Mycotoxin Contamination of Foodstuffs and Feedstuffs in Iran

Mycotoxins are organic and complex secondary metabolites produced by various fungi species. Aflatoxins (AF), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FM), zearalenone (ZEN) and patulin (PTN) are among the most important mycotoxins. They can contaminate human foods and animal feeds through fungal growth prior to and during harvest, or as result of improper storage. Mycotoxins are mainly produced by fungal genera including Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Claviceps and Alternaria under proper conditions (1). Major food commodities affected are cereals, nuts, dried fruits, coffee, cocoa, spices, oil seeds, dried peas and beans and fruits, particularly apples (2). There are a number of dimensions to the problems caused by mycotoxins.The first of these relates to their implications for both human and animal health. Mycotoxicosis is mainly acquired through ingestion of contaminated moldy food. Mycotoxins can induce a wide range of effects in animals such as immunosuppression, myelosuppresion, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, dermatotoxicity, estrogenicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. Even though mycotoxicoses, like ergotism, have been known for more than a thousand years, the causal relationship between exposure and human diseases remains controversial. Experimental and epidemiological evidences suggest that certain mycotoxins are associated with different forms of human cancer. For certain types of mycotoxins, high doses can result in acute intoxication, and can be either sublethal or lethal, with numerous symptoms, including various organ pathologies or even cancer (1). Due to possible health risks to the consumers, many countries have set regulatory limits on the permissible levels of different mycotoxins in foods and feeds (3). Mycotoxins also have a significant impact on economics, by causing losses in farm animals or giving rise to difficulties in their management, or by rendering commodities unacceptable for national or international trade (4). In this article, contamination of Iranian foods and feeds with mycotoxins using published data are reviewed. Papers retrieved through searching databases including Entrez Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Chemical Abstract and IranDoc from 1960-2005.