Mycotoxins induce adverse effects in humans and other vertebrate animals. Their production is determined by ecological and environmental factors (temperature, humidity and substrate water activity). The preponderance of specialized fungi in particular niches determines the type and range of...

This chapter enumerates some of the plants as well poisonous weeds known to cause diseases in cattle and presents the clinical aspects and ways to diagnose these diseases.

This chapter discusses the different classes of mycotoxins (i.e., aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, ergot alkaloids, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone), their formation and important toxic effects, as well as related regulatory legislation for their control in food products.

This chapter discusses the problems associated with the contamination of feeds with mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, cyclopiazonic acid, sterigmatocystin, citrinin, fumonisins, ochratoxins, oosporein, T-2 toxin, vomitoxin and zearalenone. The occurrence and impact of aflatoxicosis in the health and...

Mycotoxins, natural toxic metabolites of fungi produced under favorable conditions on a wide range of foods and feeds are a world-wide problem. The five most important groups of mycotoxins are aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol. The weather conditions in most West...

The five most important naturally occurring mycotoxins in human foods and animal feeds are aflatoxin, ochratoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisin. Risk assessment is used to manage the risk from mycotoxins to protect human and animal health. Conventional risk assessment has two major...

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union (EU) regulatory framework for feed and food safety legislation and the relevant decision-making process with particular emphasis on mycotoxins. Principles and objectives of the "General Food Law" of the EU are reported and details ...

Mycotoxin contamination of food systems is a major problem in many countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Most diets in the region are maize based, but cassava, sorghum, millet and peanuts also are important. These food systems are susceptible to aflatoxins, fumonisin B₁, zearalenone and...

We developed a multiplex PCR for the identification of the most frequently occurring species of Fusarium on wheat in Western Europe. Surveys suggest that Fusarium graminearum has replaced Fusarium culmorum as the dominant species on winter wheat in the Netherlands during the 1990s. Quantitative PCR ...

Ear-rot-causing fungi, including Aspergillus and Fusarium spp., are common in maize in West and Central Africa. These fungi contaminate maize with mycotoxins that pose serious potential health hazards to humans in these areas. A collaborative germplasm screening project was initiated between the...