Table 1.
The List of Main Mycotoxins Found in Food.
| Mycotoxin | Mould Species | Food Commodity | Pathological Effects | Regulation Levels in Food | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aflatoxins |
Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, A. nomius |
Wheat, walnut, maize, cotton, peanuts, maize, eggs, milk, meat | Hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity, immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity |
European Union (EU): 2 μg/kg (cereals, all cereal derived products) Food and Drug Administration (FDA): 20 μg/kg (dairy animal feed) China: 5 μg/kg (barley, wheat) 20 μg/kg (corn and corn products) |
[21,22,23,24,25] |
| Ochratoxin A |
Aspergillus ochraceus, A. carbonarius, Penicillium verrucosum, P. nordicum |
Coffee beans, oats, wheat, maize, wine, dried fruits, spices, eggs, meat | Nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity, teratogenicity, immunotoxicity neurotoxicity | EU: 3 μg/kg (cereal products), 5 μg/kg (unprocessed cereal), 10 μg/kg (dried fruits), 15 μg/kg (spices) European Commission (EC): 5 ng/kg (coffee beans), 10 ng/kg (instant coffee), 0.5 μg/kg (cereal-based food) 2 μg/kg (wines) Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA): 0.1 μg/kg b. w. per week |
[26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35] |
| T-2 toxin |
Fusarium sporotrichoides, F. poae, F. acuminatum, F. equiseti |
Barley, oats, wheat | Dermal toxicity, immunotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity |
EU: 100 ng/kg body weight per day | [36,37,38,39,40] |
| Deoxynivalenol |
Fusarium graminearum, F. culmorum |
Wheat, maize | Immunotoxicity, reproductive system toxicity, genotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, neurotoxicity |
JECFA: 1 μg/kg b. w. per day | [41,42,43,44,45,46] |
| Patulin |
Penicillium expansum, P. carneum, P. coprobium, Aspergillus clavatus, A. giganteus, Byssochlamys nivea, Paecilomyces saturatus |
Apples, grapes, plums, peaches, pears, tomatoes | Hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, teratogenicity, neurotoxicity |
World Health Organization (WHO): 50 μg/kg (apples), 50 μg/L (apple juice), and 10 μg/L (young children and infants apple-based food) | [47,48,49,50,51] |
| Zearalenone |
Fusarium graminearum, F. cerealis, F. CulmorumF. equiseti |
Maize, barley, oats, sorghum and wheat | Reproductive system disorders, hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, |
JECFA: 0.5 μg/kg body weight | [52,53,54,55] |