Human exposure to mycotoxins: A retrospective review of leading toxins and metabolites in human biological matrices

Mycotoxins are natural secondary metabolites produced by fungi on agricultural commodities during growth in the field under a wide range of climatic conditions and can elicit deleterious effects on other organisms. furthermore,during storage,wide range of fungi under favorable conditions can cause the mycotoxins contamination. the food and agriculture organization has estimated that the secondary metabolites produced by fungi affects approximately quarter of the world's food crops,including many basic foodstuffs and feeds for animal. intake of contaminated agricultural products or foods of animal origin i.e. milk or eggs are the major routes of mycotoxin exposure to human beings. in addition to these sources,mycotoxin enters the body through the dermal contact or inhalation from dust or molds. mycotoxins contained in moldy foods,or damp interiors,can cause diseases in humans and animals such as various types of cancer,hepatic diseases,and immune and neurological disorders. research and retrospective data of more than 100 studies are summarized with more than 170 citations in the form of tables with respect to country; type of mycotoxin metabolite,sample origin,exposure measurement technique and its range human milk,blood,urine,and other human fluids/tissues from more than 35 countries is presented in this review. the presented database would be valuable benchmark information for development for the future research and for setting priorities in food handling and storage.