Mycotoxin occurrence in maize silage : a neglected risk for bovine gut health?

Forages are important components of dairy cattle rations but might harbor a plethora of mycotoxins. Ruminants are considered to be less susceptible to the adverse health effects of mycotoxins, mainly because the ruminal microflora degrades certain mycotoxins. Yet, impairment of the ruminal degradation capacity or high ruminal stability of toxins can entail that the intestinal epithelium is exposed to significant mycotoxin amounts. The aims of our study were to assess (i) the mycotoxin occurrence in maize silage and (ii) the cytotoxicity of relevant mycotoxins on bovine intestinal cells. In total, 158 maize silage samples were collected from European dairy cattle farms. LC-MS/MS-based analysis of 61 mycotoxins revealed the presence of emerging mycotoxins (e.g., emodin, culmorin, enniatin B1, enniatin B, and beauvericin) in more than 70% of samples. Among the regulated mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were most frequently detected (67.7%). Overall, 87% of maize silages contained more than five mycotoxins. Using an in vitro model with calf small intestinal epithelial cells B, the cytotoxicity of deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, fumonisin B1 and enniatin B was evaluated (0-200 mu M). Absolute IC50 values varied in dependence of employed assay and were 1.2-3.6 mu M, 0.8-1.0 mu M, 8.6-18.3 mu M, and 4.0-6.7 mu M for deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, fumonisin B1, and enniatin B, respectively. Results highlight the potential relevance of mycotoxins for bovine gut health, a previously neglected target in ruminants

The status of Fusarium mycotoxins in Sub-Saharan Africa : a review of emerging trends and post-harvest mitigation strategies towards food control

Fusarium fungi are common plant pathogens causing several plant diseases. The presence of these molds in plants exposes crops to toxic secondary metabolites called Fusarium mycotoxins. The most studied Fusarium mycotoxins include fumonisins, zearalenone, and trichothecenes. Studies have highlighted the economic impact of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium. These arrays of toxins have been implicated as the causal agents of wide varieties of toxic health effects in humans and animals ranging from acute to chronic. Global surveillance of Fusarium mycotoxins has recorded significant progress in its control; however, little attention has been paid to Fusarium mycotoxins in sub-Saharan Africa, thus translating to limited occurrence data. In addition, legislative regulation is virtually non-existent. The emergence of modified Fusarium mycotoxins, which may contribute to additional toxic effects, worsens an already precarious situation. This review highlights the status of Fusarium mycotoxins in sub-Saharan Africa, the possible food processing mitigation strategies, as well as future perspectives

Report from the 5th international symposium on mycotoxins and toxigenic moulds : challenges and perspectives (MYTOX) held in Ghent, Belgium, May 2016

The association research platform MYTOX “Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Moulds” held the 5th meeting of its International Symposium in Ghent, Belgium on 11 May 2016.[...

Risks to human and animal health related to the presence of deoxynivalenol and its acetylated and modified forms in food and feed

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Analytical tools to determine mycotoxins and modified mycotoxins

El control dels contaminants alimentaris és una prioritat per a la salut humana i animal i és una de les majors preocupacions de les autoritats de tot el món. De tots els compostos no desitjats que es poden trobar de forma quotidiana al menjar i al pinso, les micotoxines són un dels contaminants més estudiats. Les micotoxines són metabòlits secundaris petits produïts per fongs filamentosos que es troben generalment en cereals i derivats, i que presenten propietats tòxiques. El punt central de la recerca de micotoxines es divideix en dos temes principals: la determinació de la seva presència a través del desenvolupament de mètodes de determinació robusts i la recerca de les seves propietats tòxiques. D’aquesta manera la part experimental de la present tesi doctoral es va dividir en aquests dos punts centrals. El principal objectiu de la primera secció va ser el desenvolupament de nous mètodes analítics per determinar la incidència de micotoxines en mostres de cereals i derivats. Aquests, engloben l’optimització de les tècniques d’extracció i separació per cromatografia líquida acoblada a la determinació per espectrometria de masses tàndem. Les micotoxines trobades a les mostres analitzades durant el desenvolupament d’aquesta tesi doctoral demostren la seva prevalença a la cadena alimentària, tan a la d’humans com a la d’animals. A la segona secció es van avaluar les conseqüències relacionades amb el consum d’aliments contaminats per micotoxines. Per això, es va realitzar un estudi metagenòmic de mostres d’intestí de rata després del consum de la micotoxina deoxynivalenol a baixa concentració, per tal de determinar si es produïen canvis bacterians. També es va optimitzar el mètode analític per a mostres de femta. A continuació, es va realitzar un estudi on s’avaluaven mostres d’excreció de rates per estudiar-ne els possibles metabòlits produïts després d’un tractament amb la micotoxina nivalenol. Aquest fet obre la possibilitat d’estudiar nous compostos en un futur.El control de los contaminantes alimentarios es una prioridad para la salud humana y animal, y es una de las mayores preocupaciones de las autoridades de todo el mundo. De todos los compuestos no deseados que se pueden encontrar de un modo cuotidiano en alimentos y pienso, las micotoxinas son uno de los contaminantes más estudiados. Las micotoxinas son metabolitos secundarios pequeños producidos por hongos filamentosos que generalmente se encuentran en cereales y derivados, y que presentan propiedades tóxicas. El punto central de la investigación en micotoxinas se divide en dos ámbitos principales: la determinación de su presencia a través del desarrollo de métodos de determinación robustos y la investigación de sus propiedades tóxicas. De este modo la parte experimental de la presente tesis doctoral se dividió en estos dos puntos centrales. El principal objetivo de la primera sección fue el desarrollo de nuevos métodos analíticos para determinar la incidencia de micotoxinas en muestras de cereales y derivados. Estos, engloban la optimización de las técnicas que extracción y de separación mediante cromatografía líquida acoplada a la determinación por espectrometría de masas tándem. Las micotoxinas halladas en las muestras analizadas durante el desarrollo de esta tesis doctoral demuestran su prevalencia en la cadena alimentaria, de humanos y animales. En la segunda sección se avaluaron las consecuencias relacionadas con el consumo de alimentos contaminados por micotoxinas. Por ello, se realizó un estudio metagenómico de muestras de intestino de rata después del consumo de la micotoxina deoxynivalenol a baja concentración para determinar si se producían cambios bacterianos. También se optimizó el método analítico para muestras de heces. A continuación, se realizó un estudio donde se avaluaron muestras de excreción de ratas para evaluar los posibles metabolitos producidos después de un tratamiento con la micotoxina nivalenol. Este hecho abre la posibilidad de estudiar nuevos compuestos en un futuro.Controlling contaminants in food is a priority for human and animal health and one of the major concerns of authorities across all over the world. In food and feed samples, small and secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi, known as mycotoxins, can appear. The central focus of mycotoxin research is divided into two main topics: determining their presence with the development of robust determination methods and studying their toxicological effects. Accordingly, the experimental part of this doctoral thesis is divided into these two central strands. As the major sources of mycotoxin contamination are agricultural products, especially cereals and their derivatives, the main objective of the first section of this thesis is to develop new analytical methods to determine the incidence of targeted mycotoxins, including modified mycotoxins, in cereal and cereal derivative samples. These analytical methods also involved the optimisation of the extraction techniques followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The mycotoxins found in the analysed food samples over the course of this doctoral thesis demonstrate their prevalence in the food chain of humans and animals and the importance of control them through robust, selective and simple analytical methods. In the second section, there is an evaluation of the consequences of consuming food contaminated by mycotoxins. To achieve this, for the first time, metagenomic research was performed on rat gut samples after the consumption of a mycotoxin at low concentration levels in order to determine whether mycotoxin consumption can trigger any bacterial changes. The optimisation of the analytical methodology for faecal samples was also explored. Then, a study a large number of possible derivatives biologically generated by rats after nivalenol consumption was also included in the second section. This has led to the identification of new compounds to be explored in further research

The Fusarium Mycotoxins in Finnish Cereal Grains : How to Control and Manage the Risk

The central goal of grain cultivation is the production of high-quality food or feed-related raw materials for the processing industry. Management of Fusarium mycotoxins in Finnish cereal grains have a direct impact on human and animal health, and the confidence in a safe and healthy domestic cereals and cereal products. Fusarium fungi and head blight have always emerged in Finland after rainy and poor summer weather conditions. During the 1960s and 1970s the spectrum of Fusarium species and the ability of the fungi to produce mycotoxins in domestic grain were subject to extensive investigation. The summer of 1987 was again very rainy and cold, and there was abundant and even visible occurrence of Fusarium head blight in grains. A decade passed, and another very rainy and cold summer was encountered in 1998. The last straw of the risk of mycotoxins in magnitude was the summers 2012 and 2013. Even up to a quarter and a fifth of domestic oats in grain trading, respectively, were not accepted for food use because of DON concentrations exceeded the EU limit. The aims of the present study were to produce updated information of Fusarium species, and to define the changes in Fusarium mycotoxins in Finnish cereal grains in the years 1987-2014. Another important aims were to determine the basis of the toxin contents and agronomic factors behind the studied samples how to control and manage the Fusarium mycotoxin risk, and to predict by modeling the magnitude of the mycotoxin risk. According to the results, the most common Fusarium species in Finnish cereal grains were F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. poae, F. sporotrichioides and F. langsethiae. When compared to previous studies from the 1970s and 1980s to the present day in Finland, a clear conclusion was drawn that during these years F. graminearum, F. sporotrichioides and F. langsethiae have come strongly into the picture. The number of exceptionally high DON concentrations and also the contents and positive findings of T-2 and HT-2 toxins have increased in Finland. The following important control and management factors were emphasized: pay attention to the quality of seed and seed dressing; rotation - repeated cultivation of cereals is not recommended; careful timing of harvest and harvest drying - moisture content < 14 %; introduction of rapid test methods and sorting technology at farm level, and last but not least, minimize the risks of toxins by cultivation. Industrial sorting and dehulling reduced the DON, T-2+HT-2 and 3-AcDON levels in oat samples by 75–91%, 87 %, and 67–91%, respectively. In the near future, increased collaboration among farmers, researchers, the grain processing industry and consumers is needed. Especially, there is a significant need to increase the competitiveness and cost-effectiveness of grain farming in the specialization of national and international markets, and make producers committed to the production of quality grains, novel utilization of by-products and recycling of nutrients. Among the cereals investigated, oats is the most susceptible to Fusarium infestation and the production of Fusarium mycotoxins in Finland. The market is eagerly looking for new high-yielding varieties capable of preventing Fusarium infestation and having low levels of mycotoxins.Viljan alkutuotannon tärkein tavoite on korkealaatuisen raaka-aineen tuottaminen elintarvike- ja rehuteollisuuden, kotieläintuotannon sekä muiden loppukäyttäjien tarpeisiin. Viljojen hometoksiinien hallinnalla varmistetaan kuluttajien ja eläinten hyvinvointi sekä luottamus turvalliseen ja terveelliseen kotimaiseen viljaan ja viljatuotteisiin. Fusarium -sienet ja punahomeet ovat Suomessa nousseet esiin aina sateisten ja kosteiden sääolosuhteiden jälkeen. 1960- ja 1970 -luvuilla havaittiin, että punahomeet heikentävät jyvien kehitystä, alentavat itävyyttä, aiheuttavat tyvitauteja ja tähkäfusarioosia. Vuosi 1987 oli hyvin sateinen ja kylmä kesä ja punahometta esiintyi viljoissa runsaasti. Kului vuosikymmen, ja koettiin jälleen erittäin sateinen ja kylmä kesä vuonna 1998. Sateinen kesä 2012 oli myös hyvin poikkeuksellinen. Toksiinitasot kohosivat ja kaurasadosta neljännes ei viljan vastaanotossa täyttänyt elintarvikeviljalle säädettyjä suurimpia sallittuja DON-pitoisuuksia. Vuosi 2013 oli lähes yhtä huono hometoksiinien osalta; viidennes kauraeristä ei täyttänyt DONin osalta elintarvikeviljalle säädettyjä enimmäispitoisuuksia. Tämä nosti riskin hallinnan työkalut erityiseen tarkkailuun. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tuottaa ajantasainen tieto suomalaisen viljan Fusarium - sienten lajikirjosta, sekä selvittää viljojen hometoksiinien pitoisuuksien muutokset aikavälillä 1987– 2014. Lisäksi erityisenä tavoitteena oli tutkia miten hometoksiinien muodostumista viljoissa voidaan estää ja hallita eri viljelyteknisillä toimenpiteillä ja mallintamalla. Yleisimmät Fusarium -sienet suomalaisessa viljassa olivat F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. poae, F. sporotrichioides ja F. langsethiae. Kun verrataan näitä tuloksia Fusarium -lajikirjoon 1970-luvulla ja 1980-luvulla, niin selkeästi F. graminearum, F. sporotrichioides ja F. langsethiae ovat nousseet vahvoiksi Fusarium -toksiinien tuottajiksi 2000 -luvulla. Nämä muutokset näkyvät myös korkeiden DON -toksinipitoisuuksien määrän - ja T-2+HT-2 toksiinien pitoisuustasojen kasvussa sekä positiivisten löydösten lisääntymisessä. Tärkeimmät riskinhallinnan työkalut ovat siemenen kunnostus ja peittaus, viljelykierto, puintiajankohdan valinta, ja puidun sadon nopea ja huolellinen kuivatus alle 14 %:iin; pikamittausten ja lajittelun käyttöönotto tilatasolla sekä panostaminen elinvoimaisen ja satoisan kasvuston aikaansaamiseksi. Lajittelulla ja kuorinnalla kauranäytteiden DON-, T-2+HT-2- ja 3- AcDON-pitoisuudet alenivat 75–91 %, 87 % ja 67–91 % vastaavassa järjestyksessä. Merkittävä tarve on lisätä viljan viljelijöiden kilpailukykyä ja kustannustehokkuutta erikoistuvilla kansallisilla ja kansainvälisillä markkinoilla sekä sitouttaa viljelijät laatuviljan tuotantoon, sivuvirtojen uuteen hyödyntämiseen ja ravinteiden kierrätykseen. Kaikista tutkituista viljanäytteistä kaura oli herkin Fusarium -sienten tartunnalle ja Fusarium -toksiinien muodostumiselle. Tulevaisuuden viljamarkkinat odottavat herkeämättä uusia satoisia Fusarium - kestäviä lajikkeita.Siirretty Doriast

Mycotoxins and Food Safety

Foodborne illnesses are a global public health concern with implications worldwide. Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by microfungi that are capable of causing disease and death in. living organisms. They are recognized as a major economic problem due to their impact on human health, animal productivity, and.domestic and.international.trade. This book provides updated information about foodborne mycotoxins, their toxicities, new determination methods, prevention strategies, and regulations around the world