Deoxynivalenol and its toxicity

Abstract

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of several mycotoxins produced by certain Fusarium species that frequently infect corn, wheat, oats, barley, rice, and other grains in the field or during storage. The exposure risk to human is directly through foods of plant origin (cereal grains) or indirectly through foods of animal origin (kidney, liver, milk, eggs). It has been detected in buckwheat, popcorn, sorgum, triticale, and other food products including flour, bread, breakfast cereals, noodles, infant foods, pancakes, malt and beer. DON affects animal and human health causing acute temporary nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, and fever. This review briefly summarizes toxicities of this mycotoxin as well as effects on reproduction and their antagonistic and synergic actions.

Keywords: Deoxynivalenol (DON); Fusarium; grain; mycotoxin; toxicity.

Figure 1

Chemical structure of deoxynivalenol (DON).

Figure 2

Scheme of the possible way of deoynivalenol detoxification. The first and one the most important pathways using for detoxifying of DON is cytochrome P450, which serves to catalyze the oxidation of organic substances. This pathway, however, can cause that free hydroxyl groups of DON can be cleaved and DON-radical can be more dangerous. The DON-radical can be scavenged by enzymatic (glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, superoxide dismutase) or non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione (GSH), metallothionein (MT) and vitamins) ways. Nevertheless, cytochrome P450 can be followed phase II, in which glutathione-S-transferase can form conjugate with GSH and DON, which results in detoxification of the xenobiotic.