Insights into the intestinal toxicity of foodborne mycotoxins through gut microbiota: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Mycotoxins, which are fungal metabolites, pose a significant global food safety concern by extensively contaminating food and feed, thereby seriously threatening public health and economic development. Many foodborne mycotoxins exhibit potent intestinal toxicity. However, the mechanisms underlying mycotoxin‐induced intestinal toxicity are diverse and complex, and effective prevention or treatment methods for this condition have not yet been established in clinical and animal husbandry practices. In recent years, there has been increasing attention to the role of gut microbiota in the occurrence and development of intestinal diseases. Hence, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the intestinal toxicity mechanisms of six common foodborne mycotoxins. It also explores novel toxicity mechanisms through the “key gut microbiota–key metabolites–key targets” axis, utilizing multiomics and precision toxicology studies with a specific focus on gut microbiota. Additionally, we examine the potential beneficial effects of probiotic supplementation on mycotoxin‐induced toxicity based on initial gut microbiota‐mediated mycotoxicity. This review offers a systematic description of how mycotoxins impact gut microbiota, metabolites, and genes or proteins, providing valuable insights for subsequent toxicity studies of mycotoxins. Furthermore, it lays a theoretical foundation for preventing and treating intestinal toxicity caused by mycotoxins and advancing food safety practices.

A Cohort Study Investigating Zearalenone Concentrations and Selected Steroid Levels in Patients with Sigmoid Colorectal Cancer or Colorectal Cancer

“…These observations suggest that prolonged exposure to ZEN (which is also referred to as a mycoestrogen, a xenoestrogen, or an undesirable substance) is associated with tumors not only in the reproductive system [ 3 ] but also in the gastrointestinal tract [ 6 , 12 , 30 ]. According to Cieplińska et al [ 13 ] and Ruan et al [ 31 ], the processes observed in the gastrointestinal tract result from new mechanisms underlying mycotoxin-induced toxicity, which determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of key gut microbiota.…”