Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins in Cereals Grain and Food in Russia

Abstract

The study of toxigenic fungi started at the end of 19th — at the beginning of 20th century after the appearance of Fusarium head blight epidemics in the Far East and after the registration of man and animal poisoning caused by infected grain (Voronin, 1890, Palchevsky, 1891, Jaczewski 1904, Naumov, 1916). More active researches of diseases caused by toxigenic fungi was developed in 30–40 years after the identification of stachybotryotoxicosis in horses and alimentary toxic aleukia in man (Sarkisov, 1947). In these years Sarkisov and his colleagues initiated the new direction of mycological researches, named mycotoxicology (Sarkisov, 1954). Presently in Russia mycotoxicological researches are carried out in different medical and agricultural laboratories. In this short review, information is provided about the phytosanitary state in Russia for the last 10–15 years in connection with the widespread of toxigenic fungi on cereals and contamination of food by mycotoxins.