Mycotoxins Lecture
Mycotoxins Lecture
Mycotoxins Lecture
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Mycotoxins
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What is a Mycotoxin?
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Modes of Spore Transmission
• Airborne, wind or indoor ventilation systems.
• Attachment to insects of birds, thus
transmitted from plant to plant, or animal to
animal, etc.
• Via transportation mechanisms such as trucks,
crop machinery, etc.
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Fungal Infection
• Can occur at any stage in crop production.
• While in the field.
• During harvesting.
• While in silage and storage.
• Spores can lay dormant for months to years,
waiting for positive conditions for
germination.
www.allaboutfeed.net
Conditions to Encourage
Fungal Growth
• Relative humidity over 70%.
• Temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius for a
period of a few days to a week.
• Stress to the affected plant, such as drought,
flood, or insect infestation.
• High moisture content of crop (20% or higher).
• Must occur in conjunction, or fungal growth
cycle will cease.
Mycotoxin Chain of Events
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Mycotoxin Health Hazards
• Generally lower risk in well developed countries due
to improved standards of living.
• High intake of affected product, usually in
conjunction with limited amounts of other food
sources.
• Greatest threat comes from long term exposure due
to eating spoiled food or meat from animals fed
contaminated feed.
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• Species, breed
• Age
• Sex
• Nutritional status
• Other diseases
• Other mycotoxins
• Extent of exposure
Symptoms of Mycotoxicosis
1. Drugs and antibiotics are not effective in treatment.
2. The symptoms can be traced to foodstuffs or feed.
3. Testing of said foodstuffs or feed reveals fungal
contamination.
4. The symptoms are not transmissable person to
person.
5. The degree of toxicity is subject to persons age
(more often in very young and very old), sex ( more
often in females than males)and nutritional status.
6. Outbreaks of symptoms appear seasonally.
Mycotoxin Effects on Humans
• Economic loss due to impaired health of stock
animals.
• Illness: symptoms can include cold/flu-like
symptoms, sore throats, headaches, nose
bleeds, fatigue, diarrhea, dermatitis, and
immune suppression, and vary by species.
• Death.
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Mycotoxin Effects on Animals
• Feed refusal.
• Impaired animal health, resulting in reduced
production of eggs, milk, weight gain, etc.
• Metabolites are passed through the milk in
cheese, dry milk, and
yogurt.
• Disease.
• Death in animals.
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Regulatory Control
• In 1965, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set the
first mycotoxin limit of 20 parts per billion (ppb) for
aflatoxin in all foods and feed.
• But, this toxin can appear at varying levels of food
production, so multiple testing at different points in the
food chain is necessary.
• Using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
technology, testing can be done cheaper and faster than
previously.
• The FDA does not do the testing, various other agencies do,
such as the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards
Administration; but, toxic levels must be reported to the
FDA.
Fusarium
• Fungal species from the genus Fusarium will
attack corn and wheat plants.
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Fusarium (Cont.)
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F. graminearum- Wheat
• Causes scab damage to kernels and
head blight.
• Produces deoxynivalenol (DON), also called
vomitotoxin.
DON
F. graminearum in Maize (Corn)
• Creates Giberella Ear Rot cropwatch.unl.edu
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Zearalenone
• A tricothecene.
• Mimics the body’s production of estrogen.
• Causes feminization of male animals.
• Disrupts conception, ovulation, and fetal
development in female animals.
• Pigs are especially sensitive, poultry and cows
show little sensitivity.
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F. moniliforme
• Plant pathogen most associated with corn. Also found
in rice, sorghum, yams, hazelnuts, pecans, and cheeses.
• Diseases associated with this species include “crazy
horse disease” in horses, pulmonary edema in pigs,
liver cancer in rats, bone malformation in chicks and
pigs.
• The fumonisins produced by F. moniliforme are linked
with esophageal cancer in humans.
• Other toxins produced include fusaric acid, fusarins,
and fusariocins.
• Advisory levels are 5 ppm in animal feed.
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Alternaria Toxins
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Ergot Poisoning (St. Anthony’s Fire)
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www.sciencedaily.com
Aspergillus and Aflatoxin
• Aflatoxicosis: caused by high doses in short
intervals or low doses in high intervals.
• 1961, caused the deaths of over 100,000 turkey
poults: “Turkey X disease”.
• Toxin was traced to contaminated Brazilian
peanut meal in poultry feed.
• Grows best between 80-90 degrees
Farenheit.
• Damage to grain increases
likelihood of fungal growth.
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Aflatoxin B-1
Penicillium Toxins
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Ochratoxin A and Citrinin
• Affects kidney function.
• Causes Balkan nephropathy and Yellow Rice Fever in humans.
• Chickens, turkeys, and ducklings are affected by ochratoxicosis,
causing poor weight gain, egg output, and poor shell quality.
• Ochratoxin sources are peanuts, pecans, beans, dried fruit and
dried fish.
• Citrinin sources are in wheat, rice, corn, and flour.
• Citrinin is most associated with horses, pigs, dogs, and poultry.
Ocratoxin A Citrinin
Cyclopiazonic Acid (CPA)
• Found in corn and peanuts in Georgia.
• Chief species from Penicillium causes cheese
spoilage.
• Causes fatty degeneration in liver and kidneys
in animals, chickens are very susceptible.
• May act synergistically with aflatoxin.
CPA
Future Fight Against Mycotoxins
• Have farmers select strains resistant to
contamination.
• Scientists hope to genetically engineer plants
resistant to fungal infection.
• Use feed additives that sequester the toxins
and prevent absorption from the
gastrointestinal tract.
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Quick Toxin Review
Organ System Affected Toxin(s)
Vascular Aflatoxin
Digestive Aflatoxin, T-2toxin, Vomitotoxin
Respiratory Trichothecenes
Nervous Trichothecenes
Cutaneous Tricothecenes
Urinary Ochratoxin A, Citrinin
Reproductive Zearalenone, T-2 toxin
Immune Many
Quick Animal Anatomy Review
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Quick Animal Anatomy Review
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Quick Animal Anatomy Review
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Determination of mycotoxins
• Presumptive tests
• Biological assays
• Chemical analysis
Potential uses of mycotoxins
• Medical application –
• Trichothecenes are known to possess
antileukaemic activity;
• zearalenone derivatives have been
considered as potential treatment for
menopausal syndrome in women;
• Agriculture application –
derivatives of zearalenone as growth
promoter in sheep and cattle; other
have been considered for use as
herbicides and insecticides.
Throughout the business supply chain, risks abound that
can ultimately impact food safety and security
FOOD SECURITY
Access • Availability • Utilization
FOOD SAFETY
• Good agricultural
practices At harvesting
• Biocontrol
• Timing of harvest
• Match cultivar with During storage
(maturity / moisture)
geographic region &
climate (humidity / • Shelling
During process &
temperature / rainfall) • Drying
transformation
• Strain selection • Grading
(breeding & GMO) • Inbound
• Treatments (insects acceptance sampling
and fungi) • Temperature
• Binders
a. Field fungi : fungi that attack plants that grow in the field
(occurring prior to harvest) grow under special conditions. (Fusarium)
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2. Characteristics of mycotoxin induced disease
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3.Treatment of mycotoxin-induced
disease
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4.Prevention of mycotoxin-induced
disease
a. Avoiding
b. Diluting
c. Cleaning
d. Testing
e. Drying
f. Adding (organic acids will prevent mold
growth)
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Vocabulary
• Aflatoxicosis: A poisoning that results from ingestion of aflatoxins in
contaminated food
• Ascospores: A sexual spore formed in an ascus.
• Blight: General term for sudden, severe, and extensive spotting, discoloration,
wilting, or destruction of leaves, flowers, stems, or the entire plant.
• Carcinogen: A substance or agent producing or inciting cancer.
• Carcinoma: A new growth or malignant tumor enclosing cells in connective
tissue.
• Cirrhosis: A chronic disease of the liver characterized by progressive
destruction and regeneration of liver cells, ultimately resulting in liver failure
and death.
• Fungus (fungi): Organism having no chlorophyll, reproduces by sexual or
asexual spores and not by fission, and, generally, a mycelium with well-marked
nuclei.
Vocabulary (cont.)
• Hyphae: A tubular, threadlike filament of fungal mycelium.
• Metabolite: A product of the chemical changes in living cells by which
energy is provided for vital activities and processes and new material is
assimilated.
• Mycelium: Mass of hyphae constituting the body of a fungus.
• Mycotoxicoses: Literally, fungus poisonings; current usage limited to
poisoning of people and animals by various food and feed products
contaminated (and sometimes rendered carcinogenic) by toxin-producing
fungi.
• Necrosis: Death of plant or animal cells, usually resulting in tissue turning
dark; commonly a symptom of fungus, nematode, virus, or bacterial
infection.
Vocabulary (cont.)
• Pericarp: Outer layer of a seed or fruit.
• Perithecia: A small fruiting body in certain fungi, containing ascospores.
• Sclerotia: Hard, frequently rounded, and usually darkly pigmented resting
body of a fungus composed of a mass of special hyphae cells. The
structure may remain dormant for long periods. Sclerotia germinate upon
return of favorable conditions to produce stroma, fruiting bodies and
mycelium.
• Toxin: A poisonous substance, having a protein structure, that is secreted
by certain organisms and is capable of causing toxicosis when introduced
into the body tissue. Toxins are also capable of inducing an antitoxin.
• Trichothecene: A group of chemically related compounds produced by
fungi such as Fusarium
References
• Bagley, C.V. (2009). Aflatoxins. Utah State University. Retrieved on May 11, 2009, from
http://www.micotoxinas.com.br/Boletim11.htm
• Fink-Gremmels, J. (2009). Mycotoxins: Still many lessons to learn. Utrecht University.
Retrieved on May 11, 2009, from
https://elms.umd.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblack
board%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_160180_1%26url%3d
• Lillard, S. (2008). Mycotoxin List. Retrieved on May 11, 2009, from http://www.mold-
help.org/content/view/776/
• Peraica, M. et al. (1999, September). Diseases caused by molds in humans. Bulletin of the
World Health Organization. Retrieved on May 11, 2009, from
http://healthandenergy.com/diseases_linked_to_molds.htm
• Toxic Black Mold Information Center. (2006). Common Species of Mold. Retrieved on May 11,
2009, from http://www.toxic-black-mold-info.com/moldtypes.htm#Mycotoxins
• United States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Grain Fungal Diseases and Mycotoxin
Reference. Retrieved on May 11, 2009, from
http://archive.gipsa.usda.gov/pubs/mycobook.pdf