VOL. 3, NO. 7, July 2013 ISSN 2225-7217 ARPN Journal of Science and Technology ©2011-2012. All rights reserved. http://www.ejournalofscience.org 687 Mycotoxins: Toxigenic Fungal Compounds – A Review 1 Mohammed Sani Sambo Datsugwai, 2 Bala Ezekiel, 3 Yunusa Audu, 4 Muhammad Isah Legbo, 5 Yakubu Azeh, 6 Muhammad Ramatu Gogo 1,2,4,6 Deparment of Microbiology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria 5 Department of Chemistry, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria. ABSTRACT The toxigenic fungal compounds called mycotoxin are poisonous substances produced by different species of fungus. Basically three major genera of fungus are identified to produce mycotoxins: they include Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillum. Although other genera also produces these toxigenic compounds. The presence of mytotoxins in food poses health risk ranging from mild to severe damage to the liver and kidney. Chronic damage may be induced in animals or human after ingestion of small quantity of the toxin present in contaminated foods. For example Aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus, if ingested from contaminated food could pose serious and severe health risk to man and animals. Foods like rice, corn, barley, wheat, sorghum, peanut, cotton seeds, soya bean, silages and by products feeds which have been mishandled are the major sources of mycotoxins. Different species of fungus produce different types of mycotoxins. The disease caused by ingestion of mycotoxins is called mycotoxicosis. Mycotoxin contamination of foods could be prevented by controlling the environmental condition that influence fungal growth, which is by controlling the physical conditions of the grains, cleaning the storage systems regularly and by the use of mold inhibitors and anti cracking additives. The control of the toxigenic compounds could also be by removing the suspected feed contaminated with mycotoxins or by addition of toxin binder to the ration of the feed. Keywords: fungus, mycotoxins, severe, chronic, mycotoxicosis 1. INTRODUCTION “Myco” means fungus “Toxin” means poison [3].Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolite of low molecular weight produced by naturally occurring fungi [5]. Mycotoxins are neither infectious nor contagious, but can occur on a herd – wide basis [23]. Many fungi produce poisonous substances called mycotoxins that can cause acute or chronic intoxication and damage. Ingestion of poisonous mushrooms (e.g. Amanita phallides) may cause severe damage to the liver and the kidney. Chronic damage or neoplasms may be induced in animals or humans following ingestion of small quantities of toxin present in contaminated food (e.g. Aflatoxin from Aspergillus flavus). Derivative of fungal products (e.g. LSD) may cause profound metal derangement. [10] in contrast, some mycotoxins directly inhibit the growth of other microorganisms. To elaborate more on mycotoxins, the term mycotoxin literally means poison from a fungus. Mycotoxins are substances produced from fungal secondary metabolic processes, which impair animal health, thereby causing great economic loses of livestock through diseases. They are usually named on the basis of the fungus that produces them. For instance, Aflatoxin uses the A for Aspergillus, fla for the species flavus along with the word toxin [17]. There are three (3) major genera of fungi that produce mycotoxins: they include Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillum. Mycotoxin producing fungi grow on a wide spectrum of feed that include cereal grains, groundnuts, beans and peas. They can invade the food supply at any time during production, processing, transporting or storage. These organisms are aerobic and can both be pathogenic to plants or saprophytic with them. Several factors influence the degree of fungal growth plants products and the production levels of mycotoxins. These factors include: substrate characteristics, climate, physical interference and stress [17].Ambient temperature (12 - 47 o In general, mycotoxins are specifically associated with a particular feed and are not transmissible from organism to organisms (except when special circumstances are considered like milk production for later human consumption) and are usually not responsive to any kind of direct treatment. Some ruminant disease proven to be directly related to mycotoxins consumption are: facial eczema in New Zealand’s sheep, salivation factor I cattle, death of cattle from T-2 toxin, stachybotryotoxicosis in Eastern Europe’s sheep and goats, lupinosis in sheep in South Africa, and maltoryxine poisoning in cattle [1]. Among the most common mycotoxins implicated as health problems for ruminants C) and moisture levels of about >70% are optimal for proper fungal development and mycotoxin production. Other factors that might contribute to the growth of mycotoxin – producting fungi are insect and mechanical damage which destroy some of the plants physical barriers thereby allowing fungal colonization. Poor fertilization and drought can also cause some levels of stress in the plant which weaken the plant’s natural defense since fungal growth is often associated with a particular climatic event such as drought, outbreaks characteristically occur during seasonal weather. Mycotoxins affect specific tissues or organs depending on the particular toxin involved. Some affects the nervous system, some cause liver and kidney damages and others even cause vomiting in some species – clinical syndromes in farm animals range from acute death to chronic diseases, from reproductive deficiencies to just an overall debilitations.