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Review
. 2021 May 2:8:1008-1030.
doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.04.013. eCollection 2021.

Aspergillus derived mycotoxins in food and the environment: Prevalence, detection, and toxicity

Vishwambar Navale  1   2 , Koteswara Rao Vamkudoth  1   2 , Shanthipriya Ajmera  3 , Vaibhavi Dhuri  1
Affiliations
Review

Aspergillus derived mycotoxins in food and the environment: Prevalence, detection, and toxicity

Vishwambar Navale et al. Toxicol Rep. .

Abstract

Aspergillus species are the paramount ubiquitous fungi that contaminate various food substrates and produce biochemicals known as mycotoxins. Aflatoxins (AFTs), ochratoxin A (OTA), patulin (PAT), citrinin (CIT), aflatrem (AT), secalonic acids (SA), cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), terrein (TR), sterigmatocystin (ST) and gliotoxin (GT), and other toxins produced by species of Aspergillus plays a major role in food and human health. Mycotoxins exhibited wide range of toxicity to the humans and animal models even at nanomolar (nM) concentration. Consumption of detrimental mycotoxins adulterated foodstuffs affects human and animal health even trace amounts. Bioaerosols consisting of spores and hyphal fragments are active elicitors of bronchial irritation and allergy, and challenging to the public health. Aspergillus is the furthermost predominant environmental contaminant unswervingly defile lives with a 40-90 % mortality risk in patients with conceded immunity. Genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics approaches useful for mycotoxins' detection which are expensive. Antibody based detection of toxins chemotypes may result in cross-reactivity and uncertainty. Aptamers (APT) are single stranded DNA (ssDNA/RNA), are specifically binds to the target molecules can be generated by systematic evolution of ligands through exponential enrichment (SELEX). APT are fast, sensitive, simple, in-expensive, and field-deployable rapid point of care (POC) detection of toxins, and a better alternative to antibodies.

Keywords: Aptamers; Aspergillus species; Environment; Foodstuffs; Mycotoxins; OMICS; Point of care (PoC).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Aspergillus-derived mycotoxin contamination in food and the environment and its effects on humans, animals, and plants.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Biosynthetic gene cluster A, and the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway (B) gene cluster in Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus [198].
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Proposed biosynthesis scheme for aflatrem biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus [70].
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Hypothetical OTA biosynthetic pathway [72].
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Biosynthesis of citrinin (CIT) in Aspergillus and Penicillium is indicated by the dashed arrow and red pigment in M. ruber [304].
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Scheme of patulin biosynthetic pathways [303].
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Terrein biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus terreus [184].
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Gliotoxin (GT) biosynthetic gene cluster of Aspergillus fumigatus [193].
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Biosynthesis of sterigmatocystin (STC) and, depending on the fungal species, further to aflatoxins [196].
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Cyclopiazonic acid biosynthetic enzymes (CpaS, CpaD and CpaO) and their role tailor intermediates cyclo-acetayl -L-tryptophan (cAATrp) and B-CPA to afford ((alpha-CPA).
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Biosynthetic gene cluster identified in Aspergillus species including two CPA producers and non-producers [226].
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Development of novel ssDNA aptamer-based bio-sensing platforms for biothreat fungal toxins in food and feed chain using nano-biotechnology approaches. Modified from Front Pharmacol. 2018; 9: 271. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00271 [305].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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