Chapter 12 Mycotoxins

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses two classes of mycotoxins: major and minor. In the major class, aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, fumonisins (FBs), patulin, and zearalenone concern human and animal health, whereas in the minor class, ergot alkaloids, citrinin, cyclopiazonic acid, sterigmatocystin, moniliformin, gliotoxin, citreoviridin, tremorgenic mycotoxins, penicillic acid, roquefortine, 3-nitropropionic acid, and fusaproliferin are noteworthy. The chapter highlights health effects and analytical methods of mycotoxins. The impact on human health derived from the interaction between mycotoxins and human biosystems can range from acute to chronic effects, and it can be derived from various sources of exposure—namely, dermal contact, inhalation, and consumption of contaminated food. Monitoring, exposure assessment, official control issue, quality control at production, and research are the activities that require appropriate methods. Decontamination procedures for reducing or eliminating the presence of mycotoxins in food products have not yet been standardized worldwide because of the related high costs and, in some cases, the lack of feasibility of effective results. However, chemical, biological, and physical treatments are known to be effective in reducing the mycotoxin content in food.