Fungal Toxins

Almost all homes, apartments, and commercial buildings will experience leaks, flooding, or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some point. Not only is excessive dampness a health problem by itself, it also contributes to several other potentially problematic types of situations. Molds and other microbial agents favor damp indoor environments, and excess moisture may initiate the release of chemical emissions from damaged building materials and furnishings. This new book from the Institute of Medicine examines the health impact of exposures resulting from damp indoor environments and offers recommendations for public health interventions. Damp Indoor Spaces and Health covers a broad range of topics. The book not only examines the relationship between damp or moldy indoor environments and adverse health outcomes but also discusses how and where buildings get wet, how dampness influences microbial growth and chemical emissions, ways to prevent and remediate dampness, and elements of a public health response to the issues. A comprehensive literature review finds sufficient evidence of an association between damp indoor environments and some upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, wheezing, and asthma symptoms in sensitized persons. This important book will be of interest to a wide-ranging audience of science, health, engineering, and building professionals, government officials, and members of the public.

Microbial Toxins, Volume VII: Algal and Fungal Toxins reviews research and investigations on algal and fungal toxins. This book discusses the distribution of poisonous dinoflagellates; pharmacology of blue-green algal toxins; control of Prymnesium and detection of toxin in nature; and F-2 (zearalenone) estrogenic mycotoxin from Fusarium. The effect of Fusarium toxins in animals; mycotoxins produced by Fusarium tricinctum NRRL 3249; and mold growth and production and isolation of trichothecenes are also elaborated. This publication likewise covers the chemistry of scirpene toxic substances of Fusarium nivale; isolation of salivation factor; and mammalian toxicity of epidithiadioxopiperazines. This volume is a useful reference for scientists and graduate students in various disciplines —microbiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, epidemiology, oncology, and related fields.

Mycotoxins are toxins produced by aerobic, microscopic fungus under special conditions of moisture and temperature. They colonize in a variety of foods from harvest to the grocer. Mycotoxins have gained world wide interest in recent years with the revelation of the effect of these toxins on health. A current example is the presence of ochratoxin A, a human carcinogen and nephrotoxin, in wines. The increased concern about fruit safety has led to increased studies throughout the world and enhanced awareness for stringent regulations governing mycotoxin limits in food. Presented in three defined sections, this is the first book to provide comprehensive analysis of the main mycotoxins contaminating fruits and vegetables and their derived products. The first section provides a safety evaluation of mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables, details regarding factors affecting mycotoxin production and diffusion in the fruit tissue, and recent methods for detection of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins produced by the fungi. The second part takes a critical look at the main individual mycotoxins and the third section focuses on approaches for prevention and control. * The first book dedicated to mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables * Presents mycological, mycotoxicological and phytopathological aspects of fruits and vegetables * Includes an analysis of detection, prevention and control methods for mycotoxigenic fungi and the mycotoxins they produce * Provides a complete risk assessment and safety evaluation of mycotoxins in perishable produce

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.

Microbial Toxins, Volume VI: Fungal Toxins covers information on the evaluation of the chemical, biological, and biomedical aspects of the fungal toxins. The book discusses the historical structure chemistry, production, analysis, detoxification, biosynthesis, pharmacology, toxicology, and molecular biochemistry of aflatoxins and related compounds. The text also describes the isolation, analysis, production, chemistry, biological effects, and biogenesis of the ochratoxins, as well as the bioproduction, biosynthesis, and chemical properties of misclellaneous Aspergillus toxins. Various species of storage fungi, including yellowed rice toxins, luteoskyrin and related compounds, chlorine-containing compounds, citrinin, and citreoviridin are also considered. The book further tackles the physical and chemical properties and the biological activity of the rubratoxins; the biosynthesis and biochemical effects of patulin, penicillic acid, and other carcinogenic lactones; as well as the structure, production, biosynthesis, and biological effects of cyclopiazonic acid and related toxins. The text also encompasses bioproduction, properties, chemical structure, and biological activity of miscellaneous Penicillium toxins. Microbiologists, biochemists, epidemiologists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, medical students and people involved in other related fields will find the book useful.

Mycotoxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins” is a manual designed to aid the guidelines and techniques applied in mycological laboratory and in the other allied fields. This handbook is based on research conducted by many renowned scientists on fungi and related mycotoxins, and the practical approach to the isolation and identification of toxigenic strains of fungi as well as their related fungal toxins, called as Mycotoxins, commonly met on stored food and other materials. Students hopefully will find the information on important fungi particularly related to storage and field conditions and secondary metabolites produced during the growth of fungi on food and other substrates. Reports of many esearchers, scientists, and books from all over globe indicate direct relation between the incidence of mycotoxigenic fungi, extent of mycotoxin contamination and their prevalence revealed their relation to some of the human ailments. Most of the mycotoxins mainly aflatoxins, ochratoxins A and fumonisins are posing serious health hazards in Asian countries. In the context of Indian climatic conditions, need of assessing and preparation of a comprehensive account related to consumption of contaminated food and feed is essential in order to highlight the problems and their health hazards due to mycotoxins. Present attempt is made to provide recent developments in the subject so that researchers interested may get clear understanding of the problems. This Handbook deals with general aspects of mycological techniques, mycotoxins covering detailed information of mycotoxigenic fungi and their identification.

All relevant toxin producing fungi, their natural occurence, the possible mycotoxicosis, further the biochemical and physiological effects of mycotoxins, their chemical data and toxicity are treated here comprehensively. For each fungi, reference is given to the food at risk. All foods which have been reported to be contaminated with mycotoxins are listed, including data on the degree of contamination, the concentration of the toxins and the country of origin and/or detection of the contaminated food.

Handbook of Toxic Fungal Metabolites presents UV, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectra for identification of known mycotoxins or related metabolites by both chemists and researchers. The handbook is oriented primarily toward fungal metabolites that elicit a toxic response in vertebrate animals. It also contains metabolites that show little or no known acute toxicity. The handbook is divided into 21 sections. Mycotoxin and fungal metabolite members are considered into each section based on their chemical relationships, except for the last four groups, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and miscellaneous toxins. The final section focuses on miscellaneous toxins that could not be classified under the considered categories, namely slaframine, diplodiatoxin, and roseotoxin B. This handbook is of great value to mycotoxicologists, and food and feed researchers.