Sarah Brown
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by fungi, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms. Fungi can produce various toxins, and mycotoxins are present in the mycelium or spores of the fungus itself. Mycotoxins are hazardous to both humans and animals, and exposure can occur through the ingestion of infected food or indirectly from contaminated animal feed. The effects of mycotoxins range from acute symptoms, such as gastrointestinal distress, to long-term health issues, including cancer and immune deficiency. While most mycotoxins are produced by moulds on foodstuffs, certain mushroom species, such as Amanita phalloides, also contain lethal doses of toxins. These toxic mushrooms can cause mushroom poisoning, which has led to a significant number of fatalities. Therefore, understanding the presence of mycotoxins in mushrooms and their potential health risks is essential for ensuring consumer safety.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by fungi. |
| Fungi that produce mycotoxins | Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms. |
| Fungi growth | Fungi grow in high-temperature and relative humidity conditions. |
| Fungi consumption | Consumption of fungi can cause health problems in humans and animals. |
| Fungi symptoms | Nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, vomiting, liver problems, and seizures. |
| Fungi toxicity | Mycotoxins are hazardous to humans and animals. |
| Fungi examples | Aflatoxins, Coprine, Fumonisins, Deoxynivalenol (DON), Ochratoxins, Trichothecenes, Zearalenone, Gyromitrin, and Amatoxins. |
| Fungi in mushrooms | Mycetism or mushroom poisoning occurs when poisonous mushrooms are consumed. |
| Mushroom species | Amanita phalloides, Galerina, and Lepiota. |
| Mushroom toxins | Orellanine, monomethylhydrazine, disulfiram-like, hallucinogenic indoles, muscarinic, isoxazole, and gastrointestinal (GI)-specific irritants. |
| Mushroom poisoning | Mushrooms are responsible for the vast majority of known mushroom-poisoning deaths. |
| Mushroom metabolites | Aflatoxin/sterigmatocystin bio-precursors, bis-anthraquinone derivatives from Talaromyces islandicus. |
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What You'll Learn
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by fungi
Several hundred different mycotoxins have been identified, but only about a dozen have gained attention due to their severe effects on human health and their occurrence in food. Mycotoxins can cause both acute and chronic diseases in humans and animals, and their effects depend on the intrinsic toxic features of the mycotoxin, the quantity consumed, and the length of exposure. Some mycotoxins cause rapid symptoms of severe illness, while others have been linked to long-term health effects, including the induction of cancers and immune deficiency.
Mycotoxins are produced by various strains of fungi, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms. They can grow on numerous foodstuffs, such as cereals, dried fruits, nuts, spices, and grains. Mould growth can occur before or after harvest, during storage, and can penetrate deep into food rather than just growing on the surface. Proper drying and storage of food items are effective measures to prevent mould growth.
Mushrooms are fleshy, edible macrofungi that can contain mycotoxins. Improper identification and ingestion of mushrooms containing mycotoxins can result in mushroom poisoning, hallucinations, and even death. Amanita phalloides is a poisonous mushroom species responsible for the majority of known mushroom-poisoning deaths. Amatoxins and phallotoxins are two major groups of peptidic mushroom toxins that are lethal even in small doses.
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Fungi associated with mycotoxin production are found worldwide
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain types of moulds (fungi). Fungi associated with mycotoxin production are found worldwide. They can be found in food and the environment, posing a serious health threat to both humans and animals. Mycotoxins can cause a range of adverse health effects, from acute poisoning to long-term issues such as immune deficiency and cancer. They are of particular concern in countries with high ambient temperatures and relative humidity, such as tropical regions.
Several hundred different mycotoxins have been identified, with some of the most common and harmful ones being aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone, and nivalenol/deoxynivalenol. These mycotoxins are produced by various fungi strains, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, for example, produce aflatoxins, which are among the most poisonous mycotoxins and are often found in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, grains, and commodities like cotton, peanuts, spices, and pistachios.
Patulin, another mycotoxin, is produced by several moulds, notably Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Byssochlamys. It is commonly found in rotting apples and apple products but can also occur in other mouldy fruits, grains, and foods. Fusarium fungi, which are prevalent in soil, produce a range of toxins, including trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, T-2, and HT-2 toxins) and zearalenone, which is known for its hormonal effects.
Mycotoxins can infect a variety of crops and foodstuffs, including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, and coffee beans. They can grow both before and after harvest, during storage, and can penetrate deep into the food rather than just growing on the surface. Mould growth is favoured by warm, damp, and humid conditions, and efficient drying and proper storage are effective measures to prevent it.
In addition to food sources, buildings can also be a source of mycotoxins, with moulds like Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys producing these toxins. Furthermore, certain strains of Penicillium camembertii used in gourmet cheese production can generate cyclopiazonic acid, a mycotoxin. Mycotoxins have also been implicated in rare phenotypical sex changes in hens, where exposed individuals exhibit male characteristics.
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Mycotoxins are hazardous to humans and animals
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain types of fungi, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms. They are hazardous to both humans and animals, causing a range of acute and chronic health issues, and even death in some cases.
One of the most common ways for humans and animals to be exposed to mycotoxins is by consuming infected food. Mould that produces mycotoxins can grow on various crops and foodstuffs, including cereals, dried fruits, nuts, and spices. It can penetrate deep into the food, and the toxins can survive food processing, making it difficult to detect without special equipment. Therefore, the consumption of mouldy food can lead to severe illnesses in both humans and animals, with symptoms including nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, vomiting, liver and kidney damage, and immune system toxicity.
Certain types of mycotoxins have been linked to long-term health effects, including the induction of cancers and immune deficiency. For example, aflatoxins, produced by Aspergillus moulds, are among the most poisonous mycotoxins and are often found in crops such as grains, oilseeds, and spices. They can cause acute poisoning (aflatoxicosis) and liver damage, and have been linked to liver cancer in humans and various animal species. Ochratoxin A, produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium moulds, is another common food contaminant that has been associated with kidney damage and cancer in animals, and potential kidney effects in humans.
In addition to direct exposure through food, humans and animals can also be exposed to mycotoxins indirectly through contaminated animal feed and milk. For example, aflatoxin M1, a type of aflatoxin, can be found in the milk of animals fed contaminated feed. Zearalenone, a mycoestrogen, has been detected in the urine of young girls who consumed popcorn or beef, and has been linked to hormonal effects and potential infertility. In animals, zearalenone has been shown to cause infertility, particularly in pigs.
Mycotoxins in animal fodder can also have significant impacts on farm animals, reducing milk yield and potentially leading to death. Additionally, mycotoxins have been detected in medicinal plants and herbal medicines, posing a special hazard to human health. Overall, mycotoxins are hazardous to both humans and animals, and it is important to implement proper drying, storage, and regulatory measures to prevent mould growth and reduce the risk of mycotoxin exposure.
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Mycotoxin exposure is often accidental
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain types of moulds (fungi). Fungi, including mushrooms, produce mycotoxins as secondary metabolites. These mycotoxins can cause disease and even death in humans and other animals.
Mycotoxins can appear in the food chain as a result of fungal infection of crops, either by being eaten directly by humans or by being used as livestock feed. Mould that produces mycotoxins can grow on numerous foodstuffs, including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, coffee beans, hay, grains, and maize (corn). Mycotoxins can also be found in milk and other animal products. In 2004 in Kenya, for example, 125 people died and nearly 200 others required medical treatment after eating aflatoxin-contaminated homegrown maize that had not been treated with fungicides or properly dried before storage.
Mycotoxins can also be found in indoor environments, such as homes, offices, or schools, although the concentrations in these environments are often too low to trigger a health response in occupants. Stachybotrys chartarum, for instance, is a mould that commonly grows on gypsum board and ceiling tiles in buildings and has been associated with allergies and respiratory inflammation.
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Mycotoxins can cause hallucinations
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain types of moulds (fungi). They are present in the mycelium or spores of the fungus and can cause health problems in humans and animals when ingested. Fungi that produce mycotoxins include Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms.
Mushrooms, in particular, can cause gastrointestinal distress once consumed. The Amanita phalloides species, for example, contains lethal doses of amanita toxin, which targets the liver and kidneys. Other poisonous mushrooms include Amanita, Galerina, and Lepiota. These mushrooms produce Amatoxins, which are lethal even in small doses.
While most cases of mycotoxin exposure are accidental, the ingestion of misidentified mushrooms containing mycotoxins is a common cause of mushroom poisoning. The cyclopeptide-producing Amanita phalloides is well known for its toxic potential and is responsible for approximately 90% of all mushroom fatalities. Other mycotoxin groups found in mushrooms include orellanine, monomethylhydrazine, disulfiram-like, hallucinogenic indoles, muscarinic, isoxazole, and gastrointestinal (GI)-specific irritants.
Therefore, it is important to properly identify mushrooms before consumption to avoid the potential risks associated with mycotoxins, including hallucinations and other severe health issues.
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Frequently asked questions
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by fungi, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium spp., and mushrooms. They are present in the mycelium or spores of the fungus and cause health problems in humans and animals when ingested.
Mycotoxins are hazardous to humans and can cause severe illness with acute symptoms such as nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, and vomiting. Some mycotoxins have also been linked to long-term health effects, including the induction of cancers and immune deficiency.
Mushrooms produce mushroom poisons, which are fungal metabolites that can cause disease and death in humans and animals. Mushroom poisoning occurs when poisonous mushrooms are misidentified and consumed. The cyclopeptide-producing Amanita phalloides is a well-known toxic mushroom species responsible for approximately 90% of all mushroom fatalities.
Mycotoxin exposure can be prevented by maintaining proper food storage conditions, as mould usually does not grow in properly dried and stored foods. Efficient drying of commodities and ventilation within residential homes and buildings are important measures to control mould growth and mycotoxin production. Additionally, some mushroom species have been found to inhibit the synthesis of certain mycotoxins, offering potential for mycotoxin control.
