Virology, Emerging Diseases & vaccines

Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are a kind of pharmacologically active mold metabolites produced in a strain-specific way. Mycotoxins can also be outlined as secondary metabolites produced by a wide variety of organisms categorized as fungi, including mushrooms, yeasts and molds. Probably, mycotoxins have no biochemical significance on fungal growth; they may have developed to cater a defense system against insects, microorganisms, nematodes, animals and humans. Mycoses are the best-known diseases of fungal diagnosis, but toxic secondary metabolites produced by saprophytic species are also an important health risk. The term mycotoxin is an artificial practice used to describe pharmacologically active mold metabolites defined by vertebrate toxicity. Mycotoxins usually enter the body via ingestion of contaminated foods, but retention of toxigenic spores and direct dermal contact are also important routes.