Mycotoxins: Properties, Applications & Hazards

A mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom, commonly known as moulds. Agricultural products, particularly a wide variety of grains, in the field as well as during storage, are the main source of mycotoxin production in the food chain. Contact with mycotoxins can produce acute and chronic effects which span from serious injurious effects on the central nervous, pulmonary and cardiovascular systems to death. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of the properties, applications and hazards of mycotoxins including: the impact of deoxynivalenol on human cells; electroanalytical properties of mycotoxins and their determinations in the agroalimentary system; the chemistry and biology of myctotoxins from rice false smut pathogen and the quecher method for the extraction of trichothecenes in coffee and spices.