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    Mycotoxins

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    Chris Ochaya
    Mycotoxins are toxic or poisonous substances produced by fungi as secondary metabolites. They can cause acute or chronic intoxication and damage to organs like the liver and kidneys, and sometimes death. Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, and zearalenones are produced by fungi like Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium and contaminate agricultural crops like maize, nuts, and cereals. When ingested, mycotoxins can cause toxic effects in humans and animals.

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    Mycotoxins

    Uploaded by

    Chris Ochaya
    38 views8 pages
    Mycotoxins are toxic or poisonous substances produced by fungi as secondary metabolites. They can cause acute or chronic intoxication and damage to organs like the liver and kidneys, and sometimes death. Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, and zearalenones are produced by fungi like Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium and contaminate agricultural crops like maize, nuts, and cereals. When ingested, mycotoxins can cause toxic effects in humans and animals.

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    Mycotoxins are toxic or poisonous substances produced by fungi as secondary metabolites. They can cause acute or chronic intoxication and damage to organs like the liver and kidneys, and sometimes death. Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, and zearalenones are produced by fungi like Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium and contaminate agricultural crops like maize, nuts, and cereals. When ingested, mycotoxins can cause toxic effects in humans and animals.

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    38 views8 pages

    Mycotoxins

    Uploaded by

    Chris Ochaya
    Mycotoxins are toxic or poisonous substances produced by fungi as secondary metabolites. They can cause acute or chronic intoxication and damage to organs like the liver and kidneys, and sometimes death. Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, and zearalenones are produced by fungi like Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium and contaminate agricultural crops like maize, nuts, and cereals. When ingested, mycotoxins can cause toxic effects in humans and animals.

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     toxic or poisonous substances

    Mycotoxins
    produced byfungi .
     
     Are secondary metabolites, and their effect is NOT dependent on
    fungal infection or availability.
     Can cause acute or chronic intoxication and damage and
    sometimes death.
     The toxin is only an indirect cause of disease, because the fungus is
    already growing in or on the host.
     The ingestion of toxins present in food materials is called as
    mycotoxicosis.
     A variety of mycotoxnins are produced by poisonous mushrooms
    called amanita species and the ingestion of toxins along with the
    fungus is called mycetismus.bhj
     Cooking effect has only a little effect on the potency of
    these toxins, which may cause severe or fatal damage to
    almost all organs mostly the liver and kidney.
     Mycotoxins can be detected in the bile, urine, faeces, milk,
    feeds and food stuff.
    1. Aflatoxin
    • Aflatoxin is produced by the growth of the mold
    Aspergillus flavus, A.parasticus, A.nomius and
    penicillium puberulum.
    • Present in nuts and maize. Causes aflatoxicosis When
    ingested, the toxin might be altered in a human body to a
    mutagenic compound.
    • The signs and symptoms are lethargy, anorexia and
    muscle weakness followed by spasm and ultimately death
    of patients
     
    Trichothecenes
    • Trichothecenes are fungal toxins that inhibit protein synthesis in
    eukaryotic cells.
    • Ingestion of these toxins causes headaches, chills, severe nausea,
    vomiting, and visual disturbances. These toxins are produced by
    Fusarium and Stachybotrys growing on grains:maize, sorghum and
    wallboard in homes.
    • Also produced by trichoderma, trichothecium, myrothecium and
    acremonium.
    • It causes human toxicosis which causes weight loss, feed/food refusal,
    dermatitis,diarrhea, haemorrhage and necrosis of the epithelium of
    stomach and intestine and depletion of lymphoid cells in thymus, borne
    marrow,spleen testis and ovary.
    3. Ochratoxins
    • Produced by Aspergillus ochraceus, A. niger and
    penicillium verrucosum.
    • It is mainly present in cereals, coffee beans and bread.
    Human exposure is due to directly consuming
    contaminated plant foods or consumption of animal tissues
    exposed to contaminated materials.
    • In humans it causes a fetal renal disease called as endemic
    nephropathy.
     
    Cyclopiazonic acid
    • Produced by A.flavus, A.versicolor, A.oryzae and penicillium cyclopium.
    • It is mainly present in meat, groundnuts and corn. It naturally occurs as
    a contaminant in agricultural products with aflatoxin.
    • Clinical symptoms include: weight loss, appetite loss, weakness,
    vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea, depression convulsion and death.
     
    5. Zearalenones
    • Produced by Fusarium graminearum. It is associated with wheat, maize,
    barley and sorghum.
    • In humans, it has been reported to have a possible involvement in
    cervical cancer and precocious puberty changes in children
    6. Ergot
    • The disease called ergotism, is caused by a toxin produced
    by an ascomycete plant pathogen, Claviceps purpurea, that
    grows on grains(rye).
    • In hhumans egortism results from the consumption of bread
    made from contaminated rye flour.
    • The toxin is contained in sclerotia, highly resistant portions of
    the mycelia of the fungus that can detach.
    • Ergot also constricts capillaries and can cause gangrene of
    the limbs by preventing proper blood circulation in the body.
     
    A few mushrooms produce mycotoxins. E.g
    • phalloidin and amanitin, produced by Amanita
    phaloides commonly known as the deathcap.
    • These neurotoxins are so potent that ingestion of the
    Amanita mushroom may result in death.
    • Other toxins:Corprine, muscarine,ibotenic acid,
    muscazone.

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