scholarly journals Trichothecenes in Food and Feed, Relevance to Human and Animal Health and Methods of Detection: A Systematic Review

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 454
Author(s):  
Magdalena Polak-Śliwińska ◽  
Beata Paszczyk

Trichothecene mycotoxins are sesquiterpenoid compounds primarily produced by fungi in taxonomical genera such as Fusarium, Myrothecium, Stachybotrys, Trichothecium, and others, under specific climatic conditions on a worldwide basis. Fusarium mold is a major plant pathogen and produces a number of trichothecene mycotoxins including deoxynivalenol (or vomitoxin), nivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, and T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin. Monogastrics are sensitive to vomitoxin, while poultry and ruminants appear to be less sensitive to some trichothecenes through microbial metabolism of trichothecenes in the gastrointestinal tract. Trichothecene mycotoxins occur worldwide however both total concentrations and the particular mix of toxins present vary with environmental conditions. Proper agricultural practices such as avoiding late harvests, removing overwintered stubble from fields, and avoiding a corn/wheat rotation that favors Fusarium growth in residue can reduce trichothecene contamination of grains. Due to the vague nature of toxic effects attributed to low concentrations of trichothecenes, a solid link between low level exposure and a specific trichothecene is difficult to establish. Multiple factors, such as nutrition, management, and environmental conditions impact animal health and need to be evaluated with the knowledge of the mycotoxin and concentrations known to cause adverse health effects. Future research evaluating the impact of low-level exposure on livestock may clarify the potential impact on immunity. Trichothecenes are rapidly excreted from animals, and residues in edible tissues, milk, or eggs are likely negligible. In chronic exposures to trichothecenes, once the contaminated feed is removed and exposure stopped, animals generally have an excellent prognosis for recovery. This review shows the occurrence of trichothecenes in food and feed in 2011–2020 and their toxic effects and provides a summary of the discussions on the potential public health concerns specifically related to trichothecenes residues in foods associated with the exposure of farm animals to mycotoxin-contaminated feeds and impact to human health. Moreover, the article discusses the methods of their detection.

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Agathe Roucou ◽  
Christophe Bergez ◽  
Benoît Méléard ◽  
Béatrice Orlando

The levels of fumonisins (FUMO)—mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides—in maize for food and feed are subject to European Union regulations. Compliance with the regulations requires the targeting of, among others, the agroclimatic factors influencing fungal contamination and FUMO production. Arvalis-Institut du végétal has created a national, multiyear database for maize, based on field survey data collected since 2003. This database contains information about agricultural practices, climatic conditions and FUMO concentrations at harvest for 738 maize fields distributed throughout French maize-growing regions. A linear mixed model approach highlights the presence of borers and the use of a late variety, high temperatures in July and October, and a water deficit during the maize cycle as creating conditions favoring maize contamination with Fusarium verticillioides. It is thus possible to target a combination of risk factors, consisting of this climatic sequence associated with agricultural practices of interest. The effects of the various possible agroclimatic combinations can be compared, grouped and classified as promoting very low to high FUMO concentrations, possibly exceeding the regulatory threshold. These findings should facilitate the creation of a national, informative and easy-to-use prevention tool for producers and agricultural cooperatives to manage the sanitary quality of their harvest.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-67
Author(s):  
K. M. Kurbonov ◽  
E. G. Simonova ◽  
N. N. Filatov

The aim of this work was to study modern manifestations of seasonal brucellosis among the population of the Republic of Tajikistan. The materials and methods: of the study were the official statistics, as well as the results of previously performed studies on the risk assessment of the incidence in population. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of annual incidence rate for the period from 1997 to 2016 was conducted, depending on the most significant social and environmental risk factors. Results. The article shows the impact on the annual incidence rate of socio-economic transformations, including the privatization of collective livestock farms, accompanied by the massive movement of farm animals to private ownership, the loss of practice in animal breeding, and changes in environmental and climatic conditions. Against the background of the intensification of sheep breeding, there is a tendency in seasonality smoothing and shifting the maximum levels of population incidence of brucellosis to the spring season. Conclusion. The modern features of seasonal manifestation of brucellosis infection in the Republic of Tajikistan make it necessary to apply a differentiated approach to planning and conducting preventive measures in various areas of the country.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Gjerris ◽  
C. Gamborg ◽  
H. Röcklinsberg

Given a growing global human population and high pressures on resources, interest in insects as a source of protein for human food (entomophagy) and for animal feed is growing. So far, the main issues discussed have been the embedded technical challenges of scaling up the production. The use of insects as a major human food and feed source is thought to present two major challenges: (1) how to turn insects into safe, tasty socially acceptable feed and food; and (2) how to cheaply yet sustainably produce enough insects? Entomophagy, however, as any utilisation of animals and the rest of nature also entails ethical issues – both regarding the impact on human health, the environment and climate change and regarding production methods such as intensification and biotechnology. The aim of the paper is to give a systematic overview of ethical aspects embedded in the notion of utilising insects as protein providers in the Western food and feed production chains. We identify five areas where ethical questions are especially pertinent: environmental impact, human and animal health, human preferences and social acceptability, animal welfare and finally broader animal ethics issues. Especially the latter two are more scantly dealt with in the literature. This part of the review will therefore contain suggestions for ethical issues that should be examined closer.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3376
Author(s):  
Flavia Santamaria ◽  
Rolf Schlagloth ◽  
Rupert Palme ◽  
Joerg Henning

Faecal material can be a valuable source of information for a range of animal health aspects and can be used to measure faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs). FCM values can relate to physiological stress responses. However, freshly defecated pellets are not always available and environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, might affect faecal pellet consistency and FCM levels. Therefore, the impact of environmental conditions on FCMs needs to be evaluated. We collected 107 pellets from two female and two male koalas, exposed them to three types of treatments, and analysed FCMs in these samples with three enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). After analysis, the original FCM values were mathematically corrected for water loss. Results show that the FCMs were more stable when measured using tetrahydrocorticosterone (50c) and 5α-pregnane-3β,11β,21-triol-20-one (37e) EIAs, and were less stable when measured with the cortisol EIA. With 50c, the FCM values did not vary significantly over time either before or after the adjustment with water in the environment treatment group. For samples kept under constant low (25 °C) and high (35 °C) temperatures, the 50c FCM values did not vary significantly over time, after adjustments were made for water loss. Thus, this study highlights the importance of considering the suitability of faecal field samples for FCM analysis. Because water loss was the main driver of FCM changes, we strongly recommend collecting koala pellets that are freshly defecated, despite the effort and time it might take to collect such pellets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9706
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Voutzourakis ◽  
Alexandros Stefanakis ◽  
Sokratis Stergiadis ◽  
Leonidas Rempelos ◽  
Nikolaos Tzanidakis ◽  
...  

Due to increasing demand, many traditional, grazing-based Mediterranean sheep production systems have introduced intensified feeding regimes, increased investments in infrastructure and drug use to increase milk yields. However, compared to bovine milk production systems, there is limited knowledge about the impact of these intensification practices on animal welfare and health and on the quality of dairy products. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify the effects of management practices and environmental conditions background on udder health, parasitism and milk quantity and quality in Cretan traditional production systems. Milk yields were higher in semi-intensive production systems while concentrations of several nutritionally desirable compounds such as omega-3 fatty acids were found to be higher in milk from extensive systems. Antibiotic and anthelmintic use was relatively low in both extensive and semi-intensive production systems. There was no substantial difference in parasitic burden, somatic cell counts, and microbiological parameters assessed in milk. Recording of flock health parameters showed that animal health and welfare was high in both extensive and semi-intensively managed flocks, and that overall, the health status of extensively managed ewes was slightly better. In contrast, environmental conditions (temperature and rainfall) had a substantial effect on parasitism and milk quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer N. Belding ◽  
Robyn M. Englert ◽  
Shannon Fitzmaurice ◽  
Jourdan R. Jackson ◽  
Hannah G. Koenig ◽  
...  

Although blast exposure has been recognized as a significant source of morbidity and mortality in military populations, our understanding of the effects of blast exposure, particularly low-level blast (LLB) exposure, on health outcomes remains limited. This scoping review provides a comprehensive, accessible review of the peer-reviewed literature that has been published on blast exposure over the past two decades, with specific emphasis on LLB. We conducted a comprehensive scoping review of the scientific literature published between January 2000 and 2019 pertaining to the effects of blast injury and/or exposure on human and animal health. A three-level review process with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria was used. A full-text review of all articles pertaining to LLB exposure was conducted and relevant study characteristics were extracted. The research team identified 3,215 blast-relevant articles, approximately half of which (55.4%) studied live humans, 16% studied animals, and the remainder were non-subjects research (e.g., literature reviews). Nearly all (99.49%) of the included studies were conducted by experts in medicine or epidemiology; approximately half of these articles were categorized into more than one medical specialty. Among the 51 articles identified as pertaining to LLB specifically, 45.1% were conducted on animals and 39.2% focused on human subjects. Animal studies of LLB predominately used shock tubes to induce various blast exposures in rats, assessed a variety of outcomes, and clearly demonstrated that LLB exposure is associated with brain injury. In contrast, the majority of LLB studies on humans were conducted among military and law enforcement personnel in training environments and had remarkable variability in the exposures and outcomes assessed. While findings suggest that there is the potential for LLB to harm human populations, findings are mixed and more research is needed. Although it is clear that more research is needed on this rapidly growing topic, this review highlights the detrimental effects of LLB on the health of both animals and humans. Future research would benefit from multidisciplinary collaboration, larger sample sizes, and standardization of terminology, exposures, and outcomes.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haixiu Wang ◽  
Zifu Zhong ◽  
Yu Luo ◽  
Eric Cox ◽  
Bert Devriendt

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are an important diarrhea-causing pathogen and are regarded as a global threat for humans and farm animals. ETEC possess several virulence factors to infect its host, including colonization factors and enterotoxins. Production of heat-stable enterotoxins (STs) by most ETEC plays an essential role in triggering diarrhea and ETEC pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize the heat-stable enterotoxins of ETEC strains from different species as well as the molecular mechanisms used by these heat-stable enterotoxins to trigger diarrhea. As recently described, intestinal epithelial cells are important modulators of the intestinal immune system. Thus, we also discuss the impact of the heat-stable enterotoxins on this role of the intestinal epithelium and how these enterotoxins might affect intestinal immune cells. Finally, the latest developments in vaccination strategies to protect against infections with ST secreting ETEC strains are discussed. This review might inform and guide future research on heat-stable enterotoxins to further unravel their molecular pathogenesis, as well as to accelerate vaccine design.


Author(s):  
Israel Lorenzo-Felipe ◽  
Carlos A Blanco ◽  
Miguel Corona

Abstract Bees and some wasp species of the superfamily Apoidea pollinate most of the crops used for food and feed, producing different impacts on agricultural production. Despite the considerable importance of Apoidea, the relevance of this group’s impact on global crop production and human diets is controversial. To measure the pollination effect of these insects on crop production, factors such as the myriad of agricultural practices, different crop varieties, fluctuating pollinators’ densities, constantly changing environmental conditions, and demands for food items in a diverse diets must be considered. An ‘Apoidea impact factor’ (AIF), a value calculated taking into consideration the effect of this superfamily on enhancing crop production through pollination, the diversity of crops in a given area, the area planted by specific crops, and agricultural output, was calculated for 176 agricultural crops. Consistently with previous estimations, our results show that Apoidea have a direct impact on 66% of the 128 most important agricultural crops consumed in the world. However, the analysis of the impact of Apoidea on global production and human consumption revealed a different perspective: Apoidea pollination affects only 16% of the total tonnage output, 14% of the cultivated area, and 9% of the kilocalories consumed. Because 25 of the most cultivated crops in the world do not require, or are slightly affected by Apoidea pollination, and these plants grow in 84% of the world’s cropland, constituting 50% of the world’s diet, and 89% of the kilocalories consumed by peoples around of the world, the AIF at the world level is reduced to 11% of food consumed, and 6% of the kilocalories. The AIF, when applied to a small geographical scale, for example, the municipality or county level rather than country or state level, becomes more useful identifying areas where bees and wasps have greater impact in agriculture. In this report, we update the widely popular quote ‘One out of every three bites of food we eat is a result of pollinators like honey bees’ to a more accurate one: ‘nearly 5% of the food we eat, and about 10% of the calories we burn have a direct relationship with Apoidea pollination’. This new estimate does not diminish the need for pollinators for many of the world’s most nutritious foods, but merely suggests that these foods do not provide an extensive part of the human diet. The AIF can be used to identify specific areas where these pollinators have greater impact and direct conservation efforts directly into them. This approach can serve as a better estimate of the role of these pollinators in our food, using data-driven arguments.


SOIL ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal Darwish ◽  
Thérèse Atallah ◽  
Ali Fadel

Abstract. The Near East North Africa (NENA) region spans over 14 % of the total surface of the Earth and hosts 10 % of its population. Soils of the NENA region are mostly highly vulnerable to degradation, and future food security will much depend on sustainable agricultural measures. Weather variability, drought and depleting vegetation are dominant causes of the decline in soil organic carbon (SOC). In this work the status of SOC was studied, using a land capability model and soil mapping. The land capability model showed that most NENA countries and territories (17 out of 20) suffer from low productive lands (> 80 %). Stocks of SOC were mapped (1:5 000 000) in topsoils (0–0.30 m) and subsoils (0.30–1 m). The maps showed that 69 % of soil resources are shown to have a stock of SOC below the threshold of 30 tons ha−1. The stocks varied between ≈10 tons ha−1 in shrublands and 60 tons ha−1 for evergreen forests. Highest stocks were found in forests, irrigated crops, mixed orchards and saline flooded vegetation. The stocks of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) were higher than those of SOC. In subsoils, the SIC ranged between 25 and 450 tons ha−1, against 20 to 45 tons ha−1 for SOC. Results highlight the contribution of the NENA region to global SOC stock in the topsoil (4.1 %). The paper also discusses agricultural practices that are favorable to carbon sequestration such as organic amendment, no till or minimum tillage, crop rotation and mulching and the constraints caused by geomorphological and climatic conditions. The effects of crop rotations on SOC are related to the amounts of above and belowground biomass produced and retained in the system. Some knowledge gaps exist, especially in aspects related to the impact of climate change and effect of irrigation on SOC, and on SIC at the level of the soil profile and soil landscape. Still, major constraints facing soil carbon sequestration are policy-relevant and socioeconomic in nature, rather than scientific.


Author(s):  
Balaganesh Pandiyan ◽  
Vasudevan Mangottiri ◽  
Natarajan Narayanan

Abstract:: Biochar-Amended Composting (BAC) plays an integral role in sustainable agricultural practices due to its multiple benefits in crop production, soil nutrient retention, carbon sequestration and environmental protection. Although accepted as a traditional method, there is lack of understanding in defining its suitability and efficiency on various base-materials and conditions. Being two carbon-based entities with plentiful nutrients and surface activity, biochar and compost find application in agricultural fields together or separately for improving the soil properties and crop productivity. Recent studies focus on defining the optimum conditions for their preparation, mixing, application and monitoring under various feed, soil, crop and climatic conditions. However, due to the complexity and specificity of the system, many influencing aspects of their interaction are yet unknown in detail. In this review, we analyze the recent advancements in the selection and preparation of new materials for BAC, and explain the mechanisms of Organic Matter (OM) degradation/sequestration happening in soil based on possible chemical/morphological transformations of organic carbon. Most of the performance results are in agreement with the previous records, but a few contradictions observed under diverse experimental conditions. In general, BAC enhanced the mineralization of carbon and sequestration of heavy metals, and stabilized labile fraction of OM due to the development of carbonyl, phenolic and aromatic functional groups on its surface. In addition, aging of biochar resulted in stable N-C=O and amino groups for the adsorption of nitrogen compounds thus decreasing the potential greenhouse gas emissions. The study further identifies potential future research gaps in this area.


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