Other Toxic Substances

Abstract

Mycotoxins are poisonous secondary metabolites (substances that are not essential to the growth of the producing organisms) produced by fungi. They received little attention until the early 1960s but since then an array of toxins and disease syndromes have been described. Mycotoxicosis results from ingestion of food contaminated with fungus and within which toxin has been produced. Four fungal genera, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Claviceps, are major producers of mycotoxins. Several mycotoxins are produced by taxonomically disparate fungi. The majority of the fungi responsible are saprophytes or plant pathogens. Many disease occurrences are associated with a specific foodstuff, season of year, and climatic condition. Ingestion of moderate to high doses of mycotoxins results in effects ranging from death to retarded growth and impaired reproduction, while consumption of lower doses may result in impaired immunity.