Mycotoxins types and characterization

1. MYCOTOXINS
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER 3
PRESENTED BY GROUP 3(WOLF CREW)
RIMAL BENASH(0114)
NAWAL HAROON(0129)
ZAKIA AKRAM(0115)
MUHAMMAD SAAD(0100)
WAJEEHA BATOOL(0089)
IZHAR SARFRAZ(0105)
SUBMIT TO :
PROF. DR. AMAL SHAUKAT
DUE DATE:
8TH MAY 2020
COURSE TITLE AND CODE:
FOOD CHEMISTRY(SC2013)
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2. INTRODUCTION
RIMAL BENASH(0114)
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3. What are mycotoxins?
 The word is derived from the Greek mykes,
"fungus" and toxikon, "poison.
 Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that are naturally
produced by certain types of moulds (fungi).
 Moulds that can produce mycotoxins grow on
numerous foodstuffs such as cereals, dried fruits,
nuts and spices.
 Mould growth can occur either before harvest or
after harvest, during storage, on/in the food itself
often under warm, damp and humid conditions.
 Most mycotoxins are chemically stable and survive
food processing.
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4. Foods commonly contaminated by
Mycotoxins:
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5. History:
 The term “Mycotoxin” was used for the first time in 1961 in the aftermath
of a veterinary crisis in England, during which thousands of animals
died. The disease was linked to a peanut meal, incorporated in the diet,
contaminated with a toxin produced by the filamentous fungus
Aspergillus Flavus.
 Probably a means of protection from insects, microorganisms,
nematodes, grazing animals and humans.
 From 1960-1971 US military sprayed millions litres of toxic herbicides
to destroy the vegetation used by liberation forces for cover and food.
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6. Types:
Aflatoxins Fumonisin
Ochratoxins Patulin
Citrinin Trichothecenes
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7. DEOXYNIVALENOL AND
ZEARALENONE
PRESENTED BY :
NAWAL HAROON (0129)
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8. What are Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone?
 Zearalenone is a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by several species
of Fusarium fungi.
 Zearalenone is produced by Fusarium species. Zearalenone has been found to occur
naturally in corn with a high moisture content in late autumn and winter, primarily from
the growth of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum.
 Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a natural-occurring mycotoxin mainly produced by Fusarium
graminearum. It is also know as vomitoxin.
 Species that frequently infect corn, wheat, oats, barley, rice, and other grains in the field
or during storage.
 Zearalenone Deoxynivalenol
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9. How they are found?
 F. graminearum is common in wheat from North America and China. F. culmorum
is the dominant species in cooler wheat growing areas such as Finland, France,
Poland and The Netherlands (Miller 1994).
 Oats, rye and triticale have also been reported to contain deoxynivalenol
(Beardall & Miller 1994b;IARC 1993; Muller et al. 1997; Scott 1989; Trucksess et
al. 1996). Wheat, corn and barley comprise two thirds of the world production of
cereals hence deoxynivalenol is the mycotoxin to which the greatest number of
humans are exposed.
 These species cause a similar disease in corn called Gibberella ear rot.
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10. Different populations of F. graminearum and F.
culmorum produce different toxins.
In 1983, it was recognized that Japanese strains produce
deoxynivalenol via 3- acetyldeoxynivalenol but Canadian strains
produced the 15-acetate. This has implications for consumers of grain
contaminated with one or other of the populations because the
toxicities of the two acetates are different (Rotter et al. 1993) and there
is always some of the acetate present. North and South American
strains of these two species produce the 15-acetate and most strains
from Asia and Europe produce the 3-acetate (Miller et al. 1991;
Mirocha et al. 1989; Piniero et al. 1997). Authentic strains of F.
graminearum have been shown to produce nivalenol instead
ofdeoxynivalenol in Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Italy (Ichinoe et
al. 1983; Lauren et al. 1992; Logrieco et al. 1988). This has not been
shown in North American isolates to date (the nivalenol in North
American grains presumed to come from F. crookwellense). F.
graminearum and F. culmorin produce a wide variety of metabolites
from several biosynthetic families (Milleret al. 1991). This includes
trichothecenes, apotrichothecenes (Greenhalgh et al.
1989),zearalenone, calonectrins (Greenhalgh et al. 1985; Greenhalgh
et al. 1986), sambucinol and sambucoin (Greenhalgh et al.1986),
culmorins (Kasitu et al. 1992) and butenolide.
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11.  "Red mold poisoning" was reported in rural Japan throughout the 1950's (Udagawa 1988).
 Eventually, deoxynivalenol was discovered by Japanese researches from grain that had made
humans ill (Morooka et al. 1972. Deoxynivalenol was a widespread contaminant of wheat in the
northeast of the USA and in eastern Canada in 1979-81 and then again in 1993-1996 in the Great
Lakes area and Red River Valley. Much of wheat crop of Ontario and several States could not be
used in 1996 because of deoxynivalenol contamination. Large-scale acute human toxicoses from
deoxynivalenol have occurred in modern times in India (Bhat et al. 1989), China and Korea among
other countries (Beardall & Miller 1994a; Miller 1990).
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12.  Crops that are contaminated by deoxynivalenol can often contain zearalenone albeit at a lower
frequency. Zearalenone is more common in maize than small grains (IARC 1993). Zearalenone is
an estrogen analogue and causes hyperestrocism in female pigs at low levels; the dietary no effect
level less than 1mg/kg.
 Cows and sheep are also sensitive to the estrogenic effects of this toxin with depressed ovulation
and lower lambing percentages. The no effect dietary levels are not clearly known. (Prelusky et al.
1994). Non-human primates are also very sensitive to the estrogenic effects of zearalenone
(Kuiper-Goodman 1994).
 Zearalenone has been implicated in several incidents of precocious pubertal changes in girls in
Europe and South America (Falkay et al, 1995; Schiefer 1990), thus this is a true environmental
estrogen (Price & Fenwick 1985). There is limited evidence for its rodent carcinogenicity (IARC
1993).
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13. Aflatoxins
ZAKIA AKRAM
L1F19BSFT0115
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14. Introduction
 Aflatoxins the naturally occurring mycotoxins
 produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, especially Aspergillus
flavin and Aspergillus parasiticus
 Highly carcinogenic and toxic
 They contaminate several food commodities including cereals, peanuts and
crops
 Occurs in soil, decaying vegetation, hay and grains
 Grows in favorable conditions such as high moisture and high moisture
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15. Historical background
 The Aflatoxin problem was first recognized in 1960,when there was
severe outbreak of a disease referred as Turkey “X” disease in UK in
which over 100,000 Turkey poults were died
 The cause of disease was shown due to peanut meal infected with
Aspergillus flavus and toxins were named as aflatoxins
 In 1974 an outbreak of Hepatitis in the states of Gujarat and
Rajasthan in India caused 106 deaths due to contaminated maize
 In 1981 ,major Aflatoxin outbreak occurred in Kenya because of
consumption of home grown maize contaminated with molds
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16. Classification
More than 20 types are known however four most significant ones are:
 Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)
 Aflatoxin B2 (AFB2)
 Aflatoxin G1 (AFG1)
 Aflatoxin G2 (AFG2)
 B1 is the most toxic and predominant
FLOURESCENCE: (365 nm)
 B series show blue color when viewed under UV light
 G series show green color when viewed under UV light
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17. Natural occurrence of Aflatoxins
 Food crops can become contaminated both before and after
harvesting
 Aspergillus flavus is common and widespread in nature and is most
often found when certain grains are grown under stressful conditions
such as drought
 Of the other grains, rice is an important dietary source of Aflatoxin
in circumstances of poor storage in tropical and subtropical areas
 Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 ), a product of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 )
metabolism, can be found in milk in areas of high exposure.
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18. Detection of contamination
 Detecting aflatoxicosis in humans and animals is difficult due to
variations in clinical signs and the presence of other factors such as
suppression of the immune system caused by an infectious disease
 It can be detected as:
 breakdown product in urine (in 24 hours only)
 the level of Aflatoxin contaminated nuts 3 an AFB–albumin
compound in the blood serum
 Lateral flow assays (rapid tests)
 ELISA assays
 Screening cards
 Immunoaffinity columns
 Aflatoxin testing kits founded in 1991 to develop enzyme
immunoassay technology for use in food industry
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19. Factors affecting Aflatoxin production
Apart from temperature ,moisture, relative humidity , pH, light,
nutrient sources and oxidative stress response
 Asparagine is found effective in Aflatoxin production
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20. Crops affected by Aflatoxins
 Once the crops were contaminated, the Aflatoxin cannot be removed
through normal process of cooking.
 Spices: Chilies, Turmeric, Black pepper
 Oil seeds :Peanuts, Soybean, Sunflower
 Cereals: Maize, Pearl millet ,Sorghum
 Tree Nuts: Almonds, Coconut, Pistachio
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21. Effect Of Aflatoxin Contamination
The contamination of foods and feed with Aflatoxin specially, chronic
exposure to AFB1 can cause serious consequences in human and
animal health
 Malabsorption of nutrients
 Infertility
 Acute hepatic toxicity
 Endocrine problems
 Congenital malformation
 Hepatocellular carcinoma
 Hemorrhages
 Oedema
 Even immediate death.
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22. Common Prevention Techniques
 It can be prevented both post-harvest and pre-harvest
 ability of the crop to resist fungal infection
 plant breeding or genetic engineering of crops of interest
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23. 23
Ochratoxin
WAJEEHA BATOOL
L1F19BSFT0089

24. Introduction:
 Naturally occurring foodborn myotoxins
 Isolated from food stuff like;corn, wheat,
white beans, peanuts
 Produced from different fungi including
Aspergillus ochraceus, A. Carbonarius, A.
Niger and penicillium verrucosum
 Optimal growing temperature and water
activity required
 OTA has toxic and carcinogenic in animals

25. Historical background:
 Ochratoxin A (OTA) was isolated and chemically characterized in
1poultry was discovered in South Africa as a toxic metabolite of
Aspergillus ochraceus in a corn meal
 OTA is present at all stages of the food chain
 Clinical sign ochratoxicosi involve reduction in weight gains, poor
feed conversion, reduced egg production, and poor egg shell quality
(Niemiec and Borzemska, 1994).
 A maximum tolerable level of 0.1 mg OTA/kg was established for
poultry feeds

26. Classification:
 Several types of ochratoxins occur naturally,
namely
 Ochratoxin A
 Ochratoxin B (dechlorinated OTA)
 Ochratoxin C (ethylated OTA)
 And often are Co-produce
 Ochratoxin A is the most prevalent toxin and
is classified as a group 2b potential human
carcinogen

27. Occurrence :
 Ochratoxins occur primarily in cereals in northern Europe
and Africa
 Some are below there

28. Toxcity :
 In animal :
 Nephrotoxicity: Pigs, being most sensitive to
ochratoxins, suffer from porcine nephropathy
 Field cases of ochratoxin-induced nephropathy in
pigs have been reported from many countries
 In humans :
 Nephropathy: In humans, ochratoxins cause
endemic nephropathy, which has been described in
several studies in North Eastern Europe
 Possible OTA-induced acute renal failure was
recently reported in Italy after a farmer and his wife
worked eight hours in a granary closed for several
months.

29. Contamination :
 The concentration
range of OTA in
human serum is 5–
50 ng/mL
 OTA has a long
serum half-life in
various species
including humans

30. Diseases :
 OTA has been associated with human kidney disease
and is the probable causative agent of Balkan
Endemic Nephropathy (BEN)
 OTA exposure and cancers of the urinary tract, liver,
and mammary glands
 A single dose of OTA to Swiss mice was associated
with significant oxidative damage in six brain regions
 the cerebellum, hippocampus, caudate putamen, pons
medulla, substantia nigra, and cerebral cortex
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31. FUMONISINS
PRESENTED BY:M.SAAD (0100)
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32. Fumonisins:
 Fumonisin is a mycotoxin produced by the
fungus Fusarium verticillioides, a common contaminant of corn and
corn products. It is most important in veterinary medicine as a cause of
porcine pulmonary edema and equine leukoencephalomalacia.
 There are at least 28 different forms of fumonisins, most designated as
A-series, B-series, C-series, and P-series. Fumonisin B1 is the most
common and economically important form, followed by B2 and B3.
 Maize is the most commonly contaminated crop, and fumonisins are
the most common mycotoxins in maize.
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33. Occurrence in food:
 The contamination of foods by fumonisin depends on agroclimatic
conditions . The most commonly infected groups in food are the
cereals (rice, wheat, barley, maize, rye, oat, and millet).
 The FB1 has been reported to contaminate numerous food products
like asparagus and garlic, barley foods, beers, dried figs, and milk.
 Maize is used for manufacturing several products like tortilla chips,
corn flakes and corn starch, grits, flour. However, the contamination
by FB1 and FB2 is decreased by 59% during the manufacturing of
tortilla chips from maize flour, while 60% for flour and 50% for grits
and snack products due to the heat treatment by extrusion.
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34. Health Effects of Fumonisin:
 Quine leucoencephalomalacia first reported in 1891 is now revealed to be
caused by consuming fumonisin-contaminated maize.
 Further, the consumption of maize culture material infected by F.
verticillioides is responsible for the occurrence of porcine pulmonary
edema (PPE).
 Since then, the outbreaks of PPE in the USA have been identified
because of fumonisin infection. Further intake of fumonisin-affected
diets by pregnant women causes neural tube defects in the
developing fetus. Sadler et al. reported that FB1 has the potential to
inhibit embryonic sphingolipid synthesis, produce embryotoxicity,
and block folate transport and has been associated with increased
prevalence of cancer and neural tube defects.
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35. Fumonisin exposure negatively impacted child growth among children in
Tanzania, which was confirmed based on urinary biomarker levels of
fumonisin. On the other hand, aflatoxin exposure had no significant impact
on children.
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36. Conclusion:
 The contamination of food and feed by fumonisin is a serious threat for
disease outbreaks worldwide. The various techniques ranging from
physical to biochemical as well as genetic engineering can be utilized in an
efficient manner to mitigate fumonisin contamination of foods.
 A major issue of concern lies with the development of fungal and insect
resistant crops to combat the fungal infection and fumonisin
contamination.
 The naturally occurring soil microorganisms have been reported to have an
immense capability of degrading and reducing the biosynthesis of
fumonisins and its contamination in various agricultural crops.
 Moreover, the application of nanotechnology and genetic engineering
should be given more emphasis to develop resistant varieties of crops and
ensure the safety and quality of food for future generations.
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37. Patulin
M.IZHAR SARFRAZ
L1F19BSFT0105
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38. Patulin
 Patulin is an organic compound.
 It is a white powder.
 Soluble in acidic water as well as in organic solvents.
 It is classified as a polyketide.
 Also classified as a mcycotoxins but not dangerous.
 Found in cause of mutations in test bacteria in laboratory.
 Animal studies shown that:
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39. Patulin
 Possibility of presence of useful antibiotic activity is also present.
 Particularly associated with apple juice.
 Its presence tends to be regarded as a marker for the use of mouldy fruit rather
than as a health hazard in its own right.
 Also found in home-made jam that has mould growing on its surface.
 Produced by a number of species of:
 Aspergillus.
 Penicillium.
 And it causes rotting of stored fruit.
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40. Patulin
 They are not carcinogenic.
OR
 They are not teratogenic.
 Clear apple juice sold in UK has less than 10µg/kg.
 But cloudy juice frequently contains patulin above these levels.
 Differences is caused by the tendency of patulin.
 And removed when juice is filtered.
 Food manufacturers and processors must take preventive steps.
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