Mycotoxins: Biotransformation and Bioavailability Assessment Using Caco-2 Cell Monolayer.

Area of Science:

• Food safety and toxicology
• Pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism
• Cell biology and biomonitoring

Background:

• Mycotoxin content in food is insufficient to predict in vivo cytotoxicity.
• Bioavailability and interactions within food matrices significantly alter toxic effects.
• Mycotoxins undergo biotransformation during intestinal absorption, potentially increasing toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review in vivo and in vitro techniques for determining mycotoxin bioavailability.
• To discuss current data on mycotoxin biotransformation.
• To explore the molecular mechanisms of mycotoxin-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Review of in vivo and in vitro techniques for bioavailability assessment.
• Analysis of existing data on mycotoxin biotransformation.
• Discussion of molecular mechanisms of mycotoxin toxicity.

Main Results:

• Mycotoxin content alone does not predict cytotoxicity.
• Biotransformation can lead to increased toxicity.
• In vitro models like Caco-2 cells are valuable for assessing bioavailability and transport.

Conclusions:

• Verification of mycotoxin biotransformation and bioavailability is essential for accurate risk assessment.
• In vitro models offer insights into intestinal absorption, transport, and metabolism.
• Mycotoxins can disrupt intestinal barrier integrity through various molecular mechanisms.