Mycotoxins of phytopathogenic fungi and mycotoxicosis: a historical essay (review)

Mold fungi and the mycotoxins they produce have invariably accompanied humans, since the basis of its existence was agriculture, which allows to get more products than was necessary for consumption, as well as requiring the storage of crops between seasons. This provided a favorable ecological niche for molds, and stored agricultural products became the main source of mycotoxins in the diets of humans and farm animals. Since then, mycotoxins have been the cause of many large-scale poisonings and have caused significant damage to agriculture. The article provides a brief historical sketch and the most significant stages of the study of mycotoxins, which are the cause of frequent and large-scale lesions, reveals the specific circumstances that caused the researchers' keen interest in this group of substances. For a long time, the immediate cause of poisoning caused by mycotoxins remained unknown due to the weak technical equipment of researchers and the isolation of active substances was impossible, which, however, was not an obstacle to the development of methods to combat infection with mold fungi and poisoning caused by mycotoxins. The improvement of the technical base of research in the middle of the 20th century led to an increase in the number of discovered mycotoxins and the discovery of new toxic effects of already known compounds. Mycotoxins remain one of the most dangerous contaminants in both farm animal feed and food, despite the fact that in many countries they are subject to strict regulation and control. In the context of the increasing intensification of agriculture, a decrease in the species diversity of agricultural crops, the problem of the spread of mold fungi and, as a result, the degree of mycotoxin damage to agricultural products does not lose its importance, and the study of the history of the study of mycotoxins and their producers can provide important information on the spread of mold fungi in new economic conditions.