What Are Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are substances produced naturally by a type of fungi called molds. [1] Molds are filamentous and grow from fungal spores that settle on any warm and moist surface. [2] If the surface is rich in the organic products of decaying matter, molds grow as saprophytes, but if on the surface of living organisms, as parasites.
Mycotoxins are not parasites but rather chemicals that molds produce after nutrient uptake. Molds produce mycotoxins in quantities that are not safe for livestock or human exposure. Contact with mycotoxins may carry the risk of harm (myotoxicity) depending on whether the mycotoxin's toxicity threshold is reached.
Each mycotoxin has its threshold of harm defined by pharmacokinetic conditions and factored into public health regulations. The threshold of harm specified for food security differs between humans and livestock. [3]
Mycotoxins enter the body through food or drinks, where they cause acute poisoning, immune suppression, cancer, or damage to organs such as the gut, lungs, kidneys, and liver.[4] Among several diseases, cancer of the liver has been closely associated with the ingestion of aflatoxin, which is one of more than five hundred known mycotoxins.[5]
Unlike mycotoxins such as penicillin and ergot alkaloids which are medicinal and have been therapeutically formulated, most mycotoxins confer no clinical benefit.[6] Worse still, molds producing mycotoxins are also infectious, spreading through food or air.[7] Thus, while disinfecting food to remove molds is important for food safety, decontamination of food to reduce if not remove, mycotoxins should be prioritized. For example, in the USA, milk considered safe to drink must not contain more than 0.5part aflatoxin per billion.[8]
Aside from aflatoxin, other mycotoxins commonly encountered in food supply chains are ochratoxin A, fumonisins, nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, trichothecenes, zearalenone, mycophenolic acid, citrinin, sterigmatocystin, alternaria, and cyclopiazonic acid.[9-12] Ochratoxin A is found in cocoa, coffee, and pulses; fumonisins are found in asparagus, dried figs, and garlic; nivalenol is found in corn and barley; deoxynivalenol is found in oat, maize, rye, and sorghum; trichothecenes are found in wheat, rice, and soybean; zearalenone is found in rye, wheat, oat, barley, sorghum, and rice; mycophenolic acid is found in cheese; citrinin is found in olives, spices, and beans; sterigmatocystin is found in moldy wheat and green coffee; Alternaria is found in berries, bell peppers, apples and olives; and cyclopiazonic acid is found in cheese and cured ham.[13-18]
Crops, fruits, cereals, stone, wood, bread, cooked meal, leather, clothes, grass, and other surfaces are easily exposed to mycotoxins from molds that grow on them, suggesting that mycotoxins are ubiquitous and impractical to eliminate from the environment.[19] Decontamination reduces mycotoxin in food, water, and beverage and is achieved by treating it with ozone gas or effective alternatives.[20] Such alternatives include acetic acid, ammonia gas, calcium hydroxide, formic acid, hydrogen peroxide, phosphoric acid, propionic acid, sodium bisulfite, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, or sorbic acid. [21-25] Food with harmless quantities of mycotoxins is the goal of decontamination, but unfortunately, this goal is never met by cooking alone. For example, cooking at 210 °C for one hour does not destroy most mycotoxins.[26] If cooking alone is relied on for decontamination, then mycotoxins make it into the body and may take a year before being broken down into less harmful forms. Cooking and other thermal food processing methods such as frying, baking, pelleting, and roasting at best reduce mycotoxin concentrations, in contrast to fermentation methods such as malting and brewing, which have been used successfully to decontaminate beverages. [27] If decontamination is ineffective, such feeds gradually cause livestock to decline in weight and fertility and in the production of wool, milk, and meat, leading to food shortage.[28]
Another way mycotoxins are linked to food shortage is through ergot alkaloids. When food shortage is due to unfavorable weather such as in winter, rye, the most frost-resistant cereal continues to be cultivated and is the preferred host for Claviceps purpurea, a species of mold responsible for producing ergot alkaloids.[29] Ergot alkaloids consist of indole compounds which in non-pharmacologic doses or preparations can be toxic, causing ergotism.[29] Ergotism is characterized by several symptoms. Such symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, itching, fever, sweating, convulsions, paresthesia, muscle twitching, paranoia, and hallucination. [29] Fortunately, ergot poisoning happens more in animals than in humans. Humans who suffer ergotism usually are migraine patients taking ergot for headache episodes and can develop a clinical feature called St. Anthony’s fire or holy fire. [29] St. Anthony’s fire describes a gangrenous lower limb that has charcoal-black discoloration and looks burnt from fire and in intense pain, but the pain reduces later as the limb dies and amputates itself painlessly. Medicinal ergots include ergotamine and ergometrine which are used for migraine and labor respectively. [30] Prevention of drug overdose can prevent human ergotism, while livestock ergotism is prevented by ensuring feeds are ergot-free.[31] Keeping the environment free of unsafe mycotoxin levels requires surveillance in the form of laboratory or field sampling to restrict overexposure to ergot and other mycotoxins. Airborne mycotoxins can be detected by air sampling, and samples of livestock feeds can be tested in laboratories to assess their safety.[32] These are a few of the measures used to ensure food safety in the context of mycotoxins.
In summary, mycotoxins are naturally produced by filamentous fungi called molds. Examples are aflatoxin, ochratoxin, mycophenolic acid, and ergot alkaloids. Mycotoxins are almost anywhere molds grow. Mycotoxins are in the air, in soil, and in food, water, and beverages. Mycotoxin levels can be tested anywhere along the food supply chain, right from the grass on a cattle ranch to the air breathed in human households or offices. Decontamination reduces the presence of mycotoxins where suspected or detected. Humans or livestock can be affected by mycotoxicity and may be treated, but death may ensue. The safety of food requires that mycotoxin levels be controlled before consumption by livestock or humans.
Types of Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are produced by just over 360 species of mold, mostly belonging to the type of Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. Mycotoxin product happens fast, and it does not take long to spread. They have a low molecular weight and are most often thermo-stable in non-aqueous medium, and therefore difficult to degrade. In most cases, they can survive in food even after mold elimination.
There are several hundred types of mycotoxins, but the most harmful ones with toxic effects on our health are Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin A, Patulin, Fumonisins, Zearalenone, and Nivalenol. They appear in the food chain because of the contamination of crops by molds, these toxins can also contaminate human beings by air. Even if they are mostly known for long-term harmful effects, such as immune deficiency or cancer, mycotoxins can also expose to immediate complications such as acute intoxication.
Where are Mycotoxins Found?
According to the World Health Organization, mycotoxins are toxic compounds naturally produced by certain types of molds (fungi). They grow on either on the floor or walls in a humid and confined environment or on some foods. Mold growth can occur before or after harvest, during storage, on or in the food itself, often in a hot, humid and moist environment.
Mycotoxin Testing and Detection
Exposure to mycotoxins is a serious issue that many people do not realize is impact their health until it is too late!
If you find mold growth or suspect you may have mycotoxins in your body it is important to get tested and begin treatment as soon as possible.
Mycotoxin poisoning and illness looks different in everyone and looks similar to other conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome.
References
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