Mycotoxin health hazard

Hsieh DPH Potential human health hazards of mycotoxins in Natori S, Hashimoto K, Ueno Y (eds) Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins 88. Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1989, pp 69-80. 

The assoeiation of fungi with mammalian diseases came to the fore in 1960 with the diseovery of the aflatoxins (1.36). The death of turkeys from liver damage having been fed on groundnuts eontaminated with Aspergillus flavus led to the isolation of the highly carcinogenic aflatoxins. These developments are discussed in Chapter 9. It led to the awareness of the potential human health hazards from microbial metabolites and the implications of the presence of other mycotoxins in foodstuffs such as patulin in apple juice and the tri-chothecenes on corn. The development of analytical methods for the detection of mycotoxins has become an important aspect of food science. 

However, many moulds are far from beneficial to man. They may damage stored food, clothing, leather, wood and other materials of economic importance. They may also cause extensive crop losses in the form of blights and rusts. Finally, they may pose health hazards by producing toxic substances called mycotoxins (from the Greek mukes mashroom, toxikon-toxic). The enormous public health and economic implications of mycotoxin contamination are illustrated by the fact that the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations estimates that up to 25% of the worlds food crops are affected by mycotoxins. 

Although many coumarins have been safely used in clinics, there are a number of reports about their unwanted side effects [241,242]. Coumarin mycotoxins in food products can pose health hazards in animals and human. At high levels in feed, these mycotoxins may cause animal toxicoses, such as aflatoxicosis. At lower levels in feed these mycotoxins may have no apparent effect on livestock production, but their residues and related substances may move up the food chain [243]. Investigations fi om several European countries indicate that, in former days, there was a connection between mycotoxins, mortality and reduced birth rate. In addition, many mycotoxins can interfere wiA the immune system, even in small concentrations, and increase susceptibility to tuberculosis and infant mortality [244]. 

From the above surveys we can see that vomitoxin contamination of grains is common in North America. However, frequent contamination is not a sufficient reason to label a nycotoxin a hazard. Animal studies need also be conducted to determine if a mycotoxin is a potential health hazard for humans or an economic hazard for the animal industry. 

Committee on Protection Against Mycotoxins, Board on Toxicology and Environmental Health Hazards, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council. Protection Against Trichothecene Mycotoxins. Washington, DC National Academy Press 1983. 

HSIEH, D., Potential human health hazards of mycotoxins, in Mycotoxins and Phytotoxins, Third Joint FAOAVHOAJNEP International Conference of Mycotoxins (S. Natori, K. Hashimoto, and Y. Ueno, eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam. 1988, pp. 69-80. 

In addition to health hazards, several mycotoxins have phytotoxic impacts on host plants and may cause loss of viability and reduced quality of plant seed (Nishiuchi, 2013). Several mycotoxins have antimicrobial activity and thus may also influence the behaviour of other microbes present in the same surrounding. Mycotoxins may have adverse effects on animal health if they are transmitted to sidestreams used as animal feed. Consumption of contaminated batches at farms can lead to reduced livestock productivity and to serious illness or even death (Murphy et al., 2006). Some of the most common mycotoxins associated with foods and beverages are presented in Table 6.2. 

An assessment of the health hazards caused by mycotoxins is not meaningful when applied to the aflatoxins because these substances damage DNA, are carcinogenic and have no threshold below which no harmful effects are observed. An assessment was possible in the case of deoxynivalenol und ochratoxin A, with the reservation... 

Toxigenic Fungi their Toxins and Health Hazard. Proceedings of the Mycotoxin Symposium, Tokyo, 30 August-3 September 1983 Volume 8 V. Betina (Editor)... 

Mycotoxins present a high severity of hazard level because of the serious long-term effects on humans, especially immunological disturbances and cancer developments. While the public are increasingly aware of the immediate health-disturbing effects of viral and bacterial-contaminated foods... 

Not all constituents of cereals are advantageous for health. Although many nutritionally beneficial components are concentrated in the outer layers of the grain, it may also happen that residues from crop sprays such as pesticides or fumigants from stored grain may remain. This may pose a problem for processors, who must also ensure that these residues do not become concentrated in the products. Other hazards include mycotoxins, which can be dangerous at low levels. 

Chemical hazards also pose a concern for winemakers. These can be divided into naturally occurring, intentionally added, and unintentional/ incidental. Examples of naturally occurring chemicals that could pose a risk to human health are biogenic amines (Section 11.3.6), ethyl carbamate (11.3.2), and mycotoxins (Section 4.5.2). Intentionally added chemicals include sulfur dioxide (gas, sulfur wicks, or potassium metabisulfite), tartaric acid, Velcorin (Section 5.2.2), and microbial nutrient formulations (diammonium phosphate or proprietary blends). Finally, uninten-tional/incidental chemicals would include residues of agricultural chemicals that exceed approved levels, cleaners or sanitizers (Chapter 9), and the inadvertent transfer of lubricants from equipment. 

The hazards presented by molds that may contain mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds. There are very few case reports that toxic molds (those containing certain mycotoxins) inside buildings can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxic mold and these conditions has not been proven. 

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