Mycotoxins are secondary metabolic products of fungi. They have a very broad spectrum of action, which is the result of their diversity. The ingestion of fungal toxins through food causes intoxications, known as mycotoxicoses. The most significant genera of fungi that produce mycotoxins are: Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Claviceps. In addition to these genera, it has been determined that there are more than a hundred other genera capable of producing mycotoxins. To date, more than 400 different mycotoxins have been chemically identified. Mycotoxins primarily exhibit general toxicity to cells, however, some mycotoxins show affinity for certain cells, specifically cells of certain organs, such as the kidneys, liver, heart, nervous, and hematopoietic tissues. The toxicity of mycotoxins depends on many factors, primarily the type and amount of mycotoxins in food, the duration of exposure, the method of toxin intake, and the general health status of the organism. This paper will focus on the following three mycotoxins: aflatoxins, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol (DON).
Laćarac et al. (Mon,) studied this question.