Mycotoxin Research最新文献

{"title":"Fumonisin production and symptom development in onion (Allium cepa) inoculated with Fusarium proliferatum.","authors":"Sari Rämö, Sadikshya Ghimire, Minna Haapalainen, Satu Latvala","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00595-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00595-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fusarium proliferatum is one of the main pathogens causing Fusarium basal rot of onion, which is a major problem in onion cultivation worldwide. In this work, three Fusarium proliferatum isolates from onion (Allium cepa), two from imported sets and one from a mature bulb grown in Finland, were tested for pathogenicity and mycotoxin production. Symptom development in the inoculated onion bulbs and production of fumonisins, beauvericin, and moniliformin were measured at 1-5 weeks post-inoculation (wpi). Symptoms were observed in all the bulbs inoculated with F. proliferatum, starting as water-soaked lesions and developing into dead brown scales. When colonizing the bulbs, all three F. proliferatum isolates were confirmed by qPCR to express the genes FUM1, required for fumonisin production, and SIX2, encoding a putative virulence factor. Fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) was detected already at 2 wpi in a symptomatic onion inoculated with Fpr047, and at 3 wpi, fumonisin production was confirmed for all three isolates. At 4 wpi, all the isolates had produced quantifiable amounts of FB₁, ranging from 3.9 to 177 µg/kg, and fumonisin B₂, ranging from 3.4 to 89 µg/kg. At 5 wpi, FB₁ was even detected in a symptomless sample. Beauvericin and moniliformin were quantified at 5 wpi in the symptomatic onion tissues with Fpr047 and Fpr049, but not with FUS16163, which was unable to produce moniliformin and produced less beauvericin than the other F. proliferatum isolates also in the rice culture. The results showed that onions infected with F. proliferatum can contain high amounts of fumonisins.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"457-473"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144294141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural and molecular identification of fungal genera and species occurring in maize : Fungi genera and species found in maize.","authors":"Beatrice Nafula Tenge, William Maina Muiru, John Wangai Kimenju, Samuel Kimaru Linguya, Christine Schwake-Anduschus, Ruth Lodenyi Amata, Lawrence Ouma Onyango","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00592-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00592-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mycotoxins contribute to a substantial loss of global maize grain yields in terms of tonnes. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, screening of mycotoxin-producing fungi predominantly relies on culture-based methods, which are both time-consuming and labour-intensive. This study examined the major fungal species responsible for aflatoxin production in major maize-producing regions of Kenya using molecular techniques. Maize samples were collected from Kilifi, Makueni, and Kisumu counties. For fungal isolation followed by molecular identification targeting the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) for Fusarium and calmodulin (CaM) genes for Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Trichoderma, this was followed by basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) analysis. The study revealed 14 fungal species belonging to four genera namely Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Trichoderma. Kisumu County had the highest diversity of fungal species, representing 47.8% of the total identified. Within Kisumu, Penicillium species were the most prevalent, with an incidence rate of 72.9%. In contrast, Aspergillus species were most common in Kilifi County (54.5% incidence). The application of DNA barcoding techniques significantly enhanced the precision of identifying aflatoxin-producing fungi compared to conventional identification methods. This study confirms the presence of multiple fungal species responsible for aflatoxin production in Kenya's maize-growing regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"437-446"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144216333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aflatoxin B₁-induced toxicity, oxido-inflammatory damage, and apoptosis in male rat reproductive circuitry were abrogated by co-treating with the xanthophyll-lutein and zeaxanthin.","authors":"Solomon Owumi, Japheth A Ishaya, Joseph Chimezie, Mark Nnamdi, Jesse Chibuzor, Favour O Joel, Jesutosin O Babalola","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00600-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00600-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reproductive dysfunction is a recognised adverse effect of exposure to aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in humans and animals. Despite the widely acknowledged health risks, exposure to AFB₁ remains unavoidable. Conversely, lutein (LUT) and zeaxanthin (ZEA) are plants' potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, exhibiting promising potential for modulating inflammatory and apoptotic signalling pathways. This study aimed to investigate the effects of co-treatment with LUT/ZEA on reproductive function in rats intoxicated with AFB₁. The study utilised male Wistar rats (n = 20 and n = 4 per cohort). The experimental groups included untreated controls, AFB₁ (75 µg/kg), LUT/ZEA (100 mg/kg), and AFB₁ combined with LUT/ZEA at two different doses (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg). Treatments were administered via oral gavage for 28 consecutive days. On day 29, serum samples were collected for testicular function and hormonal assays; sperm analysis was performed; and the testes, epididymis, and brain tissues were harvested for biochemical examinations. In the AFB₁-only treated rats, there was a reduction in sperm motility, viability, and count, along with an increase in abnormal sperm morphology. The AFB₁ group exhibited hormonal dysfunction and showed increased serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and decreased acid phosphatase (ACP) levels, which were associated with reduced antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH), and total thiols (TSH) in the hypothalamus, epididymis, and testes, as well as elevated oxido-inflammatory mediators xanthine oxidase (XO), nitric oxide (NO), and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Additionally, there were changes in testicular tumour suppressor markers (p53), pro-apoptotic factors Bcl-2-associated X-protein (BAX; BAX/Bcl-2 ratio), and a reduction in anti-apoptotic biomarkers B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). Co-treatment with LUT/ZEA alleviated the toxic effects of AFB₁, leading to improved hormonal and testicular function, enhanced antioxidant activity, and decreased levels of oxido-inflammatory mediators and apoptosis. LUT/ZEA corrected AFB₁-induced testicular dysfunction through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and anti-apoptotic properties, thereby effectively preserving testicular function and preventing testicular cell death.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"513-527"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144649976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway mediates the effect of DON on mitochondrial autophagy and liver injury in mice.","authors":"Yihan Wang, Jiali Fu, Danni Zhou, Zhihua Ren, Junliang Deng","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00601-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00601-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced liver injury is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, yet it remains unclear whether this injury is mediated by mitochondrial autophagy via the PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway. This study aimed to ascertain whether DON triggers mitochondrial autophagy, thereby causing liver injury in mice through the PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway. Mice were orally administered DON at doses of 1.2 and 2.4 mg/kg once daily for 28 consecutive days. The results indicated that DON treatment significantly elevated the activity levels of two key liver enzymes and increased oxidative stress in the mouse liver. Additionally, DON upregulated several pivotal pro-inflammatory cytokines in the liver, leading to inflammation. The impact of DON on liver mitochondrial autophagy was assessed through histopathological analysis and observations of mitochondrial ultrastructure. These alterations were concurrent with activating the PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway in the liver following DON exposure. This research demonstrates that PGC-1α/SIRT3-regulated mitochondrial autophagy exacerbates DON-related hepatic damage, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms involved.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"499-511"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aspergillus species and aflatoxin contamination of tobacco snuff samples sold in some parts of southeastern Nigeria.","authors":"Chinonso Celestina Ugwuanyi, Paul Ekene Chidebelu, Emeka Innocent Nweze","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00590-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00590-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several commodities have been frequently reported to be contaminated by aflatoxins, but little is known about aflatoxin accumulation in tobacco snuff frequently consumed globally, especially in Nigeria. Ascertaining their aflatoxin content and by extension, the health implications on those who use these tobacco products are necessary. Snuff samples from 30 vendors in six randomly selected markets were screened for Aspergillus spp. DNA sequencing was used for molecular identification of isolated Aspergillus flavus by amplifying the ITS region of ribosomal DNA using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The isolates were screened for aflatoxin biosynthesis genes such as ver-1, nor-1 and omt-1 genes. Aflatoxin production potentials of the isolates were analyzed using maize kernels and quantified using thin layer chromatography (TLC) technique. The tobacco snuff samples were also analyzed to detect aflatoxins and their accumulation. Forty-two Aspergillus species were recovered and identified. Aspergillus niger (24) was the most common species with an occurrence rate of 57%, followed by Aspergillus fumigatus (13), at 31% occurrence, while only five (12%) Aspergillus flavus were recovered. Out of the three selected genes screened, nor-1 gene was confirmed to be present in the five isolates, whereas ver-1 and omt-1 genes were absent. Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and aflatoxin B₂ (AFB₂) were detected in both snuff and maize samples, while aflatoxin G₁ (AFG₁) and aflatoxin G₂ (AFG₂) were absent in all samples. This study confirms that most snuff sold in markets are contaminated with toxigenic fungi. Proper production procedure and enhancement in the sanitary standards of markets and vendors will help reduce contaminations.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"415-423"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144020777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The occurrence and human health risk assessment of aflatoxin M₁ in ice cream collected from Iranian market.","authors":"Firouzeh Nazari, Fariba Ebrahimi, Alireza Nezami, Elahe Alavi Razavi, Maryam Kakanj, Adel Mirza Alizadeh, Mir-Jamal Hosseini","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00591-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00591-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), a mono hydroxylated derivative of aflatoxin B₁, can be found in milk and a variety of dairy products. This present study aims to evaluate a selective, accurate, and sensitive method for the determination of AFM₁ in ice cream using immunoaffinity column clean-up followed by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorescence detector and to evaluate the health risk of AFM₁ in Iran and to determine the effects of different limit levels on the risk control of AFM₁ in ice cream. The HPLC-validated method used for determining of AFM₁ in 128 ice cream samples. AFM₁ was found in 45 samples (35%) with a mean of 20.73 ± 46.58 ng/kg in the range of 2-350 ng/kg. AFM₁ concentration in 12 samples (9.4%) was higher than the maximum permissible level (MPL) set by the European Community and Codex Alimentarius Commission (50 ng/kg), and the level of AFM₁ in 4.7% of the samples was higher than the MPL established in Iran for AFM₁ (100 ng/kg). In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the exposure assessment of AFM₁ by consumption of ice cream by Iranian consumers. The MCS approach revealed that both adults and children have a lower risk of liver cancer due to AFM₁ exposure, but children are more exposed to AFM₁ compared to adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"405-414"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144019944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aflatoxin B1 levels, dietary exposure and cancer risk assessment in sesame and nut-based foods in Türkiye.","authors":"Meryem Aydemir Atasever, Mukaddes Beyza Güler İnce, Betül Alkan Polat, Hayrunnisa Özlü, Mustafa Atasever","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00594-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00594-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a highly toxic mycotoxin commonly found in oilseeds and nuts, poses serious public health and economic risks. Türkiye's climatic conditions are conducive to AFB1 contamination, particularly in sesame- and nut-based foods. This study investigated the presence of AFB1 in 100 widely consumed samples of tahini, tahini halva, hazelnut paste, and peanut paste. AFB1 was detected in 67% of the samples, with exceedances of the European Commission (EC) limit (2 µg/kg) notably high in tahini halva (80%) and peanut paste (60%); in contrast none of the hazelnut paste samples surpassed the legal threshold. The findings indicated that no samples of hazelnut paste exceeded the legal limits set by the EC. However, 4 tahini (13.33%), 24 tahini halva (80%), and 12 peanut paste (60%) samples exceeded the EC limits. Dietary exposure estimates were calculated based on lower bound (LB), middle bound (MB), and upper bound (UB) contamination scenarios. Margin of exposure (MOE) values for tahini halva were consistently below the safety threshold of 10,000, suggesting a possible health concern. The estimated annual incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to AFB1 exposure ranged from 0.000888 to 0.00219 cases per 100,000 adults, remaining below European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) reference risk levels. These findings underscore the need for targeted surveillance and stricter regulatory controls on sesame-based products, particularly tahini halva, within national food safety frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"447-455"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144248804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-occurrence and risk assessment of ochratoxin A and deoxynivalenol in tortillas.","authors":"Fatma Oznur Afacan, Eylem Odabas, Nimo Hussein Yussuf, Bulent Kabak","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00596-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00596-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The presence of mycotoxins, including ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON), in tortillas raises potential food safety concerns, particularly in regions where these products constitute a dietary staple. In the present study, the natural occurrence and concentrations of OTA and DON were determined in commercially available tortillas in Turkey. A total of 84 tortilla samples were analysed using an in-house validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. OTA was detected in 25% of the samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.079 to 0.93 µg/kg, all of which remained below the European Union maximum level (EU ML) of 3 µg/kg. DON was found in 10.7% of the samples, with concentrations between 13.1 and 158 µg/kg, also within the EU ML of 400 µg/kg. Co-occurrence of OTA and DON was observed in three samples. These findings highlight considered variability among products, likely attributable to differences in raw material quality, environmental conditions, and post-harvest handling practices. This variability underscores the need for enhanced regulatory surveillance, improved storage conditions, and the implementation of optimised processing technologies. Furthermore, the estimated dietary exposure levels for both OTA and DON were found to pose no significant health risks under current consumption patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"475-484"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144485188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessments of farmers' knowledge and management of mycotoxin contamination in stored sorghum grains in North West Ethiopia.","authors":"Kebadu Tadesse, Lamenew Fenta, Asmamaw Habtamu, Nigussie Amsalu, Belay Berza, Yitayih Dagne","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00598-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00598-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has a crucial role in the livelihoods and nutrition of many rural households in Ethiopia. Mycotoxin contamination is a major challenge affecting the quality and safety of stored grains. The objective of this study was to evaluate farmers' knowledge and management of sorghum mycotoxin contamination in Dejen District, North East Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess farmers' knowledge and management of mycotoxin contamination in stored sorghum. Data were collected by using semi-structured questionnaires. Bi-variate and multi-variate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with farmers' knowledge and management practices. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 23. The study revealed that a significant proportion of farmers in the study area lack adequate knowledge (29%) and practices (40.57%) to mitigate mycotoxin contamination. In stored grain, only 6% of the farmers had information about fungi, yeasts, and their growth in foods and their harmful effects. Similarly, 2% of the respondents knew that molds are harmful to humans and animals. Only 5% of the farmers applied preventive measures to reduce mycotoxin contamination in stored grains. The results of this study showed that village location and educational status were significant predictors of knowledge, while age, village location, and educational status were significant predictors of management skills. Village location (Layamba: AOR 0.082, 95% CI 0.012-0.572) and educational status (secondary education: AOR 5.075, 95% CI 1.511-21.537) significantly predicted knowledge. Age (22-35 years: AOR 3.414, 95% CI 1.352-8.620), village (Ambayamit: AOR 0.149, 95% CI 0.028-0.796), and education (secondary: AOR 14.105, 95% CI 2.905-68.475) influenced management practices. Targeted interventions addressing geographic and educational disparities are essential to enhance awareness and practices, ensuring food safety. Targeted interventions actions are needed to improve farmers' awareness and management practices. Policy interventions are needed to address knowledge and practice gaps in mycotoxin contamination management. These interventions should target specific groups based on age, geographic location, and education status to mitigate mycotoxin contamination and improve food safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"485-497"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144608909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fungal and multi-metabolite contamination of retailed rice in open markets in two Nigerian States.","authors":"Oluwawapelumi A Oyedele, Muiz O Akinyemi, Michael Sulyok, Shiela Okoth, Rudolf Krska, Chibundu N Ezekiel","doi":"10.1007/s12550-025-00593-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12550-025-00593-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abtract: </strong>Rice is a significant source of both nutritional and economic sustenance in Nigeria, but contamination by fungi and their toxic metabolites in addition to naturally occurring phytotoxins may pose significant challenges to grain quality and consumer health. This study assessed the safety of 80 rice samples retailed in open markets in two Nigerian states by identifying fungal contaminants using phenotypic and molecular techniques and quantifying the secondary metabolites present in the grains through liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 101 distinct colonies were recovered and identified as nine species belonging to six genera: Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Monascus, Penicillium and Talaromyces. At least one third (30.4%) of the identified species were Aspergillus flavus, while A. montevidensis, Cladosporium halotolerans, Monascus purpureus, Talaromyces islandicus and T. purpureogenus recorded the least incidences of 4.3%. Sixteen mycotoxins and 48 other secondary metabolites including diverse fungal and lichen metabolites, plant toxins and phytoestrogenic phenols were detected in the rice samples. Moniliformin (MON) and beauvericin were the most common mycotoxins, present in 43% of samples, with MON reaching a maximum concentration of 19,391 µg/kg. Aflatoxins contaminated 18% of samples, generally below Nigeria's 10 µg/kg regulatory limit but in one case exceeding the European Union's threshold of 4 µg/kg. This study emphasizes the need to expand chemical contaminant monitoring in foods beyond the regular aflatoxin detection to include a wider spectrum of secondary metabolites and also to comprehensively review and enhance grain handling and retail practices in local/open markets to protect consumer health.</p>","PeriodicalId":19060,"journal":{"name":"Mycotoxin Research","volume":" ","pages":"425-436"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144020782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}