Food is full of natural chemicals essential to our health, but some foods include potentially dangerous substances called natural toxins. Most natural toxins are found naturally in a few foods and other natural toxins are produced when food is damaged or when mold or fungi grows on food, first natural toxins produced by fungi: example mycotoxins. Mycotoxins Mycotoxins are metabolites of molds that can infect food and animal feed and are toxic to humans. The study of mycotoxins and the legislation associated with their control is based on the fact that they are considered adulterants of food and animal feed. Huge quantities of food are wasted every year due to which they are attacked by toxic fungi or contaminated by fungal metabolic products. Such waste occurs more significantly in warmer countries where food shortages may already be a problem. One estimate (CAST, 2003) is that mycotoxins affect a quarter of the world's food crops, including many staple foods and animal feeds, as well as crops. Mycotoxins are toxic chemicals formed by fungi that can grow on crops in the field or after harvest and on foods that may be affected, including grains, nuts and dried fruit; coffee coconut spices oil seeds and milk Some mycotoxins such as aflatoxins are among the most potent mutagenic and carcinogenic substances known (CAST, 2003). Mycotoxins are associated with many chronic health risks, including cancer induction, immune suppression, blood and nerve digestive problems (CAST, 2003, Shepherd, 2006). Currently, more than 300 mycotoxins with very different chemical structure and structure are known. different modes of action and some affect the kidneys, liver and immune system. Common mycotoxins include aflatoxins, ochratoxins A, alkaloids, fumonisins, and patulin. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi that usually belong to one of three genera1] Aspergillus Species, 2] Penicillium 3] FusariumAspergillus Species: Aflatoxins: Aspergillus speccious is found in foods as spoilage does. They are very common in stored food products such as grains, nuts and species, occurring more frequently in tropical and subtropical climates than in moderate climates. Mycotoxins were brought to scientists' attention in the 1960s with the outbreak of turkey disease X that killed nearly 100,000 turkeys and other farm animals in England. The origin of the disease was traced back to the peanut flour contained in the feed, which was heavily contaminated with A. flavus. Analysis recently found that a group of fluorescent compounds was responsible for the outbreak and named aflatoxins.
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