Deoxynivalenol: Toxicology and Potential Effects on Humans

Abstract

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that commonly contaminates cereal-based foods worldwide. At the molecular level, DON disrupts normal cell function by inhibiting protein synthesis via binding to the ribosome and by activating critical cellular kinases involved in signal transduction related to proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Relative to toxicity, there are marked species differences, with the pig being most sensitive to DON, followed by rodent > dog > cat > poultry > ruminants. The physiologic parameter that is most sensitive to low-level DON exposure is the emetic response, with as little as 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg body weight (bw) inducing vomiting in swine and dogs. Chinese epidemiological studies suggest that DON may also produce emetic effects in humans. With respect to chronic effects, growth (anorexia and decreased nutritional efficiency), immune function, (enhancement and suppression), and reproduction (reduced litter size) are also adversely affected by DON in animals, whereas incidence of neoplasia is not affected. When hazard evaluations were conducted using existing chronic toxicity data and standard safety factors employed for anthropogenic additives/contaminants in foods, tolerable daily intakes (TDIs) ranging from 1 to 5 microg/kg bw have been generated. Given that critical data gaps still exist regarding the potential health effects of DON, additional research is needed to improve capacity for assessing adverse health effects of this mycotoxin. Critical areas for future DON research include molecular mechanisms underlying toxicity, sensitivity of human cells/tissues relative to other species, emetic effects in primates, epidemiological association with gastroenteritis and chronic disease in humans, and surveillance in cereal crops worldwide.

The role of biomarkers in evaluating human health concerns from fungal contaminants in food

“…DON can also be metabolised in the liver to a glucuronide (19,86) . Based on DON metabolism and toxicokinetics in the rat and a pilot survey in human subjects, the combined measure of unmetabolised DON or 'free' DON (fD) and DON-glucuronide (DG), subsequently referred to here as urinary fD þ DG, was suggested as a putative urinary exposure biomarker by Meky et al (92) .…”

“…Both of these fungi are important plant pathogens that cause Fusarium head blight in wheat and Gibberella ear rot in maize (1) . Also known as vomitoxin, DON is a common contaminant of cereals such as wheat, maize and barley (19,86) . The potent gastrointestinal effects (and hence 'vomitoxin') in animals and suspected in humans have been reviewed in detail (19,86) and not discussed further.…”

Human exposure to mycotoxins and their masked forms through cereal-based foods in Belgium

“…Trichothecenes (type A and B) bind readily to eukaryotic ribosomes and are potent inhibitors of the translation process, inducers of apoptosis in lymphatic and haematopoietic tissues, and cause damage to cellular membranes (Ostry, 1998;Pestka & Smolinski, 2005). Acute exposure induces radiomimetic effects and gastro-intestinal manifestations such as diarrhoea, vomiting and melena, while chronic exposure reported effects as anorexia, reduced weight gain, retarded growth, nausea and degeneration of the immune, neural and reproductive systems.…”

Potential and limits to unravel the genetic architecture and predict the variation of Fusarium head blight resistance in European winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“…FHB disease is mainly caused by the fungal pathogens Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, which attack the spikes of wheat, leading to shriveled and discolored kernels containing mycotoxins (Pestka and Smolinski, 2005). The European Union and other international legislative bodies rigorously limit the tolerated mycotoxin content in wheat to be used as food or feed, making infected wheat often unmarketable (Verstraete, 2008).…”