Yeasts and Molds | Mycotoxins: Classification, Occurrence and Determination

Abstract

Since the discovery of carcinogenic aflatoxins from Aspergillus flavus in 1960, many studies on mycotoxins have been carried out worldwide. At present, numerous mycotoxins that are diverse in structure and in mode of action are known. Because of this, classifying mycotoxins on the basis of their characteristics is not easy. In this article, mycotoxins are classified into three groups: carcinogenic, neurotropic, and other mycotoxins. The carcinogenic mycotoxins comprise bisfuranoids such as aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2, and sterigmatocystin from Aspergillus versicolor, bisanthraquinonoids such as (-)-luteoskyrin from Penicillium islandicum and (+)-rugulosin from Penicillium rugulosum, citrinin from Penicillium citrinum, ochratoxin A from Aspergillus ochraceus, and fumonisins from Fusarium verticillioides. Cyclochlorotine from P. islandicum, patulin from Penicillium patulum, and penicillic acid from many Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi are also carcinogenic. Neurotropic mycotoxins comprise citreoviridin from Penicillium citreoviride, tremorgenic dioxopiperazines as fumitremorgins A and B from Aspergillus fumigatus, verruculogen from Penicillium verruculosum, and roquefortine from Penicillium roqueforti, tremorgenic indoloditerpenes such as paxilline from Penicillium paxilli, paspalinine from Claviceps paspali, aflatrem from A. flavus, and penitrem A from Penicillium cyclopium. Other mycotoxins have many trichothecenes possessing immunomodulatory activity such as nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, fusarenon-x from Fusarium fungi, and verrucarin A from Myrothecium verrucaria, sporidesmins that cause photohypersensitive exudative eczema, and zearalenone that causes hyperestrogenism. Lysergic acid amides, rubratoxins, phomopsin A, cytochalasins, and chetoglobosins are also included in the category of other mycotoxins.