food toxins

1. Dr. T.A.More
Assistant professor,
Community Medicine Dept,
D. Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur

2. Toxins
1: Aflatoxins
2: Ergot toxins
3: Endemic Ascites
4: Fusarium Toxins

3. Aflatoxins
 Aflatoxins are the mycotoxins, which is produced by certain
species of Aspergillus (A. flavus and A. parasiticus), which
develop at high temperatures and humidity levels.
 Aflatoxins are carcinogenic substances and may be present in
a large number of foods. This toxin can cause cancer,
cirrhosis of the liver.
 The latest report shows that 400 cases of aflatoxin per day
including 100 deaths from some districts in Rajasthan and
Gujarat.

4. Cont.…
 The most common commodities contaminated are tree nuts,
peanuts, maize, corn and cottonseed oil.
 Aflatoxin B1 and G1 are the most potent hepatotoxins, in
addition to being carcinogenic.
 It has also been detected samples of breast milk and urine
collected from children suffering from infantile cirrhosis.

5. Aspergillus flavus sporulating on a peanut
seed
A. flavus and A. niger on rotting peanuts
Peanuts and corn are contaminated with
Aspergillus
(Aflatoxin)
from NCSU Plant Pathology Extension

6. Prevention and
control
 Proper storage after drying of food grains.
 Moisture content should be kept below 10%.
 Contaminated food should not be consumed.
 Educate the local population on health hazard and
consuming contaminated food grains.

7. ERGOT TOXINS
 Ergo toxin is obtain from ergot (Claviceps purpurea)
 Unlike Aflatoxin Ergot toxin is a field fungus and not storage
fungus
 Food grains such as bajra, rice and wheat have tendency to get
infested during flowering stage by this fungus
 It grows as a blackish mass and the seeds become black and
irregular
 Easily seen as black growth on the grain kernels when enough
fungal growth is present.

8. Claviceps purpurea
(Ergot toxin)
 Infected rye grains
Ergot bodies
Black mass

9. Cont.…
• Highly molecule stable also heat stable.
• withstands long storage, withstands brewing processes
and withstands boiling.
• Symptoms
Acute: Flu like symptoms, seizures, mental confusion and
hallucinations (24-48 hrs).
 Chronic: limb paralysis, dry gangrene due to vasoconstriction
and can lead to death.

10. Prevention and control
• Ergot infested grains can be easily removed by floating
them in 20% salt water.
• Most wheat seed planted in the U.S are genetically
engineered to be resistant to this mould.
• Use substances to prevent the growth of moulds
ammonia, propionic acid, chlorine vapours, sorbic acid.

11. Endemic Ascites
 It is caused by weed seeds of crotalaria(jhunjhunia).
 Panicum miliare(Gondhli) which gets contaminated with these seeds.
 Jhunjhunia seeds found to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are
hepatotoxins.
Epidemiology
 The overall mortality is 40%.
 In 1973 and 1976 an outbreak of rapidly developing ascites and
jaundice was reported in Nagesia tribal.

12. Panicum Miliare
(causes Endemic ascites)
Panicum affecting crops
Panicum seeds
Ascites

13. Prevention and control
 Educating people in affected area about the disease.
 Seeds of Jhunjhunia are smaller than those of millet.
 Deweeding of jhunjhunia plants which grow along with staples
and simple sieving of millet (at household level).
Jhunjhunia Seeds Millet seeds

14. Fusarium Toxins
 Fusarium species of field fungi are known to contaminate
food crops like wheat, maize, Rice, under high moisture
condition during harvest.
 Problem of fusarium contamination of sorghum is believed
to be on the increase.
 Symptoms: Abdominal pain, Diarrhea, Vomiting, fever,
chills, myalgia, bone marrow depression leading to
granulocytopenia.

15. Fusarium toxin
affecting crops

16. Prevention And
Control
 Crop rotation and soil tillage are recommended to control
plant contamination with fusarium toxin.
 As the contamination by fusaria is most likely during the
crop flowering stage at the time of spore release, earlier
planting dates in temperate areas will often result in lower
contamination.
 Use of the crop varieties resistant to fusarium is another
strategy to control toxin production.