Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Some mold produce mycotoxins, chemical components of their cell walls, that can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. "Toxic mold" refers to mold which produce mycotoxins, such as Stachybotrys chartarum. [7] [dubious – discuss] Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological disorders and death [citation needed ...
A mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης mykes, "fungus" and τοξικός toxikos, "poisonous") [1] [2] is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by fungi [3] [4] and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals.
Mycotoxicology is the branch of mycology that focuses on analyzing and studying the toxins produced by fungi, known as mycotoxins. [1] In the food industry it is important to adopt measures that keep mycotoxin levels as low as practicable, especially those that are heat-stable.
Mycotoxins may or may not be produced by the invading mold. Dermatophytes are the parasitic fungi that cause skin infections such as athlete's foot and tinea cruris. Most dermatophyte fungi take the form of mold, as opposed to a yeast, with an appearance (when cultured) that is similar to other molds.
Aspergillus versicolor is a slow-growing species of filamentous fungus commonly found in damp indoor environments and on food products. [1] [2] It has a characteristic musty odor associated with moldy homes and is a major producer of the hepatotoxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin sterigmatocystin.
According to the USDA, "They are probably the best known and most intensively researched mycotoxins in the world." [1] The fungi grow in soil, decaying vegetation and various staple foodstuffs and commodities such as hay, maize, peanuts, coffee, wheat, millet, sorghum, cassava, rice, chili peppers, cottonseed, tree nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower ...
Pathogenic fungi are fungi that cause disease in humans or other organisms. Although fungi are eukaryotic , many pathogenic fungi are microorganisms . [ 1 ] Approximately 300 fungi are known to be pathogenic to humans; [ 2 ] their study is called " medical mycology ".
They can come from fungi growing on the grain as it grows, or after harvest during storage. Mycoestrogens can be found in silage . [ 13 ] Some estimates state that 25% of global cereal production and 20% of global plant production may be at some point contaminated by mycotoxins of which mycoestrogens, especially those from fusarium strains, may ...