TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

Certification           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

Acknowledgement           –         –         –         –         –         –         –

Table of Contents  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

CHAPTER ONE 

1.0 INTRODUCTION –         –         –         –         –         –         –

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Description of Mycotoxin –         –         –         –         –         –

2.1.1 Production of Mycotoxin –         –         –         –         –         –

2.1.2 Occurrence of Mycotoxin –         –         –         –         –         –

2.1.2.1 Mycotoxin in indoor environment –         –         –         –         –

2.1.2.2 Mycotoxin in food –         –         –         –         –         –         –

2.1.2.3 Mycotoxin in dietary supplement –         –         –         –         –

2.2 Etymology and General principles –         –         –         –         –

2.3 Major mycotoxin –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

2.3.1 Aflatoxins –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

2.3.2 Ochratoxin –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

2.3.3 Citrinin –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

2.3.4 Patulin –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

2.3.5 Fusarium –  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Health effects of mycotoxin –         –         –         –         –

3.1 Strategies for prevention and control of mycotoxins –

3.1.1 Primary prevention –         –         –         –         –         –

3.1.2 Secondary prevention –         –         –         –         –         –

3.1.3 Tertiary prevention –         –         –         –         –         –

3.2 Fungal growth inhibition –         –         –         –         –

3.3 Decontamination of mycotoxins –         –         –         –

3.4 Control of mycotoxins –         –         –         –         –         –

3.5 Regulations of Mycotoxins –         –         –         –         –

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1 Conclusion –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

4.2 Recommendation –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Several mycotoxins in agriculture products cause health hazards to people and animals and economical problem. Dangerous mycotoxins are naturally present in foods, feeds and our environment. They are pathologically classified as hepatotoxins, nephrotoxins, vomitoxin, and neuro-musclotixin, some of which are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. (Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAOUN,1979). Aflatoxin for example is the most potent hepatocarcinogen and mutagen among mycotoxins. Therefore, the contamination of mycotoxins should be minimized by designing a series of measures of prevention and control.

Fungi are major plant and insect pathogens but they are not nearly as important as agents of disease in vertebrates i.e. the number of medically important fungi is relatively low. Frank growth of fungi on animal hosts produces the diseases collectively called mycotoxicoses (Barrett, 2002).

Mycoses range from merely annoying (e.g. athletes foot) to life threatening (e.g. Invasive aspergillosis). The fungi that causes mycoses can be divided into two categories, primary pathogens (e.g. Coccidiodes immitis and Histoplasmic capsulation) and opportunistic pathogens (e.g Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans). Primary pathogens affect healthy individuals with normal immune systems. (Mc Ginnis et al., 1999).

The majority of human mycoses are caused by opportunistic fungi. The mechanisms of pathogenesis of both primary and opportunistic fungi are complex and medical mycologists have devoted considerable research energy trying to identify the factors that distinguish fungi pathogens from saprophytic and commensal species.

Some infection remain localized while others progress to systematic infection. For many mycoses the ordinary portal of entry is through skin contact is not uncommon. In contrast of mycoses, mycotoxicoses are examples of poisoning by natural means and thus are analogous to the pathologies caused by exposure to pesticides or heavy metal residues. The symptoms of a mycotoxicosis depend on the type of mycotoxin, the amount and duration of the exposure, age health and sex of the exposed individual (Dixon et al, 1996).