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The incidence of esophageal cancer is positively associated with fumonisin contamination. It is necessary to develop methods for the rapid detection of fumonisins. In this work, a self-powered photoelectrochemical aptamer sensor based on ZnIn 2 S 4 /WO 3 photoanode and Au@W-Co 3 O 4 photocathode is proposed for the sensitive detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1). Among them, under visible light irradiation, the Z-type heterostructure of ZnIn 2 S 4 /WO 3 acts as a photoanode to improve the electron transfer rate, which contributes to the enhancement of the photocathode signal and lays the foundation for a wider detection range. The Au@W-Co 3 O 4 photocathode as a sensing interface reduces the probability of false positives (comparison of anode sensing platforms). The PEC sensor has a good working performance in the detection range (10 pg/mL-1000 ng/mL) with a detection limit of 2.7 pg/mL (S/N = 3). In addition, the sensor offers good selectivity, stability and excellent recoveries in real sample analysis. This work is expected to play a role in the field of analyzing environmental toxins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Among cereal contaminants, mycotoxins are of concern due to their importance in terms of food and feed safety. The difficulty in establishing a diagnosis for mycotoxicosis relies on the fact that the effects are most often subclinical for chronic exposure and the most common scenario is multi-contamination by various toxins. Mycotoxin co-occurrence is a major food safety concern as additive or even synergic toxic impacts may occur, but also regarding current regulations as they mainly concern individual mycotoxin levels in specific foods and feed in the food chain. However, due to the large number of possible mycotoxin combinations, there is still limited knowledge on co-exposure toxicity data, which depends on several parameters. In this context, this systematic review aims to provide an overview of the toxic effects of two regulated mycotoxins, namely ochratoxin A and fumonisin B1. This review focused on the 2012-2022 period and analysed the occurrence in Europe of the selected mycotoxins in different food matrices (cereals and cereal-derived products), and their toxic impact, alone or in combination, on in vitro intestinal and hepatic human cells. To better understand and evaluate the associated risks, further research is needed using new approach methodologies (NAM), such as in vitro 3D models. KEY CONTRIBUTION: Cereals and their derived products are the most important food source for humans and feed for animals worldwide. This manuscript is a state of the art review of the literature over the last ten years on ochratoxin A and fumonisin B1 mycotoxins in these products in Europe as well as their toxicological effects, alone and in combination, on human cells. Future perspectives and some challenges regarding the assessment of toxicological effects of mycotoxins are also discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mycotoxins are secondary products produced primarily by fungi and are pathogens of animals and cereals, not only affecting agriculture and the food industry but also causing great economic losses. The development of rapid and sensitive methods for the detection of mycotoxins in food is of great significance for livelihood issues. This study employed an amino-functionalized zirconium luminescent metal-organic framework (LOF) (i.e., UiO-66-NH 2) . Click chemistry was utilized to assemble UiO-66-NH 2 in a controlled manner, generating LOF assemblies to serve as probes for fluorescence-linked immunoassays. The proposed fluoroimmunoassay method for Zearalenone (ZEN) and Fumonisin B1 (FB1) detection based on the UiO-66-NH 2 assembled probe (CLICK-FLISA) afforded a linear response range of 1-20 μmol/L for ZEN, 20 μmol/L for FB1, and a very low detection limit (0.048-0.065 μmol/L for ZEN; 0.048-0.065 μmol/L for FB1). These satisfying results demonstrate promising applications for on-site quick testing in practical sample analysis. Moreover, the amino functionalization may also serve as a modification strategy to design luminescent sensors for other food contaminants.

Background: Fumonisins (FUMs) are among the most common mycotoxins in plant-derived food products. FUMs contamination has considerably impacted human and animal health, while causing significant economic losses. Hence, management of FUMs contamination in food production and supply chains is needed. The toxicities of FUMs have been widely investigated. FUMs management has been reported and several available strategies have been developed successfully to mitigate FUMs contamination present in foods. However, currently available management of FUMs contamination from different phases of food chains and the mechanisms of some major strategies are not comprehensively summarized., Aim of Review: This review comprehensively characterize the occurrence, impacts, and management of FUMs contamination across food production and supply chains. Pre- and post-harvest strategies to prevent FUMs contamination also are reviewed, with an emphasis on the potential applications and the mechanisms of major mitigation strategies. The presence of modified FUMs products and their potential toxic effects are also considered. Importantly, the potential application of biotechnological approaches and emerging technologies are enunciated., Key Scientific Concepts of Review: Currently available pre- and post-harvest management of FUMs contamination primarily involves prevention and decontamination. Prevention strategies are mainly based on limiting fungal growth and FUMs biosynthesis. Decontamination strategies are implemented through alkalization, hydrolysis, thermal or chemical transformation, and enzymatic or chemical degradation of FUMs. Concerns have been raised about toxicities of modified FUMs derivatives, which presents challenges for reducing FUMs contamination in foods with conventional methodologies. Integrated prevention and decontamination protocols are recommended to control FUMs contamination across entire value chains in developed countries. In developing countries, several other approaches, including cultivating, introducing Bt maize, simple sorting/cleaning, and dehulling, are suggested. Future studies should focus on biotechnological approaches, emerging technologies, and metagenomic/genomic identification of new degradation enzymes that could allow better opportunities to manage FUMs contamination in the entire food system., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is of socioeconomic importance as an essential food for human and animal nutrition. However, cereals are susceptible to attack by mycotoxin-producing fungi, which can damage health. The methods most commonly used to detect and quantify mycotoxins are expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, alternative non-destructive methods are required urgently. The present study aimed to use near-infrared spectroscopy with hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) and multivariate image analysis to develop a rapid and accurate method for quantifying fumonisins in whole grains of six naturally contaminated maize cultivars. Fifty-eight samples, each containing 40 grains, were subjected to NIR-HSI. These were subsequently divided into calibration (38 samples) and prediction sets (20 samples) based on the multispectral data obtained. The averaged spectra were subjected to various pre-processing techniques (standard normal variate (SNV), first derivative, or second derivative). The most effective pre-treatment performed on the spectra was SNV. Partial least squares (PLS) models were developed to quantify the fumonisin content. The final model presented a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.98 and root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) of 508 µg.kg-1 for the calibration set, an R2 of 0.95 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 508 µg.kg-1 for the test validation set and a ratio of performance to deviation of 4.7. It was concluded that NIR-HSI with partial least square regression is a rapid, effective, and non-destructive method to determine the fumonisin content in whole maize grains.

Mycotoxin contamination of agricultural commodities is a global public health problem that has remained elusive to various mitigation approaches, particularly in developing countries. Climate change and its impact exacerbates South Africa's vulnerability to mycotoxin contamination, and significantly threatens its's food systems, public health, and agro-economic development. Herein we analyse sixteen years (2005/2006-2020/2021) of annual national meteorological data on South Africa which reveals both systematic and erratic variability in critical climatic factors known to influence mycotoxin contamination in crops. Within the same study period, data on fumonisin (FB) monitoring show clear climate-dependent trends. The strongest positive warming trend is observed between 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 (0.51 °C/year), and a strong positive correlation is likewise established between FB contamination and temperature (r ranging from 0.6 to 0.9). Four machine learning models, viz support vector machines, eXtreme gradient boosting, random forest, and orthogonal partial least squares, are generalized on the historical data with suitable performance (RMSE as low as 0.00). All the adopted models are able to predict future FB contamination patterns with reasonable precision (R 2 ranging from 0.34 to 1.00). The most important model feature for predicting average FB contamination (YA) is the historical pattern of average FB contamination in maize within the region (ΣFBs_avg). The two most significant features in modelling maximum FB contamination (YM) are minimum temperature from the CMIP6 data (Pro_tempMIN) and observed precipitation from the CRU data (O_prep). Our study provides strong evidence of the impact of climate change on FB in South Africa and reiterates the significance of machine learning modelling in predicting mycotoxin contamination in light of changing climatic conditions, which could facilitate early warnings and the adoption of relevant mitigation measures that could help in mycotoxin risk management and control., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Maize production in South Africa is concentrated in its central provinces. The Eastern Cape contributes less than 1% of total production, but is steadily increasing its production and has been identified as a priority region for future growth. In this study, we surveyed ear rots at maize farms in the Eastern Cape, and mycotoxins were determined to be present in collected samples. Fungal isolations were made from mouldy ears and species identified using morphology and DNA sequences. Cladosporium, Diplodia, Fusarium and Gibberella ear rots were observed during field work, and of these, we collected 78 samples and isolated 83 fungal strains. Fusarium was identified from Fusarium ear rot (FER) and Gibberella ear rot (GER) and Stenocarpella from Diplodia ear rot (DER) samples, respectively. Using LC-MS/MS multi-mycotoxin analysis, it was revealed that 83% of the collected samples contained mycotoxins, and 17% contained no mycotoxins. Fifty percent of samples contained multiple mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, diplodiatoxin and zearalenone) and 33% contained a single mycotoxin. Fusarium verticillioides was not isolated and fumonisins not detected during this survey. This study revealed that ear rots in the Eastern Cape are caused by a wide range of species that may produce various mycotoxins.

Food contaminated by mycotoxins has become a worldwide public problem with political and economic implications. Although a variety of traditional methods have been used to eliminate mycotoxins from agri-foods, the results have been somewhat less than satisfactory. As an emerging non-thermal processing technology, atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) has great potential for food decontamination. Herein, this review mainly presents the degradation efficiency of ACP on mycotoxins in vitro and agri-foods as well as its possible degradation mechanisms. Meanwhile, ACP effects on food quality, factors affecting the degradation efficiency and the toxicity of degradation products are also discussed. According to the literatures, ACP could efficiently degrade many mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, fumonisin, and T-2 toxin) both in vitro and various foods (e.g., hazelnut, peanut, maize, rice, wheat, barley, oat flour, and date palm fruit) with little effects on the nutritional and sensory properties of food. The degradation efficacy was dependent on many factors including ACP treatment parameter, working gas, mycotoxin property, and food substrate. The mycotoxin degradation by ACP was mainly attributed to the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in ACP, which can damage the chemical bonds of mycotoxins, consequently reducing the toxicity of mycotoxins., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fusarium species infect maize crops leading to the production of fumonisin by their toxigenic members. Elimination of microbes is critical in mitigating further postharvest spoilage and toxin accumulation. The current study investigates the efficacy of a previously described multispectral sorting technique to analyze the reduction of fumonisin and toxigenic Fusarium species found contaminating maize kernels in Kenya. Maize samples (n = 99) were collected from six mycotoxin hotspot counties in Kenya (Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui County) and analyzed for aflatoxin and fumonisin using commercial ELISA kits. Aflatoxin levels in majority (91%) of the samples were below the 10 ng/g threshold set by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and therefore not studied further. The 23/99 samples that had >2,000 ng/g of fumonisin were selected for sorting. The sorter was calibrated using kernels sourced from Ghana to reject visibly high-risk kernels for fumonisin contamination using reflectance at nine distinct wavelengths (470-1,550 nm). Accepted and rejected streams were tested for fumonisin using ELISA, and the presence of toxigenic Fusarium using qPCR. After sorting, there was a significant (p < 0.001) reduction of fumonisin, by an average of 1.8 log ng/g (98%) and ranging between 0.14 and 2.7 log ng/g reduction (28-99.8%) with a median mass rejection rate of 1.9% (ranged 0% to 48%). The fumonisin rejection rate ranged between 0 and 99.8% with a median of 77%. There was also a significant reduction (p = 0.005) in the proportion of DNA represented by toxigenic Fusarium, from a mean of 30-1.4%. This study demonstrates the use of multispectral sorting as a potential postharvest intervention tool for the reduction of Fusarium species and preformed fumonisin. The spectral sorting approach of this study suggests that classification algorithms based on high-risk visual features associated with mycotoxin can be applied across different sources of maize to reduce fumonisin., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Asha B. Mohamed reports financial support was provided by International Atomic Energy Agency. Editorial Board member of the Journal of Food Protection – MJS., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Contamination from external hazardous materials may greatly influence the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines. This paper aimed to evaluate the levels of contamination by mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi in herbal medicines and establish a rapid method for detecting toxin-producing fungi. Herein, 62.92%, 36.25%, and 64.17% of herbal medicines were contaminated by aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxins, and fumonisins, respectively. Aspergillus (43.77%), Fusarium (5.17%), and Cladosporium (4.46%) were the three predominant genera. Spearman's correlation results showed that Aspergillus and Fusarium were significantly and positively correlated with mycotoxin content (R > 0.5, P < 0.05). In addition, 323 fungal strains were isolated from herbal medicines, and 20 species were identified, mainly belonging to Aspergillus and Penicillium. Analysis of potential mycotoxin-producing fungi showed that Aspergillus flavus can produce AFs, and Aspergillus ochraceus and Aspergillus niger can produce ochratoxin A (OTA). Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that A. flavus harbored AF synthesis genes (aflR), and A. ochraceus and A. niger harbored OTA synthesis genes (aoksl). With these synthesis genes, 67.07% and 37.20% of 164 herbal medicines were positive for toxigenic genes. Furthermore, an excellent correlation was found between the above gene copies and mycotoxin content (R 2  = 0.99). Our results confirmed the high detection rate of mycotoxins in herbal medicines and identified pivotal AF- and OTA-producing fungi. In conclusion, this paper provided the contamination status of fungi and mycotoxins in herbal medicines and established a rapid method for detecting toxigenic fungi., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Aflatoxins and fumonisins, commonly found in maize and maize-derived products, frequently co-occur and can cause dangerous illness in humans and animals if ingested in large amounts. Efforts are being made to develop suitable analytical methods for screening that can rapidly detect mycotoxins in order to prevent illness through early detection. A method for classifying contaminated maize by applying hyperspectral imaging techniques including reflectance in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) regions, and fluorescence was investigated. Machine learning classification models in combination with different preprocessing methods were applied to screen ground maize samples for naturally occurring aflatoxin and fumonisin as single contaminants and as co-contaminants. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM) with the radial basis function (RBF) kernel were employed as classification models using cut-off values of each mycotoxin. The classification performance of the SVM was better than that of PLS-DA, and the highest classification accuracies for fluorescence, VNIR, and SWIR were 89.1%, 71.7%, and 95.7%, respectively. SWIR imaging with the SVM model resulted in higher classification accuracies compared to the fluorescence and VNIR models, suggesting that as an alternative to conventional wet chemical methods, the hyperspectral SWIR imaging detection model may be the more effective and efficient analytical tool for mycotoxin analysis compared to fluorescence or VNIR imaging models. These methods represent a food safety screening tool capable of rapidly detecting mycotoxins in maize or other food ingredients consumed by animals or humans.

In temperate world-wide regions, maize kernels are often infected with the fumonisin-producing fungus Fusarium verticillioides which poses food and feed threats to animals and humans. As maize breeding has been revealed as one of the main tools with which to reduce kernel contamination with fumonisins, a pedigree selection program for increased resistance to Fusarium ear rot (FER), a trait highly correlated with kernel fumonisin content, was initiated in 2014 with the aim of obtaining inbred lines (named EPFUM) with resistance to kernel contamination with fumonisins and adapted to our environmental conditions. The new released EPFUM inbreds, their parental inbreds, hybrids involving crosses of one or two EPFUM inbreds, as well as commercial hybrids were evaluated in the current study. The objectives were (i) to assess if inbreds released by that breeding program were significantly more resistant than their parental inbreds and (ii) to examine if hybrids derived from EPFUM inbreds could be competitive based on grain yield and resistance to FER and fumonisin contamination. Second-cycle inbreds obtained through this pedigree selection program did not significantly improve the levels of resistance to fumonisin contamination of their parental inbreds; however, most EPFUM hybrids showed significantly better resistance to FER and fumonisin contamination than commercial hybrids did. Although European flint materials seem to be the most promising reservoirs of alleles with favorable additive and/or dominance effects for resistance to kernel contamination with fumonisins, marketable new Reid × Lancaster hybrids have been detected as they combine high resistance and yields comparable to those exhibited by commercial hybrids. Moreover, the white kernel hybrid EPFUM-4 × EP116 exploits the genetic variability within the European flint germplasm and can be an alternative to dent hybrid cultivation because white flint grain can lead to higher market prices.

Nowadays, the companion animals (dogs or other pets) are considered as members of the family and have established strong emotional relationships with their owners. Dogs are long lived compared to food animals, so safety, adequacy, and efficacy of dog food is of great importance for their health. Cereals, cereal by-products as well as feedstuffs of plant origin are commonly employed food resources in dry food, yet are potential ingredients for mycotoxins contamination, so dogs are theoretically more vulnerable to exposure when consumed daily. Aflatoxins (AF), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FUM), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEA) are the most frequent mycotoxins that might present in dog food and cause toxicity on the growth and metabolism of dogs. An understanding of toxicological effects and detoxification methods (physical, chemical, or biological approaches) of mycotoxins will help to improve commercial ped food quality, reduce harm and minimize exposure to dogs. Herein, we outline a description of mycotoxins detected in dog food, toxicity and clinical findings in dogs, as well as methods applied in mycotoxins detoxification. This review aims to provide a reference for future studies involved in the evaluation of the risk, preventative strategies, and clear criteria of mycotoxins for minimizing exposure, reducing harm, and preventing mycotoxicosis in dog., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated effects of dietary fumonisins (FBs) on gut and faecal microbiota of weaned pigs. In total, 18 7-week-old male pigs were fed either 0, 15 or 30 mg FBs (FB 1 + FB 2 + FB 3 )/kg diet for 21 days. The microbiota was analysed with amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 regions (Illumina MiSeq). Results showed no treatment effect ( p > 0.05) on growth performance, serum reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde. FBs increased serum aspartate transaminase, gamma glutamyl-transferase and alkaline phosphatase activities. A 30 mg/kg FBs treatment shifted microbial population in the duodenum and ileum to lower levels (compared to control ( p < 0.05)) of the families Campylobacteraceae and Clostridiaceae , respectively, as well as the genera Alloprevotella , Campylobacter and Lachnospiraceae Incertae Sedis (duodenum), Turicibacter (jejunum), and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 (ileum). Faecal microbiota had higher levels of the Erysipelotrichaceae and Ruminococcaceae families and Solobacterium , Faecalibacterium , Anaerofilum , Ruminococcus , Subdoligranulum , Pseudobutyrivibrio , Coprococcus and Roseburia genera in the 30 mg/kg FBs compared to control and/or to the 15 mg/kg FBs diets. Lactobacillus was more abundant in the duodenum compared to faeces in all treatment groups ( p < 0.01). Overall, the 30 mg/kg FBs diet altered the pig gut microbiota without suppressing animal growth performance.

Field trials based on manual infestation of the Asian corn borer (ACB) ( Ostrinia furnacalis [Guenée]) and Fusarium verticillioides (Nirenberg) atomization were conducted on four maize hybrids to investigate the relationship between ACB infestation and F. verticillioides infection, yield loss, and fumonisin contamination in maize. Analysis of fumonisins B1 and B2 was carried out using an LC-MS/MS system. In this study, manual ACB infestation significantly promoted F. verticillioides infection (both symptomatic and symptomless) and grain fumonisin levels. Ear rot incidence and severity, symptomless kernel infection, and fumonisin contamination were significantly correlated to each other and to ACB damage severity. Manual ACB infestation increased fumonisin levels from 580 to 4,418 µg/kg in 2018; 6,059 to 10,681 µg/kg in 2019 spring-sown maize (2019A); and 2,042 to 5,060 µg/kg in 2019 summer-sown maize (2019B), with the threshold of the European Union (EU) being 4,000 µg/kg. The threshold was exceeded in spring of 2019 in untreated controls. Regarding yield, significant negative correlation between ACB damage and ear weight was observed in three seasons. These results indicated that ACB infestation can lead to severe quality degradation and yield loss of maize. Kernel fumonisin levels may exceed the concentration threshold of the EU in certain conditions, threatening the health of livestock and humans. Measures should be taken to reduce ACB infestation to ensure food and feed security., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

This study seeks a comprehensive meta-analysis of mycotoxin contaminants in animal feed consumed in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The obtained articles were reviewed, and 49 articles that investigated the contamination of mycotoxins including aflatoxins (AFs), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), T-2 toxin, fumonisins (FUM), and ochratoxin A (OTA), in feed samples or components of animal feed in the MENA region were selected. The titles of the final articles included in the study were meta-analyzed. Necessary information was extracted and categorized from the articles, and a meta-analysis was performed using Stata software. The highest contamination was in dry bread (80%), and Algeria was the most contaminated country (87% of animal feed), with the most mycotoxins contaminating AFs (47%) and FUM (47%). The highest concentration of mycotoxins in animal feed is related to FUM (1240.01 μg/kg). Climate change, economic situation, agricultural and processing methods, the nature of the animal feed, and improper use of food waste in animal feed are among the most critical factors that are effective in the occurrence of mycotoxin contamination in animal feed in MENA. Control of influential factors in the occurrence of contaminations and rapid screening with accurate identification methods to prevent the occurrence and spread of mycotoxin contamination of animal feed seem important.

Maize is a significant crop to the global economy and a key component of food and feed, although grains and whole plants can often be contaminated with mycotoxins resulting in a general exposure of the population and animals. To investigate strategies for mycotoxins control at the grain production level, a pilot study and exploratory research were conducted in 2019 and 2020 to compare levels of mycotoxins in grains of plants treated with two fertilizers, F-BAC and Nefusoil, under real agricultural environment. The 1650 grains selected from the 33 samples were assessed for the presence of both Fusarium species and mycotoxins. Only fumonisins and deoxynivalenol were detected. Fumonisin B1 ranged from 0 to 2808.4 µg/Kg, and fumonisin B2 from 0 to 1041.9 µg/Kg, while deoxynivalenol variated from 0 to 465.8 µg/Kg. Nefusoil showed to be promising in regard to fumonisin control. Concerning the control of fungal contamination rate and the diversity of Fusarium species, no significant differences were found between the two treatments in any of the years. However, a tendency for was observed Nefusoil of lower values, probably due to the guaranteed less stressful conditions to the Fusarium spp. present in the soil, which do not stimulate their fumonisins production.

Fusarium verticillioides is a key maize pathogen and produces fumonisins, a group of mycotoxins detrimental to humans and animals. Unfortunately, our understanding on how this fungus interacts with maize to trigger mycotoxin biosynthesis is limited. We performed a systematic computational network-based analysis of large-scale F. verticillioides RNA-seq datasets to identify gene subnetwork modules associated with virulence and fumonisin regulation. F. verticillioides was inoculated on two different maize lines, moderately resistant line hybrid 33K44 and highly susceptible line maize inbred line B73, to generate time-course RNA-Seq data. Among the highly discriminative subnetwork modules, we identified a putative hub gene FvLCP1, which encodes a putative a type-D fungal LysM protein with a signal peptide, three LysM domains, and two chitin binding domains. FvLcp1 is a unique protein that harbors these domains amongst five representative Fusarium species. FvLcp1 is a secreted protein important for fumonisin production with the LysM domain playing a critical role. The chitin-binding domain was essential for in vitro chitin binding. Using Magnaporthe oryzae, we learned that FvLcp1 accumulates in appressoria, suggesting that FvLcp1 is involved in host recognition and infection. Full length FvLcp1 suppressed BAX-triggered plant cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. This unique type-D LysM secreted protein with a chitin-binding domain in F. verticillioides was shown to be potentially involved in suppressing host cell death and promoting fumonisin biosynthesis while the pathogen colonizes maize kernels., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Mycotoxin exposure in humans is primarily assessed through its occurrence in external sources, such as food commodities. Herein, we have developed a direct competitive ELISA to facilitate the detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin (FUM B1/B2), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEA) in human serum. The analytical validation of the assay followed practices endorsed by the international research community and the EU directive 96/23/EC in order to examine detection capability, recovery, and cross-reactivity. The assay demonstrated a lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) for AFB1 [0.61 ng/mL (hereon ng/mL = ppb)], DON (19.53 ppb), FUM (4.88 ppb), OTA (19.53 ppb), and ZEA (0.15 ppb). Recovery from human serum for all mycotoxins spanned from 73% to 106%. Likewise, the specificity for monoclonal antibodies against cross-reactant mycotoxins ranged from 2% to 11%. This study compares the LLOQ and recovery values with commercial and emerging immuno-based methods for detecting mycotoxins in foodstuffs. The LLOQ values from the present study were among the lowest in commercial or emerging methods. Despite the differences in the extraction protocols and matrices, the recovery range in this study, commercial tests, and other procedures were similar for all mycotoxins. Overall, the assay detected AFB1, DON, FUM, OTA, and ZEA in human serum with excellent accuracy, precision, and specificity.

Medicinal plants are important in the South African traditional healthcare system, the growth in the consumption has led to increase in trade through muthi shops and street vendors. Medicinal plants are prone to contamination with fungi and their mycotoxins. The study investigated multiple mycotoxin contamination using Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) for the simultaneous detection of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), Deoxynivalenol (DON), Fumonisins (FB 1 , FB 2 , FB 3 ), Nivalenol (NIV), Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Zearalenone (ZEN) in frequently sold medicinal plants. Medicinal plant samples ( n = 34) were purchased and analyzed for the presence of eight mycotoxins. DON and NIV were not detected in all samples analyzed. Ten out of thirty-four samples tested positive for mycotoxins -AFB 1 (10.0%); OTA (10.0%); FB1 (30.0%); FB2 (50.0%); FB3 (20.0%); and ZEN (30.0%). Mean concentration levels ranged from AFB 1 (15 µg/kg), OTA (4 µg/kg), FB 1 (7-12 µg/kg), FB 2 (1-18 µg/kg), FB 3 (1-15 µg/kg) and ZEN (7-183 µg/kg). Multiple mycotoxin contamination was observed in 30% of the positive samples with fumonisins. The concentration of AFB 1 reported in this study is above the permissible limit for AFB1 (5 µg/kg). Fumonisin concentration did not exceed the limits set for raw maize grain (4000 µg/kg of FB 1 and FB 2 ). ZEN and OTA are not regulated in South Africa. The findings indicate the prevalence of mycotoxin contamination in frequently traded medicinal plants that poses a health risk to consumers. There is therefore a need for routine monitoring of multiple mycotoxin contamination, human exposure assessments using biomarker analysis and establishment of regulations and standards.

Infants are sensitive to negative effects caused by food contaminants such as mycotoxins. To date, analytical methods assessing mycotoxin mixture exposure in infant stool are absent. Herein, we present a novel multi-mycotoxin LC-MS/MS assay capable of detecting 30+ analytes including the regulated mycotoxin classes (aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, zearalenone, citrinin), emerging Alternaria and Fusarium toxins, and several key metabolites. Sample preparation consisted of a 'dilute, filter, and shoot' approach. The method was in-house validated and demonstrated that 25 analytes fulfilled all required criteria despite the high diversity of chemical structures included. Extraction recoveries for most of the analytes were in the range of 65-114% with standard deviations below 30% and limits of detection between 0.03 and 11.3 ng/g dry weight. To prove the methods' applicability, 22 human stool samples from premature Austrian infants (n = 12) and 12-month-old Nigerian infants (n = 10) were analyzed. The majority of the Nigerian samples were contaminated with alternariol monomethyl ether (8/10) and fumonisin B 1 (8/10), while fumonisin B 2 and citrinin were quantified in some samples. No mycotoxins were detected in any of the Austrian samples. The method can be used for sensitive human biomonitoring (HBM) purposes and to support exposure and, potentially, risk assessment of mycotoxins. Moreover, it allows for investigating potential associations between toxicant exposure and the infants' developing gut microbiome., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) is a strong mycotoxin that is ubiquitous in agricultural products. The establishment of rapid detection methods is an important means to prevent and control FB 1 contamination. In this study, an improved enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assay (ELONA) method was designed and tested to detect the contents of FB 1 in maize (corn) samples. F10 modified with biotin was bound to an enzyme label plate that was coated with streptavidin (SA) in advance, and carbon dots (CDs) were used to catalyze the color of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). The complementary chain of F10 was modified with an amino group and coupled with CDs to obtain conjugates. The sample and conjugates were then added to the enzyme plate coated with F10 (an FB 1 aptamer). Upon completion of the color reaction, the absorbance was measured at 450 nm. The LOD of this method was 4.30 ng/mL and the LOQ was 13.03 ng/mL. We observed a linear relationship in the FB 1 concentration range of 0-100 ng/mL. The standard curve was y = -0.001482 × x + 0.3463, R 2 = 0.9918, and the experimental results could be directly measured visually. The recovery of the maize sample was 97.5-99.23% and 94.54-99.25%, and the total detection time was 1 h.

Background: Mycotoxins have been suggested to contribute to a spectrum of adverse health effects in humans, including at low concentrations. The recognition of these food contaminants being carcinogenic, as co-occurring rather than as singularly present, has emerged from recent research. The aim of this study was to assess the potential associations of single and multiple mycotoxin exposures with renal cell carcinoma risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort., Methods: Food questionnaire data from the EPIC cohort were matched to mycotoxin food occurrence data compiled by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) from European Member States to assess long-term dietary mycotoxin exposures, and to associate these with the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC, n = 911 cases) in 450,112 EPIC participants. Potential confounding factors were taken into account. Analyses were conducted using Cox's proportional hazards regression models to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) with mycotoxin exposures expressed as µg/kg body weight/day., Results: Demographic characteristics differed between the RCC cases and non-cases for body mass index, age, alcohol intake at recruitment, and other dietary factors. In addition, the mycotoxin exposure distributions showed that a large proportion of the EPIC population was exposed to some of the main mycotoxins present in European foods such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and derivatives, fumonisins, Fusarium toxins, Alternaria toxins, and total mycotoxins. Nevertheless, no statistically significant associations were observed between the studied mycotoxins and mycotoxin groups, and the risk of RCC development., Conclusions: These results show an absence of statistically significant associations between long-term dietary mycotoxin exposures and RCC risk. However, these results need to be validated in other cohorts and preferably using repeated dietary exposure measurements. In addition, more occurrence data of, e.g., citrinin and fumonisins in different food commodities and countries in the EFSA database are a prerequisite to establish a greater degree of certainty.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by a variety of fungi, which when ingested can cause several deleterious effects to the health of humans and animals. In this work, the detection and quantification of six major mycotoxins (aflatoxins-AFLA, deoxynivalenol-DON, fumonisins-FUMO, ochratoxin A-OTA, T-2 toxin-T-2 and zearalenone-ZON) in 1749 samples of feed and feed ingredients for cattle, collected in Brazil between 2017 and 2021, was carried out using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 97% of samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, yet, very few samples exceeded the lowest European Union guidance values for cattle, and the estimated daily intake also showed a low risk for the animals. However, co-occurrences were widely observed, as 87% of samples contained two or more mycotoxins at the same time, and the presence of more than one mycotoxin at the same time in feed can lead to interactions. In conclusion, the contamination of feed and feed ingredients for cattle with mycotoxins in Brazil is very common. Hence, the monitoring of these mycotoxins is of significant importance for food safety.

Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins that routinely contaminate maize. Their presence is monitored at multiple stages from harvest to final product. Immunoassays are routinely used to screen commodities in the field while laboratory-based methods, such as mass spectrometry (MS), are used for confirmation. The use of a portable mass spectrometer unlocks the potential to conduct confirmatory analyses outside of traditional laboratories. Herein, a portable mass spectrometer was used to measure fumonisins in maize. Samples were extracted with aqueous methanol, cleaned up on an immunoaffinity column, and tested with the portable MS. The limits of detection were 0.15, 0.19, and 0.28 mg/kg maize for fumonisins B 1 (FB 1 ), FB 2 /FB 3 , and total fumonisins, respectively. The corresponding limits of quantitation in maize were 0.33, 0.59, and 0.74 mg/kg. Recoveries ranged from 93.6% to 108.6%. However, RSDs ranged from 12.0 to 29.8%. The method was applied to the detection of fumonisins in 64 samples of maize collected as part of the Illinois Department of Agriculture's monitoring program. Good correlations were observed between the portable MS and a laboratory-based LC-MS method (r 2 from 0.9132 to 0.9481). Results suggest the portable MS can be applied to the measurement of fumonisins in maize at levels relevant to international regulations.

Maize is considered one of the most susceptible crops to mycotoxin-producing fungi throughout the world, mainly belonging to the Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. Maize is mainly used as animal feeds in Italy, as well as for human consumption, being essential for all the protected designation of origin (DOP) products. Our study investigated the occurrence of regulated mycotoxins in 3769 maize grain samples collected from 88 storage centers by the National Monitoring Network over an 11-year period (2011-2021). Moreover, an in-depth survey over a 4-year period, characterized by extremely different meteorological conditions, was conducted to investigate the co-occurrence of regulated, masked, and emerging mycotoxins. The survey confirmed that Fusarium spp. was the most frequent fungi and fumonisins were the main mycotoxins that were constantly detected in the different years and areas. Moreover, the areas characterized by high fumonisin levels were also the most prone to contamination by emerging mycotoxins produced by the same Fusarium species of the Liseola section. On the other hand, as a result of climatic changes, maize grains have also been affected by the increased frequency of aflatoxin accumulation. Deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and other emerging mycotoxins produced by the same Fusarium species as the Discolor section occurred more abundantly in some areas in Northern Italy and in years characterized by predisposing meteorological conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Fumonisins are a group of closely related mycotoxins produced by Fusarium, Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus species. Their occurrence is correlated with various factors during growth, processing and storage. Fumonisins occurrence data in the literature mainly include the B group of fumonisins (FB1 & FB2) in raw materials, showing high frequency of positive samples in a wide range of concentrations. In this study, a total of 933 grains (63.7%) and poultry feed (36.3%) samples, collected in the 16-year period (2006-2021), were analysed with commercial enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay for detection of three fumonisins (FB1, FB2 & FB3). All positive and suspect samples were confirmed with high-performance-liquid-chromatography method with fluorescence detection. Overall, we have determined high occurrence of FBs in grains and poultry feed in all tested years, while the lowest occurrence was determined in 2019, followed by 2009 and 2008. Although, contamination levels varied from year-to-year, majority of analyzed samples in all tested years were around 1 mg/kg, while the maximum values varied from 3 mg/kg to 22.23 mg/kg. This study highlights the importance of regular monitoring of raw materials and understanding of the fate of FBs in the food chain in order to avoid undesirable health effects in animals and accompanied economic losses.

The fungal ear rot of maize cultivated in temperate areas is mainly due to the Fusarium species. The use of insecticides against European Corn Borer (ECB) reduces the severity of fungal ear rot as well as the fumonisin (FB) and moniliformin (MON) levels in maize kernels at harvest, which in turn results in a lowering of their effect on deoxynivalenol (DON) control. However, the direct fungicidal control of ear rot has rarely been implemented for maize, and the first studies reported conflicting results on the reduction of mycotoxins. In the present experiment, field trials were carried out in North Italy over three growing seasons to study the effect of fungicide application timings on maize to control mycotoxins, considering the interaction of the application with the insecticide treatment, according to a full factorial split plot design. The mycotoxin content was determined through LC-MS/MS analysis. The field trials showed a significant reduction in ECB severity (75%), fungal ear rot severity (68%), Fusarium Liseola section infection (46%), FBs (75%) and MON (79%) as a result of the insecticide application for all the years, while the DON content increased by 60%. On the other hand, a fungicide application alone or applied in plots protected by an insecticide was never effective for the fungal symptoms, infection or mycotoxin content. The results confirm that a correct insecticide application to control ECB damage is the most effective agrochemical solution for the control of fungal ear rot, FBs and MON.

Maize and other cereals are the commodities most contaminated with fumonisins. The maize acreage is increasing in Africa, and the maize harvest provides important foods for humans and feeds for domestic animals throughout the continent. In North Africa, high levels of fumonisins have been reported from Algeria and Morocco, while low levels have been detected in the rather few fumonisin analyses reported from Tunisia and Egypt. The West African countries Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, and Nigeria all report high levels of fumonisin contamination of maize, while the few maize samples analysed in Togo contain low levels. In Eastern Africa, high levels of fumonisin contamination have been reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The samples analysed from Rwanda contained low levels of fumonisins. Analysis of maize from the Southern African countries Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe revealed high fumonisin levels, while low levels of fumonisins were detected in the few analyses of maize from Botswana and Mozambique.

Mycotoxins should be monitored in order to properly evaluate corn silage safety quality. In the present study, corn silage samples (n = 115) were collected in a survey, characterized for concentrations of mycotoxins, and scanned by a NIR spectrometer. Random Forest classification models for NIR calibration were developed by applying different cut-offs to classify samples for concentration (i.e., μg/kg dry matter) or count (i.e., n) of (i) total detectable mycotoxins; (ii) regulated and emerging Fusarium toxins; (iii) emerging Fusarium toxins; (iv) Fumonisins and their metabolites; and (v) Penicillium toxins. An over- and under-sampling re-balancing technique was applied and performed 100 times. The best predictive model for total sum and count (i.e., accuracy mean ± standard deviation) was obtained by applying cut-offs of 10,000 µg/kg DM (i.e., 96.0 ± 2.7%) or 34 (i.e., 97.1 ± 1.8%), respectively. Regulated and emerging Fusarium mycotoxins achieved accuracies slightly less than 90%. For the Penicillium mycotoxin contamination category, an accuracy of 95.1 ± 2.8% was obtained by using a cut-off limit of 350 µg/kg DM as a total sum or 98.6 ± 1.3% for a cut-off limit of five as mycotoxin count. In conclusion, this work was a preliminary study to discriminate corn silage for high or low mycotoxin contamination by using NIR spectroscopy.

Fumonisins (FBs) are toxic mycotoxins that commonly exist in food and feed. FBs can induce many aspects of toxicity, leading to adverse effects on human and animal health; therefore, investigating methods to reduce fumonisin contamination is necessary. In our study, we generated a recombinant fusion enzyme called FUMDI by linking the carboxylesterase gene ( fumD ) and the aminotransferase gene ( fumI ) by overlapping polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The fusion enzyme FUMDI was successfully, secretively expressed in the host Pichia pastoris ( P. pastoris ) GS115, and its expression was optimized. Our results demonstrated that the fusion enzyme FUMDI had high biodegradation activity of fumonisin B1 (FB1) and other common FBs, such as fumonisin B2 (FB2) and fumonisin B3 (FB3), and almost completely degraded 5 μg/mL of each toxin within 24 h. We also found that FUMDI enzyme and its reaction products had no negative effect on cell viability and did not induce cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in a human gastric epithelial cell line (GES-1). The results indicated that these FBs degradation products cannot have adverse effects in a cell model. In conclusion, a safe and efficient fumonisin-degrading enzyme was discovered, which could be a new a technical method for hazard control of FBs in the future.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds and mainly produced by species of the genera Aspergillus , Penicillium and Fusarium . They can be synthesized on the field, during harvest as well as during storage. They are fairly stable compounds and difficult to remove. Among several hundreds of mycotoxins, according to the WHO, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, patulin, fumonisins as well as T-2 and HT-2 toxins deserve special attention. Cytotoxicity is one of the most important adverse properties of mycotoxins and is generally assessed via the MTT assay, the neutral red assay, the LDH assay, the CCK-8 assay and the ATP test in different cell lines. The apoptotic cell ratio is mainly assessed via flow cytometry. Aside from the assessment of the toxicity of individual mycotoxins, it is important to determine the cytotoxicity of mycotoxin combinations. Such combinations often exhibit stronger cytotoxicity than individual mycotoxins. The cytotoxicity of different mycotoxins often depends on the cell line used in the experiment and is frequently time- and dose-dependent. A major drawback of assessing mycotoxin cytotoxicity in cell lines is the lack of interaction typical for complex organisms (for example, immune responses).

Objective: The main aim of this study was to determine the content of mycotoxins, such as: deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and fumonisins (FUM) in cereal products, and such products intended for infants. The secondary objective was to assess consumer exposure to the DON, ZEA and FUM occurring in cereal products, including those intended for infants and young children., Material and Methods: The study included cereals and cereal products such as flours, grits, pastas, products of the bakery industry, snacks and cereal products intended for infants and young children, available in retail outlets in the Małopolska Province of Poland. DON content was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a DAD detector, while the contents of ZEA and FUM were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection., Results: The determined concentration of mycotoxins exceeded the maximum level specified in food law in only two cases. DON level in maize flour was 1511.0 μg kg -1 and exceeded the maximal residue level (MRL) set at 750.0 μg kg -1 . The value of MRL for ZEA was over the permissible value of 75.0 μg kg -1 in the maize flour sample only, and was 212.0 μg kg -1 . None of the samples examined was beyond the permissible level of FUM., Conclusions: Levels higher than those permissible for the examined cereal products were noted in only two cases. FUMs were the most commonly found Fusarium mycotoxins, followed by DON and ZEA. The mean exposure doses of the assessed mycotoxins, resulting from the consumption of cereal products in the selected populations, were at low levels (reaching a maximum of 6.81%) and did not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) or provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI). Therefore, the observed average chronic exposure dose not pose a health risk to consumers.

Mycotoxins are a group of toxic secondary metabolites produced in the food chain by fungi through the infection of crops both before and after harvest. Mycotoxins are one of the most important food safety concerns due to their severe poisonous and carcinogenic effects on humans and animals upon ingestion. In the last decade, insects have received wide attention as a highly nutritious, efficient and sustainable source of animal-derived protein and caloric energy for feed and food purposes. Many insects have been used to convert food waste into animal feed. As food waste might contain mycotoxins, research has been conducted on the metabolism and detoxification of mycotoxins by edible insects. The mycotoxins that have been studied include aflatoxins, fumonisins, zearalenone (ZEN), vomitoxin or deoxynivalenol (DON), and ochratoxins (OTAs). Aflatoxin metabolism is proved through the production of hydroxylated metabolites by NADPH-dependent reductases and hydroxylases by different insects. ZEN can be metabolized into α- and β-zearalenol. Three DON metabolites, 3-, 15-acetyl-DON, and DON-3-glucoside, have been identified in the insect DON metabolites. Unfortunately, the resulting metabolites, involved enzymes, and detoxification mechanisms of OTAs and fumonisins within insects have yet to be identified. Previous studies have been focused on the insect tolerance to mycotoxins and the produced metabolites; further research needs to be conducted to understand the exact enzymes and pathways that are involved.

Food safety is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. Fumonisins are widely found in animal feed, feed raw materials, and human food. This can not only cause economic losses in animal husbandry but can also have carcinogenicity or teratogenicity and can be left in animal meat, eggs, and milk which may enter the human body and pose a serious threat to human health. Although there are many strategies to prevent fumonisins from entering the food chain, the traditional physical and chemical methods of mycotoxin removal have some disadvantages, such as an unstable effect, large nutrient loss, impact on the palatability of feed, and difficulty in mass production. As a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly detoxification technology, biological detoxification attracts more and more attention from researchers and is gradually becoming an accepted technique. This work summarizes the toxic mechanism of fumonisins and highlights the advances of fumonisins in the detoxification of biological antioxidants, antagonistic microorganisms, and degradation mechanisms. Finally, the future challenges and focus of the biological control and degradation of fumonisins are discussed.

Fumonisins are mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides and proliferatum , which causes a variety of toxicities in humans and animals, including fumonisin Bs (FBs) as the main form. After they are metabolized by plants or microorganisms, modified fumonisins are difficult to detect by conventional methods, which result in an underestimation of their contamination level. Fumonisins widely contaminate maize and maize products, especially in broiler feed. As an economically important food, broilers are often adversely affected by mycotoxins, leading to food safety hazards and high economic losses. However, there are few studies regarding the adverse effects of FBs on broiler growth and health, especially modified FBs. Our data shows that after exposure to FBs or hydrolyzed fumonisin Bs (HFBs), the body weight and tissue weight of broilers decreased significantly, especially the testes. Moreover, they significantly affect the intestinal microbiota and the relative abundance of bacteria from phylum-to-species levels, with the differentially affected bacteria mainly belonging to Firmicutes and Proteobacteria . Our findings suggest that both the parent and hydrolyzed FBs could induce growth retardation, tissue damage and the imbalance of intestinal microbiota in broilers. This indicated that the harmful effects of HFBs cannot be ignored during food safety risk assessment.

An accurate, reliable, and specific method was developed for the quantitative determination of fumonisins B1, B2, B3, and their hydrolyzed metabolites, HFB1, HFB2, and HFB3, in broiler chicken feed and excreta using ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The samples were extracted and diluted for the determination of parent fumonisins. Another portion of the extracted samples was alkaline-hydrolyzed and cleaned using a strong anionic exchange adsorbent (MAX) for the determination of hydrolyzed fumonisins. Chromatographic separation was performed on a CORTECS C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.6 μm) using 0.2% formic acid aqueous solution and methanol with 0.2% formic acid as the mobile phase under gradient elution. The six fumonisins, FB1, FB2, FB3, HFB1, HFB2, and HFB3, were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The six fumonisins showed good linearity, with relative coefficients of r > 0.99. The limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 160 μg/kg. At the low, medium, and high spiked levels, the recovery of fumonisins in chicken feed and excreta ranged from 82.6 to 115.8%, with a precision (RSD) of 3.9-18.9%. This method was successfully applied to investigate the migration and transformation of fumonisins in broiler chickens.

As widespread contaminants, fumonisins (FBs) and ochratoxins (OTs) in food may cause public health threat. In this study, the dietary exposures to FBs and OTs in the Chinese general population were investigated by means of a total diet study (TDS) approach. A total of 672 composite dietary samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in three consecutive China total diet studies from 2007 to 2020. Combining with the national consumption data, estimated dietary exposure to FBs and OTs were assessed and compared with health-based guidance values (HBGVs). The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of FBs were 55-237 ng/kg bw/day at the upper bound accounting 2.77%-17.4% of provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI). Cereals were the greatest contributor to fumonisin exposure. For ochratoxin A (OTA), the EDIs were 0.65-5.72 ng/kg bw/day at the upper bound accounting 4.67%-40.8% of provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI). Although the estimated exposures were well below their respective HBGVs in general, they were found to exceed HBGVs in sporadic regions. Moreover, there was a remarkable increase in the dietary exposure to fumonisin B3 (FB3) and ochratoxin B (OTB) over the last decade that is worth further attention., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Maize kernel is exposed to several fungal species, most notably Fusarium verticillioides, which can contaminate maize kernels with fumonisins. In an effort to increase genetic gains and avoid the laborious tasks of conventional breeding, the use of marker-assisted selection or genomic selection programs was proposed. To this end, in the present study a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) was performed on 339 RILs of a Multiparental Advanced Generation InterCross (MAGIC) population that had previously been used to locate Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) for resistance to Fusarium Ear Rot (FER). Six QTLs for fumonisin content were detected in the bins 3.08, 4.07, 4.10, 7.03-7.04, 9.04-9.05 and 10.04-10.5. Five of the six QTLs collocate in regions where QTLs for FER were also found. However, the genetic variation for fumonisin content in kernel is conditioned by many other QTLs of small effect that could show QTL x environment interaction effects. Although a genomic selection approach to directly reduce fumonisin content in the kernel could be suitable, improving resistance to fumonisin content by genomic selection for FER would be more advisable., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

A magnetic beads (MBs)-assisted fluorescence aptasensing approach based on dual DNA tweezers and magnetic separation was established for the detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ). A dual DNA tweezers structure with four ends linked with fluorophores (FAM, ROX) and quenchers (BHQ 1 , BHQ 2 ) was designed, and produced the high initial fluorescence signals because of the long spatial distance between FAM and BHQ 1 , ROX, and BHQ 2 . Bio-aptamer/anti-aptamer of OTA and bio-aptamer/anti-aptamer of FB 1 were respectively annealed to form dsDNA, and immobilized to MBs coated with streptavidin (SA). With the existence of OTA and FB 1 , OTA and FB 1 preferentially bound with their respective bio-aptamers, which made anti-aptamers dissociate from dsDNA coupled on MBs. After magnetic separation, the dissociated anti-aptamers reacted with dual DNA tweezers, respectively, which made DNA tweezers close and the fluorescence was quenched. The linear ranges of approach for OTA and FB 1 detection were 0.05-20 ng/mL and 0.1-40 ng/mL, respectively. The limit of detection for OTA and FB 1 was 0.029 ng/mL and 0.061 ng/mL. The prepared MBs-assisted fluorescence aptasensing approach was applied to detect OTA and FB 1 in spiked red wine and corn samples, which showed good recoveries between 92 and 106%., (© 2021. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of the crop season, cultivation region, and traditional pre- and post-harvest agricultural practices on mycotoxin contamination in the Mekong Delta rice chain of Vietnam. The results showed that aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs) were predominantly detected in both paddy ( n = 91/184, 50%) and white rice ( n = 9/46, 20%). Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated paddy samples ( n = 3) exceeded the regulatory threshold (5 µg·kg -1 ). The contamination of paddy with AFs and FBs was not significantly different by growing seasons and cultivation localities. Evidently, in the winter-spring season, fumonisins frequently occurred in paddy planted in Can Tho, while AFs were found in paddy planted in regions Dong Thap and An Giang, and such toxins were absent in Can Tho. Furthermore, the selection of paddy varieties strongly impacted the occurrence of these toxins, especially AFs, for example, line DT8 and Jasmine were susceptible to AFs and FBs. In addition, poor pre- and post-harvest practices (such as crop residue-free fields, fertilizer application, unsanitary means of transport, delayed drying time) had an impact on the AFs and FBs contamination. Our findings can help to understand the dynamics of AFs and FBs in the rice chain in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, leading to the mitigation of the contamination of AFs and FBs in rice.

Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium subglutinans are common pathogens of maize which are known to produce mycotoxins, including moniliformin (MON) and fumonisins (FBs). Fungal secondary metabolism and response to oxidative stress are interlaced, where hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) plays a pivotal role in the modulation of mycotoxin production. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress on fungal growth, as well as MON and FBs production, in different isolates of these fungi. When these isolates were cultured in the presence of 1, 2, 5, and 10 mM H 2 O 2 , the fungal biomass of F. subglutinans isolates showed a strong sensitivity to increasing oxidative conditions (27-58% reduction), whereas F. proliferatum isolates were not affected or even slightly improved (45% increase). H 2 O 2 treatment at the lower concentration of 1 mM caused an almost total disappearance of MON and a strong reduction of FBs content in the two fungal species and isolates tested. The catalase activity, surveyed due to its crucial role as an H 2 O 2 scavenger, showed no significant changes at 1 mM H 2 O 2 treatment, thus indicating a lack of correlation with MON and FB changes. H 2 O 2 treatment was also able to reduce MON and FB content in certified maize material, and the same behavior was observed in the presence and absence of these fungi, highlighting a direct effect of H 2 O 2 on the stability of these mycotoxins. Taken together, these data provide insights into the role of H 2 O 2 which, when increased under stress conditions, could affect the vegetative response and mycotoxin production (and degradation) of these fungi.

Fumonisin mycotoxins are a persistent challenge to human and livestock health in tropical and sub-tropical maize cropping systems, and more efficient methods are needed to reduce their presence in food systems. We constructed a novel, low-cost device for sorting grain, the "DropSort", and tested its effectiveness on both plastic kernel models and fumonisin-contaminated maize. Sorting plastic kernels of known size and shape enabled us to optimize the sorting performance of the DropSort. The device sorted maize into three distinct fractions as measured by bulk density and 100-kernel weight. The level of fumonisin was lower in the heaviest fractions of maize compared to the unsorted samples. Based on correlations among fumonisin and bulk characteristics of each fraction, we found that light fraction 100-kernel weight could be an inexpensive proxy for unsorted fumonisin concentration. Single kernel analysis revealed significant relationships among kernel fumonisin content and physical characteristics that could prove useful for future sorting efforts. The availability of a low-cost device (materials~USD 300) that can be used to reduce fumonisin in maize could improve food safety in resource-limited contexts in which fumonisin contamination remains a pressing challenge.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1), belonging to the member of fumonisins, is one of the most toxic mycotoxins produced mainly by Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioide . FB1 has caused extensive contamination worldwide, mainly in corn, rice, wheat, and their products, while it also poses a health risk and is toxic to animals and human. It has been shown to cause oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, cellular autophagy, and apoptosis. This review focuses on the current stage of FB1 contamination, its toxic effects of acute toxicity, immunotoxicity, organ toxicity, and reproductive toxicity on animals and humans. The potential toxic mechanisms of FB1 are discussed. One of the main aims of the work is to provide a reliable reference strategy for understanding the occurrence and toxicity of FB1.

Objective: We hypothesise that exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins, measured in serum, alters protein synthesis, reducing serum protein and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), increasing inflammation and infection, leading to child's linear growth failure., Design: Children 6-35 months, stratified by baseline stunting, were subsampled from an intervention trial on quality protein maize consumption and evaluated at two time-points., Setting: Blood samples and anthropometric data were collected in the pre-harvest (August-September 2015) and post-harvest (February 2016) seasons in rural Ethiopia., Participants: 102 children (50 stunted and 52 non-stunted)., Results: Proportions of children exposed to aflatoxin G1, aflatoxin G2 and aflatoxin M1 were higher in the pre-harvest (8, 33 and 7, respectively) compared to post-harvest season (4, 28 and 4, respectively). The proportion of children exposed to any aflatoxin was higher in the pre-harvest than post-harvest season (51 % v. 41 %). Fumonisin exposure ranged from 0 % to 11 %. In joint statistical tests, aflatoxin exposure was associated with serum biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein, α-1-glycoprotein) and protein status (transthyretin, lysine, tryptophan), IGF-1 and linear growth (all P < 0·01). However, exposure to specific aflatoxins was not significantly associated with any biomarkers or outcomes (all P > 0·05)., Conclusions: Aflatoxin exposure among rural Ethiopian children was high, with large variation between seasons and individual aflatoxins. Fumonisin exposure was low. There was no clear association between aflatoxin exposure and protein status, inflammation or linear growth. A larger study may be needed to examine the potential biological interactions, and the assessment of aflatoxins in food is needed to determine sources of high exposure.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites that are produced by molds during their development. According to fungal physiological particularities, mycotoxins can contaminate crops before harvest or during storage. Among toxins that represent a real public health issue, those produced by Fusarium genus in cereals before harvest are of great importance since they are the most frequent in European productions. Among them, deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisins (FUM) frequently contaminate maize. In recent years, numerous studies have investigated whether food processing techniques can be exploited to reduce the levels of these two mycotoxins, which would allow the identification and quantification of parameters affecting mycotoxin stability. The particularity of the popcorn process is that it associates heat treatment with a particular physical phenomenon (i.e., expansion). Three methods exist to implement the popcorn transformation process: hot air, hot oil, and microwaves, all of which are tested in this study. The results show that all popping modes significantly reduce FUM contents in both Mushroom and Butterfly types of popcorn. The mean initial contamination of 1351 µg/kg was reduced by 91% on average after popping. For DON, the reduction was less important despite a lower initial contamination than for FUM (560 µg/kg). Only the hot oil popping for the Mushroom type significantly reduced the contamination up to 78% compared to unpopped controls. Hot oil popping appears to provide the most important reduction for the two considered mycotoxins for both types of popcorn (-98% and -58% average reduction for FUM and DON, respectively).

It is now recognized that additional exposure to mycotoxins may occur through inhalation of contaminated dust at a workplace. The aim of this study was to characterize the multi-mycotoxin exposure of French grain elevator workers using biomonitoring and airborne measurements. Eighteen workers participated in the study. Personal airborne dust samples were analyzed for their mycotoxin concentrations. Workers provided multiple urine samples including pre-shift, post-shift and first morning urine samples or 24 h urine samples. Mycotoxin urinary biomarkers (aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin M1, ochratoxin A, ochratoxin α, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, fumonisin B1, HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin) were measured using a liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry method. Grain elevator workers were highly exposed to organic airborne dust (median 4.92 mg.m -3 ). DON, ZEN and FB1 were frequent contaminants in 54, 76 and 72% of air samples, respectively. The mycotoxin biomarkers quantified were DON (98%), ZEN (99%), α-ZEL (52%), β-ZEL (33%), OTA (76%), T-2 (4%) and HT-2 (4%). DON elimination profiles showed highest concentrations in samples collected after the end of the work shift and the urinary DON concentrations were significantly higher in post-shift than in pre-shift-samples (9.9 and 22.1 µg/L, respectively). ZEN and its metabolites concentrations did not vary according to the sampling time. However, the levels of α-/β-ZEL were consistent with an additional occupational exposure. These data provide valuable information on grain worker exposure to mycotoxins. They also highlight the usefulness of multi-mycotoxin methods in assessing external and internal exposures, which shed light on the extent and pathways of exposure occurring in occupational settings.

Compared to the traditional heterogeneous assays, a homogeneous immunoassay is a preferred format for its simplicity. By cloning and isolating luminescent proteins from bioluminescent organisms, bioluminescence has been widely used for various biological applications. In this study, we present the development of a homogeneous luminescence immunoassay (FNanoBiT assay) for detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1), based on the binding of two subunits of an engineered luminescent protein (NanoLuc). For the detection of the mycotoxin FB1 in foods, the anti-fumonisin antibody was conjugated to the large subunit of NanoLuc (FLgBiT), and the FB1 was conjugated to the small subunit (FSmBiT). The conjugates were used for the detection of FB1 in a competitive immunoassay format without the need of a secondary antibody, or washing steps. The developed FNanoBiT assay revealed high specificity toward FB1 with no cross-reactivity with other mycotoxins, and it demonstrated acceptable recovery (higher than 94%) and relative standard deviation from spiked maize samples. Further, the assay was successfully applied for the detection of FB1 in naturally contaminated maize, with a dynamic range of 0.533-6.81 ng mL-1 and a detection limit of 0.079 ng mL-1. The results derived with FNanoBiT assay of all spiked samples showed a strong correlation to those obtained by the High-performance liquid chromatography method. Thus, the FNanoBiT based homogeneous immunoassay could be used as a rapid, and simple tool for the analysis of mycotoxin-contaminated foods., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The levels of fumonisins (FUMO)-mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides- in maize for food and feed are subject to European Union regulations. Compliance with the regulations requires the targeting of, among others, the agroclimatic factors influencing fungal contamination and FUMO production. Arvalis-Institut du végétal has created a national, multiyear database for maize, based on field survey data collected since 2003. This database contains information about agricultural practices, climatic conditions and FUMO concentrations at harvest for 738 maize fields distributed throughout French maize-growing regions. A linear mixed model approach highlights the presence of borers and the use of a late variety, high temperatures in July and October, and a water deficit during the maize cycle as creating conditions favoring maize contamination with Fusarium verticillioides . It is thus possible to target a combination of risk factors, consisting of this climatic sequence associated with agricultural practices of interest. The effects of the various possible agroclimatic combinations can be compared, grouped and classified as promoting very low to high FUMO concentrations, possibly exceeding the regulatory threshold. These findings should facilitate the creation of a national, informative and easy-to-use prevention tool for producers and agricultural cooperatives to manage the sanitary quality of their harvest.

This review aimed to investigate the occurrence of mycotoxins, their toxic effects, and the detoxifying agents discussed in scientific publications that are related to pig production. Mycotoxins that are of major interest are aflatoxins and Fusarium toxins, such as deoxynivalenol and fumonisins, because of their elevated frequency at a global scale and high occurrence in corn, which is the main feedstuff in pig diets. The toxic effects of aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, and fumonisins include immune modulation, disruption of intestinal barrier function, and cytotoxicity leading to cell death, which all result in impaired pig performance. Feed additives, such as mycotoxin-detoxifying agents, that are currently available often combine organic and inorganic sources to enhance their adsorbability, immune stimulation, or ability to render mycotoxins less toxic. In summary, mycotoxins present challenges to pig production globally because of their increasing occurrences in recent years and their toxic effects impairing the health and growth of pigs. Effective mycotoxin-detoxifying agents must be used to boost pig health and performance and to improve the sustainable use of crops.