from onion (Allium cepa), two from imported sets and one from a mature bulb grown in Finland, were tested for pathogenicity and mycotoxin production. Symptom development in the inoculated onion bulbs and production of fumonisins, beauvericin, and moniliformin were measured at 1-5 weeks post-inoculation (wpi). Symptoms were observed in all the bulbs inoculated with F. proliferatum, starting as water-soaked lesions and developing into dead brown scales. When colonizing the bulbs, all three F. proliferatum isolates were confirmed by qPCR to express the genes FUM1, required for fumonisin production, and SIX2, encoding a putative virulence factor. Fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) was detected already at 2 wpi in a symptomatic onion inoculated with Fpr047, and at 3 wpi, fumonisin production was confirmed for all three isolates. At 4 wpi, all the isolates had produced quantifiable amounts of FB₁, ranging from 3.9 to 177 µg/kg, and fumonisin B₂, ranging from 3.4 to 89 µg/kg. At 5 wpi, FB₁ was even detected in a symptomless sample. Beauvericin and moniliformin were quantified at 5 wpi in the symptomatic onion tissues with Fpr047 and Fpr049, but not with FUS16163, which was unable to produce moniliformin and produced less beauvericin than the other F. proliferatum isolates also in the rice culture. The results showed that onions infected with F. proliferatum can contain high amounts of fumonisins.

Mycotoxins contribute to a substantial loss of global maize grain yields in terms of tonnes. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, screening of mycotoxin-producing fungi predominantly relies on culture-based methods, which are both time-consuming and labour-intensive. This study examined the major fungal species responsible for aflatoxin production in major maize-producing regions of Kenya using molecular techniques. Maize samples were collected from Kilifi, Makueni, and Kisumu counties. For fungal isolation followed by molecular identification targeting the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) for Fusarium and calmodulin (CaM) genes for Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Trichoderma, this was followed by basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) analysis. The study revealed 14 fungal species belonging to four genera namely Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Trichoderma. Kisumu County had the highest diversity of fungal species, representing 47.8% of the total identified. Within Kisumu, Penicillium species were the most prevalent, with an incidence rate of 72.9%. In contrast, Aspergillus species were most common in Kilifi County (54.5% incidence). The application of DNA barcoding techniques significantly enhanced the precision of identifying aflatoxin-producing fungi compared to conventional identification methods. This study confirms the presence of multiple fungal species responsible for aflatoxin production in Kenya's maize-growing regions.

Reproductive dysfunction is a recognised adverse effect of exposure to aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in humans and animals. Despite the widely acknowledged health risks, exposure to AFB₁ remains unavoidable. Conversely, lutein (LUT) and zeaxanthin (ZEA) are plants' potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, exhibiting promising potential for modulating inflammatory and apoptotic signalling pathways. This study aimed to investigate the effects of co-treatment with LUT/ZEA on reproductive function in rats intoxicated with AFB₁. The study utilised male Wistar rats (n = 20 and n = 4 per cohort). The experimental groups included untreated controls, AFB₁ (75 µg/kg), LUT/ZEA (100 mg/kg), and AFB₁ combined with LUT/ZEA at two different doses (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg). Treatments were administered via oral gavage for 28 consecutive days. On day 29, serum samples were collected for testicular function and hormonal assays; sperm analysis was performed; and the testes, epididymis, and brain tissues were harvested for biochemical examinations. In the AFB₁-only treated rats, there was a reduction in sperm motility, viability, and count, along with an increase in abnormal sperm morphology. The AFB₁ group exhibited hormonal dysfunction and showed increased serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and decreased acid phosphatase (ACP) levels, which were associated with reduced antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH), and total thiols (TSH) in the hypothalamus, epididymis, and testes, as well as elevated oxido-inflammatory mediators xanthine oxidase (XO), nitric oxide (NO), and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Additionally, there were changes in testicular tumour suppressor markers (p53), pro-apoptotic factors Bcl-2-associated X-protein (BAX; BAX/Bcl-2 ratio), and a reduction in anti-apoptotic biomarkers B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). Co-treatment with LUT/ZEA alleviated the toxic effects of AFB₁, leading to improved hormonal and testicular function, enhanced antioxidant activity, and decreased levels of oxido-inflammatory mediators and apoptosis. LUT/ZEA corrected AFB₁-induced testicular dysfunction through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and anti-apoptotic properties, thereby effectively preserving testicular function and preventing testicular cell death.

Deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced liver injury is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, yet it remains unclear whether this injury is mediated by mitochondrial autophagy via the PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway. This study aimed to ascertain whether DON triggers mitochondrial autophagy, thereby causing liver injury in mice through the PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway. Mice were orally administered DON at doses of 1.2 and 2.4 mg/kg once daily for 28 consecutive days. The results indicated that DON treatment significantly elevated the activity levels of two key liver enzymes and increased oxidative stress in the mouse liver. Additionally, DON upregulated several pivotal pro-inflammatory cytokines in the liver, leading to inflammation. The impact of DON on liver mitochondrial autophagy was assessed through histopathological analysis and observations of mitochondrial ultrastructure. These alterations were concurrent with activating the PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway in the liver following DON exposure. This research demonstrates that PGC-1α/SIRT3-regulated mitochondrial autophagy exacerbates DON-related hepatic damage, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms involved.

Several commodities have been frequently reported to be contaminated by aflatoxins, but little is known about aflatoxin accumulation in tobacco snuff frequently consumed globally, especially in Nigeria. Ascertaining their aflatoxin content and by extension, the health implications on those who use these tobacco products are necessary. Snuff samples from 30 vendors in six randomly selected markets were screened for Aspergillus spp. DNA sequencing was used for molecular identification of isolated Aspergillus flavus by amplifying the ITS region of ribosomal DNA using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The isolates were screened for aflatoxin biosynthesis genes such as ver-1, nor-1 and omt-1 genes. Aflatoxin production potentials of the isolates were analyzed using maize kernels and quantified using thin layer chromatography (TLC) technique. The tobacco snuff samples were also analyzed to detect aflatoxins and their accumulation. Forty-two Aspergillus species were recovered and identified. Aspergillus niger (24) was the most common species with an occurrence rate of 57%, followed by Aspergillus fumigatus (13), at 31% occurrence, while only five (12%) Aspergillus flavus were recovered. Out of the three selected genes screened, nor-1 gene was confirmed to be present in the five isolates, whereas ver-1 and omt-1 genes were absent. Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and aflatoxin B₂ (AFB₂) were detected in both snuff and maize samples, while aflatoxin G₁ (AFG₁) and aflatoxin G₂ (AFG₂) were absent in all samples. This study confirms that most snuff sold in markets are contaminated with toxigenic fungi. Proper production procedure and enhancement in the sanitary standards of markets and vendors will help reduce contaminations.

Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), a mono hydroxylated derivative of aflatoxin B₁, can be found in milk and a variety of dairy products. This present study aims to evaluate a selective, accurate, and sensitive method for the determination of AFM₁ in ice cream using immunoaffinity column clean-up followed by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorescence detector and to evaluate the health risk of AFM₁ in Iran and to determine the effects of different limit levels on the risk control of AFM₁ in ice cream. The HPLC-validated method used for determining of AFM₁ in 128 ice cream samples. AFM₁ was found in 45 samples (35%) with a mean of 20.73 ± 46.58 ng/kg in the range of 2-350 ng/kg. AFM₁ concentration in 12 samples (9.4%) was higher than the maximum permissible level (MPL) set by the European Community and Codex Alimentarius Commission (50 ng/kg), and the level of AFM₁ in 4.7% of the samples was higher than the MPL established in Iran for AFM₁ (100 ng/kg). In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the exposure assessment of AFM₁ by consumption of ice cream by Iranian consumers. The MCS approach revealed that both adults and children have a lower risk of liver cancer due to AFM₁ exposure, but children are more exposed to AFM₁ compared to adults.