Molds and Mycotoxins

Bullennan, L. B. (1981). Public health significance of molds and mycotoxins in fermented dairy products. J. Dairy Sci. 64, 2439-2452. 

Bianchini, A., Bullerman, L. B. (2010). Biological control of molds and mycotoxins in foods. In M. Appell, et al. (Ed.), Mycotoxin prevention and control in agriculture. (ACS Symposium Series American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 2010. 

Wolf-Hall, C. (2007). Mold and mycotoxin problems encountered during malting and brewing. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 119, 89-94. 

Minerals are usually analyzed by the traditional method of atomic absorption spectroscopy or with the newer induced coupled plasma analyzers. Most vitamins are analyzed by HPLC systems or colorimetric assays. Many laboratories still quantify folic acid with the use of a microbiological assay. The analysis of dietary and detergent (neutral and acid) fibers are critically important for foods and feeds, respectively. Raw materials and feeds should be examined for rodent contamination, pathogenic bacteria, molds and mycotoxins, and undesirable toxicants such as PCB, insecticides, herbicides, and heavy metals. The proper selection of ingredients will ensure the production of high-quality foods that satisfy sensory properties required for humans, and feeds that are palatable and can meet sensory properties required for domestic animals (Chapter 18). 

Mycotoxins. The condition produced by the consumption of moldy foods containing toxic material is referred to as mycotoxicosis. Molds and fungi fall iato this category and several derive thek toxicity from the production of oxaflc acid, although the majority of mycotoxias are much more complex. 

The first poison to be isolated from a mold is afla-toxin. This and other poisonous substances produced by molds and other fungi are referred to as mycotoxins. Some mycotoxins are deadly to humans in tiny doses, others will only affect certain animals. Aflatoxin was first isolated in 1960 in Great Britain. It was produced by Aspergillus flavus that had been growing on peanuts. In that year, aflatoxin had been responsible for the death of 100,000 turkeys. In fact, it was the massive financial loss from these deaths that led to the research that discovered aflatoxin. 

Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by molds and fiingi, such as mushrooms. These toxic substances, known as secondary metabolites, are by-products of metabolism that are inessential to fungal growth. Although some mycotoxins can be used for medicinal purposes, most are poisonous if eaten in sufficient quantity. 

Studies that have investigated inhalation of mold and mold products found that inhalation produces more potent effects than ingestion. These effects are as potent as intravenous administration. Mycotoxins upon inhalation may produce immunosuppression, carcinogenesis, cytotoxicity, neurotoxicity (including acute or chronic central nervous system damage), mucous membrane irritation, skin rash, nausea, acute or chronic liver damage, and endocrine effects. These effects may be independent of infection or stimulation of antibodies (in contrast to the Mycobacterium mycotoxins). 

This area of research assumes a great deal of importance when one recognizes the relative ease of formation and the widespread occurence of the A spergillus molds, and the extremely high physiological activity, both toxic and carcinogenic, of the mycotoxins thereby produced. 

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds (primarily deuteromycetes), which are generally produced under optimum conditions at the end of the exponential growth phase. The term mycotoxin combines the terms mykes, the Greek word for molds, and toxicum, the Latin word for toxic or poisonous. Accordingly, mycotoxins occasionally also are defined as... 

The aim of this chapter is to summarize and critically discuss scientific data on mycotoxins in fruits. After giving an introduction on mold spoilage of fruits in general and factors affecting growth and mycotoxin formation by... 

Furthermore, differences in optimum temperatures for growth and mycotoxin formation exist. For Aspergillus species, temperature optimum for mycotoxin formation is at 25-28°C, whereas optimum temperature for mold growth is between 30 and 35°C. In the field, factors such as temperature or humidity (aw values) may influence production of a mycotoxin more than application of fungicides, which usually are not designed to directly inhibit or prevent the production of mycotoxins (Scientific... 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR GROWTH AND MYCOTOXIN PRODUCTION BY DIFFERENT TOXIGENIC MOLDS"... 

A simple classroom germination is described in Molds, Mushrooms and Mycotoxins by Christensen, pub. by Minn. Press which follows ... 

Christensen, C.M. Molds, Mushrooms and Mycotoxins Minn. Press (1975) ISBN 0-8166-0743-5... 

Insects are directly or indirectly associated with the occurrence of molds and increased mycotoxin levels in food commodities (Dunkel, 1998). Increased insect activity results in heating and higher moisture content, favoring mold growth. Moreover, insects themselves are involved in disseminating mold in food grains and other commodities. Higher levels of mold/mycotoxins as a consequence of increased insect activity in maize (Dharmaputra et al., 1994 Sinha, 1994 Sinha and Sinha, 1992), almonds (Schatzki and Ong, 2001), pistachio nuts (Doster and Michailides, 1999), and yam (Morse et al., 2000), and wheat have been reported (Table II). 

Jacobsen, B.J. K.S. Harlin P. Swanson R.J. Lambert J.B. Sinclair. Occurrence of fungi and mycotoxins associated with field mold damaged soybeans in the Midwest. Plant Disease 1995, 79, 86-89. 

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