» Articles » PMID: 33546479

Mycotoxins-Biomonitoring and Human Exposure

Overview
Journal Toxins (Basel)
Publisher MDPI
Specialty Toxicology
Date 2021 Feb 6
PMID 33546479
Citations 20
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungal species that commonly have a toxic effect on human and animal health. Different foodstuff can be contaminated and are considered the major source of human exposure to mycotoxins, but occupational and environmental exposure can also significantly contribute to this problem. This review aims to provide a short overview of the occurrence of toxigenic fungi and regulated mycotoxins in foods and workplaces, following the current literature and data presented in scientific papers. Biomonitoring of mycotoxins in plasma, serum, urine, and blood samples has become a common method for determining the exposure to different mycotoxins. Novel techniques are more and more precise and accurate and are aiming toward the simultaneous determination of multiple mycotoxins in one analysis. Application of liquid chromatography (LC) methodologies, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) or high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has become a common and most reliable method for determining the exposure to mycotoxins. Numerous references confirm the importance of mycotoxin biomonitoring to assess the exposure for humans and animals. The objectives of this paper were to review the general approaches to biomonitoring of different mycotoxins and the occurrence of toxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins, using recent literature sources.

Citing Articles

Deoxynivalenol and Toxin Exposure and Health Effects Assessment of Pregnant Shanghai Women.

Li K, Luo B, Cai H, Qi R, Zhu Z, He Y Foods. 2025; 14(5).

PMID: 40077479 PMC: 11898465. DOI: 10.3390/foods14050776.


Metabolomic Profiling of Human Urine Related to Mycotoxin Exposure.

Dasi-Navarro N, Lombardi S, Vila-Donat P, Llop S, Vioque J, Soler-Blasco R Toxins (Basel). 2025; 17(2).

PMID: 39998092 PMC: 11860571. DOI: 10.3390/toxins17020075.


Aspergillus Mycotoxins: The Major Food Contaminants.

Xue M, Qu Z, Moretti A, Logrieco A, Chu H, Zhang Q Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025; 12(9):e2412757.

PMID: 39921319 PMC: 11884562. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202412757.


Multiple mycotoxin exposure assessment through human biomonitoring in an esophageal cancer case-control study in the Arsi-Bale districts of Oromia region of Ethiopia.

Mulisa G, Pero-Gascon R, McCormack V, Bisanz J, Talukdar F, Abebe T Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2024; 263:114466.

PMID: 39306897 PMC: 11635094. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114466.


Assessment of Mycotoxin Exposure and Associated Risk in Pregnant Dutch Women: The Human Biomonitoring Approach.

McKeon H, Schepens M, van den Brand A, de Jong M, van Gelder M, Hesselink M Toxins (Basel). 2024; 16(6).

PMID: 38922172 PMC: 11209130. DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060278.


References
1.
Wu Q, Dohnal V, Huang L, Kuca K, Wang X, Chen G . Metabolic pathways of ochratoxin A. Curr Drug Metab. 2011; 12(1):1-10. DOI: 10.2174/138920011794520026. View

2.
Dragsted L, Gao Q, Scalbert A, Vergeres G, Kolehmainen M, Manach C . Validation of biomarkers of food intake-critical assessment of candidate biomarkers. Genes Nutr. 2018; 13:14. PMC: 5975465. DOI: 10.1186/s12263-018-0603-9. View

3.
Munoz K, Cramer B, Dopstadt J, Humpf H, Degen G . Evidence of ochratoxin A conjugates in urine samples from infants and adults. Mycotoxin Res. 2016; 33(1):39-47. DOI: 10.1007/s12550-016-0261-y. View

4.
Ali N, Blaszkewicz M, Degen G . Assessment of deoxynivalenol exposure among Bangladeshi and German adults by a biomarker-based approach. Toxicol Lett. 2016; 258:20-28. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.06.006. View

5.
Assuncao R, Vasco E, Nunes B, Loureiro S, Martins C, Alvito P . Single-compound and cumulative risk assessment of mycotoxins present in breakfast cereals consumed by children from Lisbon region, Portugal. Food Chem Toxicol. 2015; 86:274-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2015.10.017. View