Global impact of mycotoxins on human and animal health management

Some fungi are capable of producing substances that are potent, acute toxins or carcinogens to both animals and humans. These toxic agents are generally called mycotoxins. The diseases these fungi cause are mycotoxicoses, and their impact on domestic animals in terms of decreased growth rate, abnormal reproduction and early death has long been recognized. The impact of these fungi in human carcinogenesis has been the subject of intensive study only since the early 1960s. Mycotoxins of worldwide importance such as aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2; deoxynivalenol; zearalenone; fumonisin B1; T-2 toxin; and ochratoxin A, produced by fungi on pre- and post-harvest food and feeds, have led to contamination of the food chain, resulting in severe economic losses and serious health problems in human beings and livestock. In humans, the presence of mycotoxins in foods can be cumulative, leading to cancers and immune-deficiency diseases. This paper discusses the global deleterious effects of the mycotoxins, their metabolism and detoxification, and control measures applicable within the framework of integrated pest management systems.