Aflatoxins in Cereals and Cereal-Based Products: Occurrence, Toxicity, Impact on Human Health, and Their Detoxification and Management Strategies.

Pradeep Kumar, Akansha Gupta, Dipendra Kumar Mahato, Shikha Pandhi, Arun Kumar Pandey, Raveena Kargwal, Sadhna Mishra, Rajat Suhag, Nitya Sharma, Vivek Saurabh, Veena Paul, Manoj Kumar, Raman Selvakumar, Shirani Gamlath, Madhu Kamle, Hesham Ali El Enshasy, Jawahir A Mokhtar, Steve Harakeh

Journal: Toxins 2022;14(10):687

PMID: 36287956

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Abstract

Cereals and cereal-based products are primary sources of nutrition across the world. However, contamination of these foods with aflatoxins (AFs), secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species, has raised serious concerns. AF generation in innate substrates is influenced by several parameters, including the substrate type, fungus species, moisture content, minerals, humidity, temperature, and physical injury to the kernels. Consumption of AF-contaminated cereals and cereal-based products can lead to both acute and chronic health issues related to physical and mental maturity, reproduction, and the nervous system. Therefore, the precise detection methods, detoxification, and management strategies of AFs in cereal and cereal-based products are crucial for food safety as well as consumer health. Hence, this review provides a brief overview of the occurrence, chemical characteristics, biosynthetic processes, health hazards, and detection techniques of AFs, along with a focus on detoxification and management strategies that could be implemented for food safety and security.

Address: Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India.; Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, India.; Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.; CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia.; CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia.; Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.; MMICT&BM(HM), Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, India.; Department of Processing and Food Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125004, India.; Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.; Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, GLA University, Mathura 281406, India.; Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza Università 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.; Food and Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.; Division of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.; Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai 400019, India.; Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India.; Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, India.; Institute of Bioproduct Development, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai 81310, Malaysia.; City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications, New Burg Al Arab, Alexandria 21934, Egypt.; Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.; Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.; King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.; Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Scientific Chair of Prophetic Medicine Application, Faculty of Medicine (FM), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.

DOI: 10.3390/toxins14100687

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Aflatoxins, Edible Grain, Food Contamination, Food Safety, Humidity