China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Mycotoxins
Published in Brian D. Fath, Sven E. Jørgensen, Megan Cole, Managing Global Resources and Universal Processes, 2020
At the expense of competing hypotheses, ochratoxin was suspected as the cause of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy.[6] This a syndrome manifesting as late life urinary tract cancers and kidney damage in areas where ochratoxin exposure was believed to be high in parts of Eastern Europe.[5,6,40] In recent years, a compelling case for human disease seen has been made for exposure to the human carcinogen aristolochic acid. Dietary exposure occurs from Aristolochia seeds contaminating harvested wheat and from crops that take up aristolochic acids from the soil[41–43] As noted by JECFA,[40] evidence for the carcinogenicity of ochratoxin remains confined to laboratory strains of mice and rats. Mechanisms that explain the rodent carcinogenicity have been proposed unrelated to the production of ochratoxin-DNA adducts.[40,44]
Molds
Published in William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel, Reversibility of Chronic Disease and Hypersensitivity, Volume 5, 2017
William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel
A number of molds also produce highly carcinogenic mycotoxins such as aflatoxin and ochratoxin. Aflatoxins are produced by some Aspergillus species such as A. flavus and A. parasiticus and are especially common on poorly stored grains or peanuts.120 Large human epidemiological studies have estimated that foodborne aflatoxin exposures are responsible for 25,200–155,000 new cases of liver cancer annually.120 Persons with both foodborne exposure and aflatoxin hepatitis B infection are especially susceptible to liver cancer. Aflatoxin exposure may also significantly reduce immunity. Studies with HIV+ Ghanian adults have reported that higher foodborne aflatoxin exposure is associated with significant lower percentages of CD4+ and B cells and significantly higher HIV blood viral loads as compared with HIV+ adults not exposed to high foodborne aflatoxin exposure.121,122 A number of studies have reported an association between foodborne aflatoxin exposure and growth stunting in children.123 Ochratoxin A may cause cancer of the human kidney124 and certainly trigger vasculitis in the chemically sensitive.7 Other studies have reported a link between foodborne exposure to fuminisin mycotoxins (produced by many species of Fusarium) and higher levels of esophageal cancer.123
Animal and Plant Toxins
Published in Lorris G. Cockerham, Barbara S. Shane, Basic Environmental Toxicology, 2019
Jason S. Albertson, Frederick W. Oehme
Ochratoxin A is nephrotoxic following chronic exposure, but at higher levels of ingestion may affect other organ systems as well, such as the liver, intestine, lymphoid tissue, and leukocytes. Citrinin, a metabolite of Penicillium, is another nephrotoxin that commonly occurs with ochratoxin in the feed.
Targeting gap junctional intercellular communication by hepatocarcinogenic compounds
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 2020
Kaat Leroy, Alanah Pieters, Andrés Tabernilla, Axelle Cooreman, Raf Van Campenhout, Bruno Cogliati, Mathieu Vinken
Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin frequently produced by species of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium during storage of agricultural products (Gagliano et al. 2006). Studies in endemic regions demonstrated adverse effects on kidney and liver after chronic exposure to mycotoxins (Huong et al. 2016; Oyedele et al. 2017). The loss of GJIC induced by ochratoxin A might contribute to its renal toxicity and carcinogenicity (Mally et al. 2006). Over the years, multiple investigators confirmed that ochratoxin A exerts oxidative stress (Gagliano et al. 2006; Rasic et al. 2019, 2018; Shin et al. 2019). Decreased GJIC as a consequence of reduced ability to cope with oxidative stress was proposed as a contributing factor in liver carcinogenicity in rats (Gagliano et al. 2006). Recently, Shin et al. (2019) confirmed that ochratoxin A triggered oxidative stress in human hepatoma HepG2 cells, which might contribute to hepatocarcinogenic effects in vivo.
Bacilli as sources of agrobiotechnology: recent advances and future directions
Published in Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, 2021
Zerihun T. Dame, Mahfuz Rahman, Tofazzal Islam
Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by various filamentous fungi. They have medical and veterinary importance. The toxins consist of low molecular weight fungal metabolites. Fungi of the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium are responsible for the production of most mycotoxins reported (104). Bennett (105) describes mycotoxins as natural products that trigger a toxic response in animals, plants, and microorganisms. At present, hundreds of them have been identified and investigated from various fungal species. One of the highly toxic groups of mycotoxins is aflatoxins, which are produced by Aspergillus spp. The Aspergillus infects wheat, walnut, corn, cotton, peanuts, and tree nuts. Consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food for a while leads to health complications. Liver cancer, a decline in the immune system, malnutrition, and retarded child growth are some of the health impacts caused by aflatoxin consumptions (106). Acute toxicity can lead to liver failure and subsequent death associated with the ingestion of higher amounts of aflatoxin through contaminated foods (107, 108). Other groups of mycotoxins such as ochratoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, patulin, zearalenone (ZEA), and trichothecenes have also been associated with acute or chronic toxicity. Moreover, they are ubiquitous and pose a significant threat to human and animal health (109). Ringot et al. (110) argued that ochratoxin A (OTA) as one of the most harmful metabolites produced by toxigenic fungi has the potential to contaminate products such as cereals, figs, grapes, spices, coffee beans, cocoa beans, pork meat and dried vine fruits. According to Peraica et al. (111) mycotoxicosis has been a threat for millennia basically from the consumption of contaminated food. Few examples, ’St. Anthony’s fire’ caused by toxins from the ergot fungus, Claviceps purpurea, the 1891 cardiac beriberi in Japan, and alimentary toxic aleukia (characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, leukopenia, hemorrhaging, skin inflammation, and sometimes death) was another example of mycotoxicosis outbreak that occurred during the World War II in Russia and associated with the Fusarium toxin T-2. In addition to the health impact of mycotoxins on humans and animals, they account for a loss of about a quarter of global crop productions leading to the loss of billions of dollars.