Mycotoxin Contamination of Maize in China

Abstract

China is a major cereal-producing country and almost one third of the annual cereal yield is maize. The maize plant and kernel are prone to infection by fungal attack and are most likely to be contaminated with mycotoxins under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, during both the growing and storage period. A number of investigations conducted in China have demonstrated that maize had been infected by fungi and contaminated with mycotoxins to varying degrees. Although most of the maize produced in China is used as feed and raw materials for the chemistry industry, a small amount of maize is consumed directly by humans and the hazards of mycotoxin to humans cannot be ignored. The state of mycotoxin contamination of maize in China is analyzed in this review. Due to unfavorable weather and poor storage conditions, the high incidences of mycotoxin contamination of maize are of great concern to the Chinese. It is imperative for the national and local governments to increase investments on building large-scale modern warehouses and instructing farmers to grow, harvest, and store maize safely. Meanwhile, due to accumulative toxic effects of mycotoxins, quality control should be enforced to guarantee that animal products are safe for human consumption.

Lactic Acid Bacteria as Antifungal and Anti‐Mycotoxigenic Agents: A Comprehensive Review

“…(Sobrova et al, 2010). Exposure to DON is also related to acute gastrointestinal disorder and inhibition of DNA and protein synthesis as a result of immune-suppression (Sun et al, 2017).…”

“…DON belongs to the trichothecene family (type B) of toxins, which is mainly produced in food and feed, particularly wheat. DON exposure is also related to acute gastrointestinal disorder and inhibition of DNA and protein synthesis, which leads to immune-suppression (Sun, Su, & Shan, 2017). The ingestion of DON also poses a great threat to human health through serious modulations in the composition of the human gut microflora, which affects normal host functions (Saint-Cyr, Perrin-Guyomard, Houee, Rolland, & Laurentie, 2013).…”

Protective Effect of N-Acetylcysteine against Oxidative Stress Induced by Zearalenone via Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway in SIEC02 Cells

“…ZEN is being increasingly recognized as a frequent contaminant in animal feeding, which has a significant effect on human and animal health [ 6 , 7 ]. According to a recent report, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and China are concerned about mycotoxin contamination in cereals, and they have renewed the maximum residue limits (MRLs) in food and feeds [ 8 ]. The MRLs in food is 350 µg/kg, 350 µg/kg, and 60 µg/kg, respectively.…”

“…The MRLs in food is 350 µg/kg, 350 µg/kg, and 60 µg/kg, respectively. EFSA and China also reiterated that the MRLs in feed is 2000 µg/kg and 500 µg/kg [ 8 ].…”

The Significance of Regulatory MicroRNAs: Their Roles in Toxicodynamics of Mycotoxins and in the Protection Offered by Dietary Therapeutics Against Mycotoxin‐Induced Toxicity

“…Mycotoxins are abiotic hazards that represent a worldwide threat to human health and welfare owing to their toxicity and occurrence in food and feed (Sun, Su, & Shan, ). They are a group of secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi (primarily Aspergillus, Pinicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria , and Claviceps ) (Steyn, ) that can grow on a variety of food crops or enter the food chain as contaminants throughout the preharvest, harvesting, and postharvest handling operations including storage and transportation (Magan & Aldred, ; Schollenberger et al., ).…”