Aflatoxins in Cereals and Cereal-Based Products: Occurrence, Toxicity, Impact on Human Health, and Their Detoxification and Management Strategies
Pradeep Kumar,
Akansha Gupta,
Dipendra Kumar Mahato,
Shikha Pandhi,
Arun Kumar Pandey,
Raveena Kargwal,
Sadhna Mishra,
Rajat Suhag,
Nitya Sharma,
Vivek Saurabh,
Veena Paul,
Manoj Kumar,
Raman Selvakumar,
Shirani Gamlath,
Madhu Kamle,
Hesham Ali El Enshasy,
Jawahir A. Mokhtar,
Steve Harakeh
Affiliations
Pradeep Kumar
Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
Akansha Gupta
Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
Dipendra Kumar Mahato
CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
Shikha Pandhi
Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
Arun Kumar Pandey
MMICT&BM(HM), Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, India
Raveena Kargwal
Department of Processing and Food Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125004, India
Sadhna Mishra
Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
Rajat Suhag
Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza Università 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Nitya Sharma
Food and Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
Vivek Saurabh
Division of Food Science and Postharvest Technology, ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Veena Paul
Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
Manoj Kumar
Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division, ICAR—Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai 400019, India
Raman Selvakumar
Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
Shirani Gamlath
CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
Madhu Kamle
Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, India
Hesham Ali El Enshasy
Institute of Bioproduct Development, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai 81310, Malaysia
Jawahir A. Mokhtar
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Steve Harakeh
King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Cereals and cereal-based products are primary sources of nutrition across the world. However, contamination of these foods with aflatoxins (AFs), secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species, has raised serious concerns. AF generation in innate substrates is influenced by several parameters, including the substrate type, fungus species, moisture content, minerals, humidity, temperature, and physical injury to the kernels. Consumption of AF-contaminated cereals and cereal-based products can lead to both acute and chronic health issues related to physical and mental maturity, reproduction, and the nervous system. Therefore, the precise detection methods, detoxification, and management strategies of AFs in cereal and cereal-based products are crucial for food safety as well as consumer health. Hence, this review provides a brief overview of the occurrence, chemical characteristics, biosynthetic processes, health hazards, and detection techniques of AFs, along with a focus on detoxification and management strategies that could be implemented for food safety and security.
