Search Results (3,689)

This study aimed to assess the occurrence and contamination levels of OTA in edible tissues of slaughtered pigs in Greece using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD). Kidney, liver, muscle, and fat samples were collected from 1695 healthy slaughtered pigs originating from 113 swine farms across eight geographical regions of Greece and analyzed for OTA. OTA was not detected in muscle or fat samples. In contrast, OTA was detected in 99 of 1695 kidney samples (5.8%), with concentrations ranging from 0.36 to 1.36 μg/kg (mean 0.73 μg/kg; median 0.70 μg/kg). OTA-positive kidney samples were identified in four regions, with the highest prevalence recorded in the regional unit of Karditsa, within the region of Thessaly (75/105 samples; 71.4%), where the maximum OTA concentration in kidneys was observed (1.36 μg/kg). Karditsa was also the only regional unit where OTA was detected in liver samples (40/1695; 2.4%), with concentrations ranging from 0.42 to 1.08 μg/kg (mean 0.61 μg/kg; median 0.53 μg/kg). The lack of detectable OTA levels in muscle and fat indicates minimal consumer exposure through pork; nevertheless, the presence of low-level residues in kidneys and liver emphasizes the necessity for ongoing monitoring using sensitive analytical methods. Overall, OTA contamination in edible tissues was low and unevenly distributed, reflecting localized exposure likely associated with region- or farm-specific feed contamination. Full article

The effects of broad-spectrum mycotoxin detoxifiers (BSMDs) on growth performance, liver histopathology, jejunal morphology, and oxidative stress were evaluated in broilers fed diets contaminated with multiple mycotoxins. A total of 800 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments, with eight replicates of 25 birds each, and reared for 42 days. The treatments included a basal control diet (CON); a multi-mycotoxin-contaminated diet (MMT) containing aflatoxins (25 µg/kg), zearalenone (135 µg/kg), T2 toxin (85 µg/kg), fumonisin (1.90 mg/kg), and deoxynivalenol (0.70 mg/kg); and the MMT diet supplemented with either 1.0 kg/ton BSMD-1 or 1.5 kg/ton BSMD-2. MMT contamination did not affect growth performance, serum malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 levels, liver enzyme activities, or liver lesion scores. Nevertheless, interleukin-10 levels were lower in birds fed the MMT diet (p = 0.03). In birds fed MMT, there was a substantial decrease (p < 0.05) in the height of the jejunal villi, their surface area, and the ratio of their height to the depth of the crypt. While BSMD-supplemented groups displayed values similar to both CON and MMT, MMT birds had higher fatty liver scores than the control group. Overall, multi-mycotoxin contamination impaired gut morphology and immune balance. BSMD supplementation improved intestinal structure, enhanced immune response, and partially mitigated liver alterations. These findings indicate its potential as a dietary intervention to mitigate the detrimental effects of multi-mycotoxin contamination in broilers. Full article

Winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important crop used for feed, food, malting, and bioethanol production. Recent research indicates that the seed mycobiome significantly influences seed health and usability, affecting its potential applications. This study examined the fungal species present in seven barley cultivars grown under two agrotechnical regimes. Fungal species were classified according to their effects on seeds and plants, and biodiversity indices were calculated for each group. Enhanced agrotechnical practices increased yields and improved grain quality. Higher DON concentrations were observed in low-yield treatments. Mycological analysis revealed that field fungi, particularly Fusarium, dominated the grain mycobiome and were associated with infection and reduced seed quality. High Dominance (Y), Margalef, and Shannon–Wiener indices for quality-deteriorating fungi correlated with lower yields, while the Dominance index (λ) for these fungi was negatively correlated with grain protein content. The prevalence of specific fungi on seeds depends on storage conditions and fungal adaptations, which may result in complementary consortia. Understanding these interactions can support the development of effective seed storage strategies and inform material classification and future use decisions. Full article

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin linked to ovarian oxidative stress, toxicity, and reduced reproductive performance. Fermented Chinese chive is known for its antioxidant properties and potential reproductive benefits, but their individual and combined effects on ovarian function remain unclear in post-pubertal mice. In this study, a 21-day oral gavage model in female Kunming mice was used to evaluate the effects of DON (2 mg/kg/day), fermented Chinese chive extract (LEEK; 0.2 mL/day), and their combined exposure (LKDON) on ovarian physiology, oocyte quality, and ovarian transcriptomic responses. The results showed that DON exposure significantly reduced the zygote cleavage rate, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and disrupted oocyte mitochondrial membrane potential. While histological examination revealed disturbed follicular architecture. Transcriptomic hub gene analysis showed that DON exposure down-regulate the key associated with innate immune responses and motile cilia/axonemal structure, including Rsph4a, Drc1, Zmynd10, Hydin, and Tmem212. In contrast, LEEK alone was associated with immunomodulatory upregulated genes, including Il5, Cd27, and Crp. Interestingly, LKDON and DON comparison revealed upregulation of a motile cilia/axoneme gene network (Dnah5, Dnah11, Tekt1, Zmynd10, Cfap44, and Spag6l), rather than a global reversal of DON-induced changes. Overall, finding suggest that DON disrupts ovarian immune and structural pathways, while fermented Chinese chive provides partial protection by modulating specific biological processes. Further studies are needed to confirm the underlying mechanisms. Full article

Food safety requires real-time monitoring of mycotoxins in food, as food products contaminated with these toxins poses major threat to human health. In this study, we proposed a remote-controlled microfluidic platform (RCMP) integrated with chemiluminescent/colorimetric detection system for rapid, cost-effective and real-monitoring of multiple mycotoxins in real samples based on the indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA). The RCMP enabled sensitive and automatic detection of deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), and fumonisin B1 (FB1) in the range of 4–128 ng/mL, 1–32 ng/mL, and 0.5–16 ng/mL, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) were 2.881 ng/mL for DON, 0.702 ng/mL for ZEA, and 0.470 ng/mL for FB1. In further validation, satisfactory recoveries between 93.57% to 108.47% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 6.92–11.39% were obtained in beer samples. Overall, RCMP provides an automatic, high-throughput and cost-effective method for detection of DON, ZEA, and FB1 and can be confidently applied for monitoring in beer samples. Full article

The use of agro-industrial waste to obtain biochar has emerged as an environmentally friendly, low-cost, effective, profitable, and sustainable strategy for the removal of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a highly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin of importance in poultry production systems because it can cause serious economic losses, affect hatchability, egg production, and the growth of birds, and can cause their death. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to obtain a sustainable and low-cost biochar derived from agro-industrial coconut shell waste (BCS) and evaluate its AFB1 adsorption capacity using a conventional method based on buffer solutions and an in vitro avian digestion model that simulates the conditions of the gastrointestinal tract of the broiler chicken. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of BCS on AFB1 (250 ng/mL) at both pH 5.0 and 1.2 was close to 100%, while at pH 6.8, the adsorption of AFB1 was 86.24%. However, in the in vitro avian digestibility model, the adsorption capacity of BSC on AFB1 was 32.96%, thus highlighting the importance of considering factors that can affect the adsorption capacity of materials before in vivo studies, as this can lead to overestimations of results and, therefore, ineffective treatments or unexpected results in animals. Full article

A three-year experiment was conducted over the years 2020–2022 to determine the spectrum of microscopic fungi colonizing the grain of two fungicide-treated cultivars of spring barley and the profiles of mycotoxins identified in grain. In comparison with the unprotected control, fungicide treatment significantly increased grain yield by an average of approximately 10% in cv. Atrika and approximately 20% in cv. Vermont. The most abundantly isolated species were Alternaria alternata and Bipolaris sorokiniana. Fungi of the genus Fusarium were also widely represented, accounting for 7% to 27% of all isolates, depending on the year. Each year, 45 secondary fungal metabolites produced mainly by Fusarium and Alternaria species were identified. Fungicide protection did not reduce the overall concentration of Fusarium toxins and even caused a slight increase, while contributing to a decrease in the levels of nivalenol-3-glucoside, nivalenol, and deoxynivalenol. Concurrently, the concentrations of group A trichothecenes and moniliformin increased. The grain of spring barley cv. Vermont contained higher levels of the major Fusarium toxins than the grain of cv. Atrika. Non-parametric Friedman ANOVA revealed significant differences between years for eight mycotoxin concentrations. These results confirm the complex effects of chemical protection on the composition of grain microflora and mycotoxin profiles, indicating the need for further research into interactions between cultivars, environmental conditions, and integrated plant protection strategies in the production of food and feed cereals to improve food safety. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different aerobic exposure durations on mycotoxin accumulation, nutritional quality changes, and microbial community dynamics of corncob silage. The experiment was divided into four groups: T0 (corncob silage fermented for 45 days without aerobic exposure), T4 (corncob silage exposed to air for 4 days), T8 (corncob silage exposed to air for 8 days), and T12 (corncob silage exposed to air for 12 days). The results showed that after aerobic exposure, the contents of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), Crude Ash, lactic acid (LA), and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) in all exposed groups (T4, T8, T12) were significantly lower than those in the T0 group, whereas the contents of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), propionic acid (PA), and butyric acid (BA) were significantly higher than those in the T0 group. Exposure to aerobic conditions for 12 days resulted in the four mycotoxins exhibiting levels significantly higher than those in the other groups, and notably, zearalenone (ZEN) and ochratoxin (OT) exhibited a continuous increase in concentration with the extension of aerobic exposure. Aerobic exposure increased bacterial diversity and fungal relative abundance, and significant separations were observed in both bacterial and fungal communities between the T0 group and the aerobic exposure groups. At the phylum level, Firmicutes was the dominant bacterial phylum in the T0 group, while Pseudomonadota became the dominant phylum after aerobic exposure. At the genus level, Lacticaseibacillus was the dominant bacterial genus in the T0 group, whereas Variovorax, Vibrionimonas, and Mycobacterium dominated the bacterial communities in the aerobic exposure groups. The relative abundance of the fungal phylum Ascomycota increased from 30% in the T0 group to 80~90% in the aerobic exposure groups; the dominant fungal genera shifted from Zygosaccharomyces to Albifimbria and Pichia. In conclusion, prolonged aerobic exposure elevates the concentrations of mycotoxins in corncob silage, reduces the nutritional quality, and induces significant shifts in both bacterial and fungal community compositions. Full article

Filamentous fungal infections of breast implants remain underrecognized compared with infections caused by Candida species and bacteria, despite their potential to induce significant inflammatory pathology. This commentary highlights the distinctive ability of filamentous fungal biofilms to penetrate deeply into the implant capsule, a feature that may contribute to distinct pathogenic behaviour compared with bacterial or yeast biofilms. We discuss how this invasive behavior may contribute to the perception that reported cases represent the first documented breast implant-associated fungal infections, when in fact such infections may be under-recognised and under-investigated. By drawing attention to these mechanisms and their clinical implications, this commentary aims to stimulate greater awareness and further investigation within the fields of infectious diseases and pathogen research. Full article

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a Fusarium-derived mycotoxin widely found in grain-based feed, has become a major global environmental contaminant. Reproductive toxicity is one of its most important toxic effects, yet systematic investigations covering both male and female reproductive injury remain limited. This study aimed to establish a combined strategy of network toxicology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and single-cell RNA sequencing to evaluate the reproductive toxicity of DON. AKT1, EGFR, PIK3CA, PIK3R1, and SRC were identified as key targets involved in DON-induced reproductive injury. For testicular injury, the prolactin, Ras, HIF-1, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways were closely associated with DON toxicity. For ovarian injury, the PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, prolactin, insulin, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways were strongly implicated. Molecular docking demonstrated favorable binding affinities between DON and the hub targets, while molecular dynamics simulation further confirmed the stability of the DON–PIK3CA complex. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed that these five hub genes were highly expressed in both testicular (SRA667709:SRS3065430) and ovarian (SRA638923:SRS2797100) tissues. These findings deepen current understanding of DON-induced reproductive toxicity, provide new insights into the effects of environmental toxins on reproductive health, and offer a theoretical basis for future studies integrating DON exposure with in vivo validation of core targets and signaling pathways. Full article

The cultivation of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is plagued by two serious issues: “asparagus decline” and “asparagus replant problem”. The average lifespan of an asparagus plant is 15 to 20 years. However, its productivity decreases after a few years (asparagus decline). Even when these asparagus plants are replaced with new ones, the new plants remain unproductive (asparagus replant problem). The main causes of these problems are a Fusarium infection and asparagus autotoxicity. Several reviews have been conducted on Fusarium. Despite the accumulation of evidence on asparagus autotoxicity in the literature over the past four decades, no review has focused specifically on asparagus autotoxicity. It has been reported that asparagus growth is inhibited by asparagus root residues, leachates, root exudates, and rhizosphere soils. Several phenylpropanoids, including trans-cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid, have been identified as asparagus autotoxic substances in these root residues, root exudates, rhizosphere soils, growth media, and/or plant tissues. Tryptophan, 3,4-methylenedioxycinnamic acid, and iso-agatharesinol were also identified as asparagus autotoxic substances. These substances may cause autotoxicity by disrupting phytohormone levels, cellular metabolism, impairing membrane function, and by inducing oxidative stress. Although cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids have been reported to act as antibiotics, these compounds have also been shown to weaken the defense mechanisms of asparagus against pathogen infection, and enhance the Fusarium pathogenicity. The presence of these autotoxic substances, coupled with a Fusarium infection, may create a vicious cycle that worsens “asparagus decline” and “asparagus replant problem”. This is the first review to focus on the asparagus autotoxicity. Full article

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a widely distributed estrogenic mycotoxin that compromises intestinal health in pigs, but its spatial difference ZEN and niche-specific regulatory effects on the intestinal microbiota remain largely unelucidated. In this study, 12 healthy three-way crossbred weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into two treatments. The control group (CON) was fed with the basal diet, and the treatment group (ZEN) was supplemented with 1.5 mg ZEA/kg of the basal diet for 28 days. Chyme and mucosal microorganisms in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon and cecum were profiled by using 16S rDNA sequencing. The results indicated that ZEN significantly reduced the α-diversity of ileal chyme, while the abnormal increase in α-diversity of ileal and cecal mucosa represented a pathological signature of intestinal mucosal barrier damage induced by ZEN, which was detrimental to intestinal health. β-Diversity analysis revealed ZEN altered the microbial community composition of the cecal chyme. LEfSe analysis revealed gut segment-specific and niche-specific biomarker taxa among the groups, and functional prediction further indicated that ZEN exposure significantly perturbed key metabolic pathways: it downregulated nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism as well as the citrate cycle in ileal chyme and upregulated the pentose and glucuronate interconversions pathway in cecal chyme. Collectively, this study demonstrated the effects of ZEN on the intestinal microbiota across spatial difference and ecological niches in weaned piglets, providing a basis for elucidating the microecological mechanisms underlying ZEN-induced intestinal injury in pigs. Full article

Apples are highly susceptible to fungal infections, particularly by Alternaria species, which can lead to fruit deterioration and mycotoxin contamination during storage. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of untargeted liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) as a control-oriented strategy to detect Alternaria-infected apples under retail and long-term storage conditions. Healthy Red Delicious apples were artificially inoculated with three Alternaria tenuissima strains on the fruit surface or core and incubated at 25 °C or 4 °C. Extracts were analysed by UPLC-HRMS in both positive and negative electrospray ionisation modes, followed by multivariate chemometric analysis. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis consistently discriminated infected from non-infected apples, independent of strain, infection site, or incubation temperature. Feature selection based on variable importance values significantly improved model robustness and predictive performance. The metabolomic profiles also enabled discrimination according to Alternaria strain, infection site, storage temperature, and selected combinations of these factors. The results demonstrate that LC-HRMS-based untargeted metabolomics could provide a statistically robust framework for detecting Alternaria tenuissima infection in apples under the studied conditions. Full article

Red yeast rice (RYR), a traditional fermented product obtained via rice fermentation with Monascus purpureus, has a millennia-long history of culinary and medicinal use in East Asia and has gained global attention as a prominent functional food ingredient for its well-recognized cholesterol-lowering properties. This review is driven by one core question: How can the dual challenges of standardizing key bioactive constituents, particularly monacolin K (MK), while eliminating the mycotoxin citrinin be addressed through biotechnological and analytical advances? This narrative review consolidates the latest research progress on RYR-derived bioactive compounds, with a specific focus on their production optimization, multifaceted health-promoting potentials, safety regulation, and application prospects in health food development. We elaborate on key advances in fermentation biotechnology and strain engineering for enhancing the yield of the core lipid-lowering component MK while eliminating the nephrotoxic mycotoxin citrinin, and comprehensively summarize the synergistic bioactivities of RYR metabolites beyond MK. The current applications of RYR in functional foods, dietary supplements, and traditional fermented products are detailed, alongside a comparison of the divergent regulatory frameworks for RYR across major global markets. Finally, we identify critical bottlenecks restricting RYR industrialization, including extreme inter-product heterogeneity and global regulatory fragmentation, and propose evidence-based future research directions to facilitate the development of safe, standardized, and effective RYR-based health foods. Full article

Trichothecene mycotoxins, especially T-2 toxin, represent a significant threat to food safety and public health. Although the enzymatic degradation of deoxynivalenol has been extensively investigated, there are few reports of enzymes capable of efficiently degrading T-2 toxin. This study identified that the aldo-keto reductase AKR13B3 from Devosia A6-243 exhibits 3-keto-DON-degrading and a little T-2 toxin-degrading activity. To address this limitation, a rational design strategy targeting the substrate-binding pocket was employed to enhance its activity. Utilizing site-directed and combinatorial mutagenesis, a double mutant R134F/D217A was successfully screened. R134F/D217A retains catalytic activity towards 3-keto-DON while significantly enhancing its catalytic capacity for T-2. Specifically, the R134F/D217A variant exhibited a 2.88-fold increase in catalytic activity and a 3.15-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) relative to the wild type enzyme. Notably, a substantial improvement in thermal stability was also observed. After incubation at 55 °C, the residual activity of the R134F/D217A mutant was 2.63 times that of the wild type. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and three-dimensional structural modeling suggested the mechanistic basis for the enhanced performance of the R134F/D217A double mutant. Catalytic enhancement stems from a shortened nucleophilic attack distance, a positively biased electrostatic environment, combined with an enlarged pocket and reduced binding free energy. Concurrently, the increased thermal stability results from decreased flexibility and a more rigid structural architecture. This work presents the first report of AKR13B3 as an effective enzyme for T-2 toxin transformation, and its catalytic activity was significantly enhanced through rational design. Thus, a novel enzymatic strategy was proposed, and could inform future approaches to study issues related to T-2 toxin contamination. Full article