Cereals Defense: A Global Perspective on Combating Mycotoxins

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 755

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Subdepartment of Ecology and Toxicology, Department of Applied Chemistry and Ecology, Faculty of Food Technology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: fungi; mycotoxins; nanoparticles; food safety
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Guest Editor
Department of Food Technology, University Center Koprivnica, University North, Trg dr. Žarka Dolinara 1, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia
Interests: analytical chemistry; LC-MS/MS; mycology; mycotoxins; biomarkers; exposure assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxin production in cereals is increasing due to various environmental stressors associated with climate change. The metabolic pathways responsible for mycotoxin biosynthesis are strongly negatively regulated by environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, and CO2 concentration, which thus characterise mycotoxin production and the fungal community within the environment. To minimise the negative impact on health and food safety caused by environmental stressors of any kind, a continuous assessment of mycotoxin risk is required, especially in developing countries. Such processes can be evaluated at the molecular and genetic level, but with the same goal of creating mechanisms that can control and reduce the contamination of the environment with mycotoxins.

For this reason, this Special Issue on “Cereals Defense: A Global Perspective on Combating Mycotoxins” covers all important topics at the molecular and genetic level related to the occurrence of mycotoxins in cereals during the vicious cycle of mycotoxin contamination.

Dr. Tihomir Kovač
Dr. Bojan Šarkanj
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cereals
  • mycotoxins
  • climate change
  • cereal resistance
  • oxidative stress related to environmental factors
  • food safety

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

15 pages, 614 KB  
Review
An Update on Mycotoxins in Bee Pollen
by Nela Drača, Sunčana Včelik, Rudolf Krska, Drago Šubarić and Tihomir Kovač
Toxins 2026, 18(5), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18050207 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 245
Abstract
For centuries, bee pollen has been known for its medicinal value and regarded as a rich source of bioactive compounds, including essential nutrients and phytochemicals. Its putative therapeutic and health-promoting benefits include antioxidant, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycaemic, and numerous additional properties. However, the [...] Read more.
For centuries, bee pollen has been known for its medicinal value and regarded as a rich source of bioactive compounds, including essential nutrients and phytochemicals. Its putative therapeutic and health-promoting benefits include antioxidant, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycaemic, and numerous additional properties. However, the beneficial qualities can only be guaranteed if potential contaminants do not detract from its superfood image. Recent research has indicated frequent occurrence of mycotoxins in bee pollen, occasionally at concentration levels exceeding safe intakes. There are very few published publications in the literature related to the research of mycotoxin concentrations in bee pollen. Based on that, the aim of this review is to provide an overview update of existing scientific research on the presence, prevalence and types of mycotoxins in bee pollen, with particular emphasis on toxins produced by fungi. Furthermore, the aim is to compile the available data on mycotoxin contamination of pollen in order to identify factors relevant to the safety and quality of bee pollen as a food product and dietary supplement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cereals Defense: A Global Perspective on Combating Mycotoxins)
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