Mycotoxins are the metabolites of fungus and are reported to contaminate nearly 25% of the food produced worldwide. The mycotoxins of most significance are the aflatoxins due to their severe health implications and their prevalence in food commodities on a larger scale. Aflatoxins are produced by certain species of fungi the most prominent among which are Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nominous. Food commodities of African and South Asian countries are especially reported to have aflatoxins well beyond the allowable limits but due to the global trade of food commodities developed countries are also prone towards the perils of aflatoxins. Moreover, climate changes may have a substantial impact on the distribution and global prevalence of aflatoxins in the near future. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified the aflatoxins as group 1 category carcinogen. Aflatoxins are also reported as teratogenic, mutagenic, growth retardant, immunosuppressant and may also cause nervous system and reproductive system disorders. Preventive approaches involving good manufacturing from “farm to fork” are the major focus of the current food industry. The aim of our book is to provide readers with the most recent data and up-to-date studies from aflatoxins research, with specific focuses on (i) the impact of aflatoxins on human health, (ii) new approaches by the researchers from different parts of the world to degrade aflatoxins and (iii) potential preventive approaches that can significantly lessen the burden of aflatoxins in food products

Mycotoxins, from the Greek "mukes" referring to fungi or slime molds and toxin from the Latin "toxicum" referencing a poison for arrows, have earned their reputation for being potentially deleterious to the health and well being of a consuming organism, whether it be animal or human. Unfortunately, mycotoxins are a ubiquitous factor in the natural life cycle of food producing plants. As such, control of the potential impact of mycotoxins on food safety relies heavily upon accurate analysis and surveys followed by commodity segregation and restricted use or decontamination through processing. The purpose of this book is to provide the most comprehensive and current information on the topic of mycotoxins and assuring food safety. Chapters represented in the book reflect such diverse topics ranging from occurrence and impact, analysis, reduction through processing and plant breeding, toxicology and safety assessments to regulatory perspectives. Authors represent a range of international perspectives.

Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic and carcinogenic substances, which occur naturally, and can be found in food substances. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of certain strains of the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus and the less common A. nomius. Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 are the most important members, which can be categorized into two groups according to the chemical structure. As a result of the adverse health effects of mycotoxins, their levels have been strictly regulated especially in food and feed samples. Therefore, their accurate identification and determination remain a Herculean task due to their presence in complex food matrices. The great public concern and the strict legislation incited the development of reliable, specific, selective, and sensitive analytical methods for pesticide monitoring that are discussed in this book.

This book provides an evaluation of measures to reduce exposure to highly toxic and carcinogenic contaminants in staple diets in Africa as well as parts of Asia and Latin America. Many of the poorest people in these regions are exposed to the pervasive natural toxins, aflatoxins and fumonisins, on a daily basis by eating their staple diet of groundnuts, maize, and other cereals. Exposure to mycotoxins at these high levels substantially increases mortality and morbidity. Aflatoxins are a cause of human liver cancer, and fatalities from acute aflatoxin poisoning outbreaks occur in Africa and Asia. The International Agency for Research on Cancer convened a Working Group of world-leading experts to review the health effects of aflatoxins and fumonisins and to evaluate intervention measures. The panel concluded that these mycotoxins not only are a cause of acute poisoning and cancer but also are a likely contributor to the high levels of stunting in children in affected populations. The Working Group also identified effective measures to reduce exposure in developing countries. The panel evaluated 15 interventions, considering the strength of the evidence as well as its completeness and its transferability at an individual, community, or national level. Four of the interventions were judged to be ready for implementation: improvement of dietary diversity; crop sorting; post-harvest measures, including improved storage; and, in Latin America for maize, optimized nixtamalization. These recommendations would be relevant for investment of public, nongovernmental organization, and private funds at the scale of the subsistence farmer, the smallholder, and through to a more advanced value chain.

Aflatoxins - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a book that has been thought to present the most significant advances in these disciplines focused on the knowledge of such toxins. All authors, who supported the excellent work showed in every chapter of this book, are placed at the frontier of knowledge on this subject, thus, this book will be obligated reference to issue upon its publication. Finally, this book has been published in an attempt to present a written forum for researchers and teachers interested in the subject, having a current picture in this field of research about these interesting and intriguing toxins.

This book is broadly divided into five sections and 17 chapters, highlighting recent advances in aflatoxin research from epidemiology to molecular genomics and control measures, biocontrol approaches, modern analytical techniques, economic concerns and underlying mechanisms of contamination processes. This book will update readers on several cutting-edge aspects of aflatoxins research with useful up-to-date information for mycologists, toxicologists, microbiologists, agriculture scientists, plant pathologists and pharmacologists, who may be interest to understanding of the impact, significance and recent advances within the field of of aflatoxins with a focus on control strategy.

This book is an outcome of the MycoGlobe conference in Accra. Most of the chapters are based on invited oral presentations made at the conference. The chapters in this book touch on issues including health, trade, ecology, epidemiology, occurrence, detection, management, awareness and policy. This book serves as a source of information on the occurrence and impact of mycotoxins on everything from trade and health to agricultural production in addition to suggesting opportunities for their management in Africa and elsewhere by researchers, policy makers and development investors.

This book consists of 11 chapters, divided into four parts. The chapters are written by experts in the field of aflatoxins. Select topics are presented here to provide a snapshot of current understanding of the occurrence and metabolism of aflatoxin B1, the contamination, exposure, and detection of aflatoxin B1, and the toxicological effects and detoxification of aflatoxin. The book is intended for students and scientists working in the field of aflatoxins.

Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic and carcinogenic substances that occur naturally and can be found in food substances. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of certain strains of fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus as well as the less common Aspergillus nomius. Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 are the most important members, which can be categorized into two groups according to chemical structure. As a result of the adverse health effects of mycotoxins, their levels have been strictly regulated, especially in food and feed samples. Therefore, their accurate identification and determination remain a herculean task due to their presence in the complex food matrix. The great public concern and the strict legislation incited the development of sensitive analytical methods that are discussed in this book.

This book provides information on the incidence of fungi and mycotoxins in some African countries, the health implications and possible intervention control strategies for mycotoxins in developing countries and in Africa in particular. It will therefore be of interest to students, educators, researchers and policy makers in the fields of medicine, agriculture, food science and technology, trade and economics. Food regulatory officers also have quite a lot to learn from the book. Although a lot of the generated data in the area of mycotoxicology are available to the developed world, information on the subject area from Africa is scanty and not usually available in a comprehensive form. This book attempts to address the gap. Being an open access book, it will be of great benefit to scientists in developing countries who have limited access to information due to lack of funds to pay or subscribe for high quality journals and data from commercial publishing and database companies.