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Review
. 2022 Jun 2;14(6):386.
doi: 10.3390/toxins14060386.

Research Progress of Safety of Zearalenone: A Review

Xiao Han  1 , Bingxin Huangfu  1 , Tongxiao Xu  1 , Wentao Xu  2   3 , Charles Asakiya  1   3 , Kunlun Huang  1   2 , Xiaoyun He  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Research Progress of Safety of Zearalenone: A Review

Xiao Han et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

Zearalenone, a mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium, widely exists in animal feed and human food. The structure of zearalenone is similar to estrogen, so it mainly has estrogenic effects on various organisms. Products contaminated with zearalenone can pose risks to animals and humans. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out toxicological research on zearalenone and evaluate its risk to human health. This paper briefly introduces the production, physical, and chemical properties of zearalenone and the research progress of its toxicity kinetics, focusing on its genetic toxicity, reproductive toxicity, hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, endocrine interference, and its impact on intestinal health. Finally, the progress of the risk assessment of human exposure is summarized to provide a reference for the follow-up study of zearalenone.

Keywords: endocrine interference; intestinal health; mycotoxin; risk assessment; toxicity; zearalenone.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure formulas. (A) ZEA, (B) α-ZOL, (C) β-ZOL, (D) 17-β-estradiol.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The metabolism and reabsorption of ZEA (created with Biorender.com accessed on 21 March 2022).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Toxicity of ZEA (created with Biorender.com accessed on 21 March 2022).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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