Mycotoxins: food contamination, mechanism, carcinogenic potential and preventive measures
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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Quantification of Fungal Colonization, Sporogenesis, and Production of Mycotoxins Using Kernel Bioassays
Published on: April 23, 2012
1Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
Abstract:
Mycotoxins constitute a large number of naturally occurring fungal secondary metabolites with very diversified toxic effects in humans and animals. Among many mycotoxins discovered, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin and several others are identified as carcinogens; several others were found to be mutagenic. Nevertheless, aflatoxin B1 has been found to be one of the most potent carcinogens and contamination of aflatoxins in the food supply is still a major concern. Whereas extensive studies have been made on aflatoxins, little is known about the mode of action of other carcinogenic and mutagenic mycotoxins. Recent progress on research for the carcinogenic and mutagenic mycotoxins is presented in this review with emphasis on their contamination in foods, their carcinogenic potential to humans, and the mode of action as well as possible preventive measures.
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