Food Chemistry

474 9 Food Contamination

Table 9.3.

Mycotoxins

Fungus/mold

Toxin

a

Toxicity

b

Effect

Occurrence

Claviceps purpurea

Ergot alkaloids (I)

Ergotism

Mainly rye, to a

(gangrenous

lesser extent wheat

convulsions)

Aspergillus flavus

Aflatoxins (II)

7

.2mg

/kg

Liver cirrhosis,

Groundnuts and other

A. parasiticus

(rat, orally)

liver cancer

nuts (almond, Brasil nut)corn and other cereals,animal feed, milk

Aspergillus versicolor

Sterigmatocystin

120 mg

/kg

Liver cancer

Corn, wheat, animal

A. nidulans

(III)

(rat, orally)

feed

Penicilliu

m expansum

Patulin (IV)

35 mg

/kg

Cellular poison

Putrifying fruits,

P. urticae

(mouse, orally)

fruit juices

Byssochlamis nivea,B. fulvaAspergillus ochraceus

Ochratoxin A (V)

20 mg

/kg

Fatty liver and

Barley, corn

A. melleus

(rat, orally)

kidney damage

Fusarium

Zearalenone (VI)

0

.1mg

/kg

Estrogen,

Corn and other

graminearum

(Fusariotoxin F

) 2

over 5 days

infertility

cereals, animal feed

(swine, orally

c)

Fusarium oxysporum

Fusariotoxin T

2

3

.8mg

/kg

Toxic aleukia,

Cereals, animal feed

F. tricinctum

(VII)

(rat, orally)

hemorrhagicsyndrome

Fusarium roseum

Deoxynivalenol (VIII)

70 mg

/kg

Vomiting

Cereals, animal feed

F. graminearum

(Vomitoxin)

(mouse)

Fusarium moniliforme

Fumosin FB

1

Liver cancer

Corn

and FB

2

(IX)

a

Roman numerals refer to the structural formulas in Fig. 9.1.

b

Acute toxicity (LD

50

).

c

Estrogenic activity.