Mycotoxins: Deoxynivalenol and Other Trichothecenes

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common of the family of mycotoxins known as the trichothecenes, sesquiterpenoid compounds characterized by a 12,13-epoxy ring. Trichothecenes are formed by several plant pathogenic fungal genera of which Fusarium is the most important. DON, the most common trichothecene in foods, is produced by Fusarium graminearum and related species in small grains, causing Gibberella ear rot in maize and Fusarium head blight in wheat and barley. Nivalenol, produced by the same species of fungi, is somewhat less common. The most toxic trichothecene, T-2 toxin, produced by Fusarium sporotrichioides , caused the deaths of many people in the USSR in the 1940s, but now occurs only at low levels. Trichothecenes inhibit protein synthesis. In animals, the most obvious effect of DON is feed refusal in pigs, whereas in humans this compound is responsible for gastrointestinal upset. A number of outbreaks have occurred in Asia in modern times, but with few fatalities.

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