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Aflatoxins: Background, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology

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Foodborne Diseases

Part of the book series: Infectious Disease ((ID))

Abstract

Mycotoxins are mold poisons; aflatoxins are the best known and most widely studied mycotoxins. The contamination of foods and feeds with aflatoxin can have serious consequences for human and animal health. In general, aflatoxin exposure is most likely to occur in the developing countries where food handling and storage processes are suboptimal, where malnutrition is widespread, and where few regulations exist to protect the exposed populations. Depending on dose and other variables, aflatoxins can be mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressive. Fundamental studies on the genetics, biosynthesis and molecular biology of aflatoxin producing fungi may offer insights into controlling this serious agricultural problem.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

    J. W. Bennett

  2. Department of Biology, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA

    S. Kale

  3. Agricultural Research Service, Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA

    Juijiang Yu

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  1. J. W. Bennett
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  2. S. Kale
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  3. Juijiang Yu
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD

    Shabbir Simjee PhD

  2. Elanco Animal Health, Eli Lilly and Company, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK

    Shabbir Simjee PhD

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Bennett, J.W., Kale, S., Yu, J. (2007). Aflatoxins: Background, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology. In: Simjee, S. (eds) Foodborne Diseases. Infectious Disease. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-501-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-501-5_13

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