Alternaria in food: Ecophysiology, mycotoxin production and toxicology

Alternaria species are common saprophytes or pathogens of a wide range of plants pre- and post-harvest. This review considers the relative importance of Alternaria species, their ecology, competitiveness, production of mycotoxins and the prevalence of the predominant mycotoxins in different food products. The available toxicity data on these toxins and the potential future impacts of Alternaria species and their toxicity in food products pre- and post-harvest are discussed. The growth of Alternaria species is influenced by interacting abiotic factors, especially water activity (a w ), temperature and pH. The boundary conditions which allow growth and toxin production have been identified in relation to different matrices including cereal grain, sorghum, cottonseed, tomato, and soya beans. The competitiveness of Alternaria species is related to their water stress tolerance, hydrolytic enzyme production and ability to produce mycotoxins. The relationship between A. tenuissima and other phyllosphere fungi has been examined and the relative competitiveness determined using both an Index of Dominance (I D ) and the Niche Overlap Index (NOI) based on carbon-utilisation patterns. The toxicology of some of the Alternaria mycotoxins have been studied; however, some data are still lacking. The isolation of Alternaria toxins in different food products including processed products is reviewed. The future implications of Alternaria colonization/infection and the role of their mycotoxins in food production chains pre- and post-harvest are discussed

Toxicology graduate student Jenna Benson \u2707 studies the effects of Echinacea

Two articles from her work on the herbal supplement have been submitted for publication in Food and Chemical Toxicology and Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

Preface to the special issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology on the outcomes of the MARLON project on veterinary epidemiology of potential health impacts of genetically modified feeds in livestock

peer-reviewedPreface to the special issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology on the outcomes of the MARLON project

Advances of nanotechnology in agro-environmental studies

With the increase in the world population and the demand for food, new agricultural practices have been developed to improve food production through the use of more effective pesticides and fertilisers. These technologies can lead to an uncontrolled release of undesired substances into the environment, with the potential to contaminate soil and groundwater. Today, nanotechnology represents a promising approach to improve agricultural production and remediate polluted sites. This paper reviews the recent applications of nanotechnologies in agro-environmental studies with particular attention to the fate of nanomaterials once introduced in water and soil, to the advantages of their use and their possible toxicology. Findings show that the use of nanomaterials can improve the quality of the environment and help detect and remediate polluted sites. Only a small number of nanomaterials demonstrated potential toxic effects. These are discussed in detail

Antidote application: an educational system for treatment of common toxin overdose

Poisonings account for almost 1% of emergency room visits each year. Time is a critical factor in dealing with a toxicologic emergency. Delay in dispensing the first antidote dose can lead to life-threatening sequelae. Current toxicological resources that support treatment decisions are broad in scope, time-consuming to read, or at times unavailable. Our review of current toxicological resources revealed a gap in their ability to provide expedient calculations and recommendations about appropriate course of treatment. To bridge the gap, we developed the Antidote Application (AA), a computational system that automatically provides patient-specific antidote treatment recommendations and individualized dose calculations. We implemented 27 algorithms that describe FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration) approved use and evidence-based practices found in primary literature for the treatment of common toxin exposure. The AA covers 29 antidotes recommended by Poison Control and toxicology experts, 19 poison classes and 31 poisons, which represent over 200 toxic entities. To the best of our knowledge, the AA is the first educational decision support system in toxicology that provides patient-specific treatment recommendations and drug dose calculations. The AA is publicly available at http://projects.met- hilab.org/antidote/

Toksikologija hrane - od sudske medicine do politike struke: razvoj od reaktivne do poticajne metode djelovanja

Since the nineteenth century, food toxicology has evolved in several ways. The analytical power of the food toxicologist has been increased. The concept of adulterated food was modified significantly. Most commodities are now processed and addition of numerous non-nutrient additives is legalised. Other "alien" compounds get introduced in the food chain from background contamination or during processing and distribution. This makes the task of the food toxicologist more complex. From forensic science food toxicology developed to a policy aid.Od 19. stoljeća do današnjih dana toksikologija hrane razvijala se u nekoliko pravaca. Osobe koje raspolažu znanjima o analitičkim postupcima za određivanje toksičnih sastojaka u hrani dobivaju veliko značenje, čime je znatno umanjena mogućnost dodavanja nepoželjnih i nedeklariranih sastojaka u hranu. Većina artikala proizvodi se posebnim procesiranjem uz dodavanje brojnih ne-nutritivnih dodataka, koji imaju dozvolu uporabe. Mnogi "strani" spojevi ušli su u hranidbene lance iz onečišćenog okoliša ili pak za vrijeme prerade i distribucije. Nova saznanja dovode do znatno veće odgovornosti toksikologa pri određivanju zdravstvene ispravnosti hrane. Toksikologija hrane obuhvaća područje od sudske medicine do novih zakonskih propisa

Data gaps in toxicity testing of chemicals allowed in food in the United States

AbstractIn the United States, chemical additives cannot be used in food without an affirmative determination that their use is safe by FDA or additive manufacturer. Feeding toxicology studies designed to estimate the amount of a chemical additive that can be eaten safely provide the most relevant information. We analyze how many chemical additives allowed in human food have feeding toxicology studies in three toxicological information sources including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) database. Less than 38% of FDA-regulated additives have a published feeding study. For chemicals directly added to food, 21.6% have feeding studies necessary to estimate a safe level of exposure and 6.7% have reproductive or developmental toxicity data in FDA's database. A program is needed to fill these significant knowledge gaps by using in vitro and in silico methods complemented with targeted in vivo studies to ensure public health is protected

Toksikologija hrane - od sudske medicine do politike struke: razvoj od reaktivne do poticajne metode djelovanja

Since the nineteenth century, food toxicology has evolved in several ways. The analytical power of the food toxicologist has been increased. The concept of adulterated food was modified significantly. Most commodities are now processed and addition of numerous non-nutrient additives is legalised. Other "alien" compounds get introduced in the food chain from background contamination or during processing and distribution. This makes the task of the food toxicologist more complex. From forensic science food toxicology developed to a policy aid.Od 19. stoljeća do današnjih dana toksikologija hrane razvijala se u nekoliko pravaca. Osobe koje raspolažu znanjima o analitičkim postupcima za određivanje toksičnih sastojaka u hrani dobivaju veliko značenje, čime je znatno umanjena mogućnost dodavanja nepoželjnih i nedeklariranih sastojaka u hranu. Većina artikala proizvodi se posebnim procesiranjem uz dodavanje brojnih ne-nutritivnih dodataka, koji imaju dozvolu uporabe. Mnogi "strani" spojevi ušli su u hranidbene lance iz onečišćenog okoliša ili pak za vrijeme prerade i distribucije. Nova saznanja dovode do znatno veće odgovornosti toksikologa pri određivanju zdravstvene ispravnosti hrane. Toksikologija hrane obuhvaća područje od sudske medicine do novih zakonskih propisa

Bread and other edible agents of mental disease

Perhaps because gastroenterology, immunology, toxicology, and the nutrition and agricultural sciences are outside of their competence and responsibility, psychologists and psychiatrists typically fail to appreciate the impact that food can have on their patients’ condition. Here we attempt to help correct this situation by reviewing, in non-technical, plain English, how cereal grains—the world’s most abundant food source—can affect human behavior and mental health. We present the implications for the psychological sciences of the findings that, in all of us, bread (1) makes the gut more permeable and can thus encourage the migration of food particles to sites where they are not expected, prompting the immune system to attack both these particles and brain-relevant substances that resemble them, and (2) releases opioid-like compounds, capable of causing mental derangement if they make it to the brain. A grain-free diet, although difficult to maintain (especially for those that need it the most), could improve the mental health of many and be a complete cure for others