The Biosynthesis of Mycotoxins: A Study in Secondary Metabolism focuses on the biosynthetic analysis of mycotoxins, which are inherently a heterogeneous group of metabolites that are formed along the terpene route and the route polyketide, as well as from amino acids. This book discusses the unique biological properties and structural complexity of the highly specialized secondary microbial metabolites. Organized into 12 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the characteristics of secondary metabolites, including their problematic function and the combination of their structural diversity with their restricted biological occurrence. This text then explains the sporadic occurrence of the mycotoxins as fungal metabolites. Other chapters explore ergochromes, which are a group of light yellow mycotoxins that are isolated from ergot, mold fungi, and lichens. The final chapter discusses the biosynthesis of several unrelated fungal metabolites for which toxicological data are reported. Biochemists, organic chemists, mycologists, enzymologists, plant pathologists, toxicologists, and graduate students will find this book useful.

Mycotoxins are made by different biosynthetic pathways, and they have an extremely wide range of pharmacological effects. This book will update readers on several cutting-edge aspects of mycotoxin research, including topics such as: new analytical methods for detection; the adoption of an ancient Mexican process for detoxification of aflatoxins; mycotoxin management in Ireland, Lithuania and South America; mycotoxin reduction through plant breeding and integrated management practices; and natural aflatoxin inhibitors from medicinal plants. Further contributions examine ochratoxins, selected trichothecenes, zearalenone, and aflatoxin-like gene clusters, as well as sclerotial development in Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Of particular interest are the chapters on the potential use of mycotoxins as bioweapons. This book will stimulate new thinking on the need to develop therapeutic as well as preventative interventions to reduce the toxicological threat of mycotoxins.

The biological activity of mycotoxins ranges from weak and/or sometimes positive effects, such as antibacterial activity (see penicillin derivatives derived from Penicillium strains) to strong mutagenic (e. g. aflatoxins, patulin), carcinogenic (e. g. aflatoxins), teratogenic, neurotoxic (e. g. ochratoxins), nephrotoxic (e. g. fumonisins, citrinin), hepatotoxic, and immunotoxic (e. g. ochratoxins, diketopiperazines) activity. Nowadays, many laboratories around the world are specialized in the detection of mycotoxins in food products and contaminated material found in housing. In this volume, a focus on the most important classes of mycotoxins is provided and their chemistry of the last ten years is discussed. In each Section, the individual biological impact is outlined. Sections are arranged according to mycotoxin classes (e. g. aflatoxins) and/or structural classes (e. g. resorcinyl lactones, diketopiperazines). The biology of mycotoxins is also described.

This new book presents the most important data relating to mycotoxins giving basic information on their taxonomic classification, production and biosynthetic pathways, physical and chemical properties, biological effects and biochemical modes of action as well as the threat they pose to animal and human health. The first six chapters present general discussions involving toxigenic fungi and their toxins, the chief biosynthetic pathways of mycotoxins, their biological activities, modes of action, structure-activity relationships, and environmental aspects of mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses. More than 200 individual mycotoxins are then described in detail in the remaining twelve chapters. Extensive tables and indexes as well as a full bibliography for each chapter make this an invaluable reference text. The book is written for students and researchers in the fields of microbiology, mycology, biochemistry, chemistry of natural products, toxicology, pharmacology, human and veterinary medicine, food and agriculture, and environmental sciences.

Researchers have made great progress in the mechanism of mycotoxins biosynthesis, pathogenicity, and the construction of detection methods. This collection holds fundamental and applied research on pathogenic fungi and mycotoxins in China, which directly or indirectly affect the health of plants, animals, and humans. Some papers mainly study the mechanism of mycotoxin biosynthesis, including the crucial genes, environmental factors, and regulation mechanisms, which is beneficial to advancing our knowledge of this area. Some papers focus on the toxicity of mycotoxins, which is helpful to the detoxification of mycotoxins and the reduction of the hazardous effect of mycotoxins. Special attention is given to the leading detection methods, especially on-site rapid detection. These effective and feasible methods are important for discovering and controlling the risk of mycotoxins.

This reference is a "must-read": It explains how an effective and economically viable enzymatic process in industry is developed and presents numerous successful examples which underline the efficiency of biocatalysis.

Also included is a thorough review of the molecular genetics of both trichothecene and fumonisin biosynthesis, presenting more than 15 years of molecular biological research in an accessible form. Part one then reviews the natural occurrence and toxicity of agriculturally important mycotoxins, with historical case studies of suspected mycotoxicoses in humans and animals. These chapters also contain updates on the molecular genetics of additional mycotoxins and the importance of mycotoxins in plant diseases. This useful reference presents concise descriptions of mycotoxin-producing Fusarium species, as defined by the most recent concepts of fungal species biology and evolution. Each species' report includes a risk assessment based on its mycotoxin profile, occurrence in food and feed crops, and association with human and animal mycotoxicoses. Data on species distribution, mycotoxin profiles, and animal toxicity facilitate risk assessment for food and feed safety.

Microbial Toxins: A Comprehensive Treatise, Volume VIII, Fungal Toxins is devoted to topics related to algal and fungal toxins and includes critically reviewed articles from different experts in related fields. The text is divided into three sections. Section A covers coumarins — its isolation, identification, biological action, natural occurrence, and uses. Section B deals with the epizootiology, clinical characteristics, and pathological findings of Stachybotryotoxicosis. Section C talks about phytopathogenic and helminthosporium toxins, toxic peptides found in Amanita species as well as other mushroom toxins, compounds accumulating in plants after an infection, and ergot. The book is recommended for microbiologists and toxicologists, especially those who would like to know more about the toxins produced by algae and fungi and their effects.

The first book to cover this fast developing field, Masked Mycotoxins in Food will provide a full overview of the issues relating to the toxicology of masked mycotoxins present in food products. Mycotoxins are naturally occurring chemicals produced by moulds that can grow on crops and foodstuffs. Masked mycotoxins are modified mycotoxins, due to this modification many cannot be detected using standard analytical techniques, for example HPLC and ELISA, and further research is needed to understand the health risks and threats from these modified compounds.Masked mycotoxin research is an area of toxicological research that has gained significant interest and momentum in recent years. The aim of this book is to provide a full picture of the topic, from the masked mycotoxin formation in plants to their catabolic fate in humans. The book also provides new insights and will highlight possible gaps in the knowledge base of this relatively new area. Edited and written by World renowned experts working within the field, this book is of interest to toxicologists and biochemists, but also food scientists and agricultural researchers working in industry and academia.