Mycotoxins: Occurrence, toxicology, and exposure assessment

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 60; pp. 218 - 237
• Main Authors: Marin, S., Ramos, A.J., Cano-Sancho, G., Sanchis, V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aflatoxins - analysis; Aflatoxins - toxicity; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Consumer Product Safety; crops; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Exposure; exposure assessment; Food; Food Contamination - analysis; Food Microbiology; Fumonisins - analysis; Fumonisins - toxicity; fungi; Humans; Life Sciences; Medical sciences; Mycotoxins; Mycotoxins - toxicity; Occurrence; Ochratoxins - analysis; Ochratoxins - toxicity; Plant poisons toxicology; raw materials; Toxicology; Trichothecenes - analysis; Trichothecenes - toxicity; Zearalenone - analysis; Zearalenone - toxicity; PAT; ZEN; PTDIs; RNA; ATX; ALT; AFB1; NOEL; EFSA; JECFA; Toxicology; AME; CYP; Occurrence; WHO; LOD; DON; HT2; HCC; Exposure; AAL-toxins; ELEM; LOQ; EU; LD50; CER; 3-Ac-DON; aw; FBs; LC–ESI-MS/MS; PMTDI; Mycotoxins; NTD; 15-Ac-DON; PPE; Phe; TeA; bw; EAs; TDI; AOH; AFB1-N7-Gua; T2; BEA; Food; TDS; FUS; RASFF; BEN; IARC; MON; OTα; AFs; ATA; ENNs; Sa; FB1; FAO; DNA; AFM1; SCF; TEN; OTA; Iso-TeA; Toxin; Mycotoxin; beauvericin; 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol; alernuene; ochratoxin α; total diet studies; provisional tolerable daily intakes; scientific committee on food So, sphingosine; hepatocellular carcinoma; World Health Organization; Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations; European Food Safety Authority; International Agency for Research on Cancer; alternariol monomethyl ether; provisional maximum tolerable daily intake; altertoxins; 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol; alternariol; fumonisin B; enniatins; fusaproliferin; iso-tenuazonic acid; T-2 toxin; tentoxin; equine leukoencephalomalacia; European Union; neural tube defects; body weight; a(w); non observed effect level; alimentary toxic aleukia; tolerable daily intake; ergot alkaloids; enzyme ceramide; lethal dose 50; cytochrome P-450; limit of detection; 8,9-dihydro-8-(n7-guanyl)-9-hydroxy AFB1; liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry; A. alternata f.sp. lycopersici toxins; moniliformin; FB; AFB; ribonucleic acid; zearalenone; fumonisins B, B and B; patulin; AFM; HT-2 toxin; aflatoxins; deoxynivalenol; deoxyribonucleic acid; porcine pulmonary oedema; sphinganine; ochratoxin A; phenylalanine; AFB-N7-Gua; FAPY, AFB-formamidopyrimidine; Balkan endemic nephropathy; aflatoxin B; aflatoxin M; Joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives; Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed; limit of quantification; water activity; tenuazonic acid
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.07.047

•Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A are the more widespread mycotoxins.•The exposure to DON and to the sum of T2+HT2 toxins can be moderate in the European countries.•Some special population groups can be over-exposed to several mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins are abiotic hazards produced by certain fungi that can grow on a variety of crops. Consequently, their prevalence in plant raw materials may be relatively high. The concentration of mycotoxins in finished products is usually lower than in raw materials. In this review, occurrence and toxicology of the main mycotoxins are summarised. Furthermore, methodological approaches for exposure assessment are described. Existing exposure assessments, both through contamination and consumption data and biomarkers of exposure, for the main mycotoxins are also discussed.