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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2013 Publication Date: 5/16/2013 Citation: Busman, M. 2013. Glucosylation of toxins. Meeting Abstract. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Mycotoxins are frequent contaminants in corn infested with Aspergillus and Fusarium molds. Consumption of mycotoxin products have been shown to have a variety of harmful effects on both humans and animals. A variety of analytical tools are utilized for the determination of mycotoxin levels in corn and corn products. First tier methods for toxin screening are frequently based on antibody response to the toxin. Second tier methods are often based on chemical methods. It has been noted that mycotoxins can be “masked” or “hidden” from detection by common antibody-based and chemical analytical methods. The “masking” of the toxins frequently occurs through a chemical modification of the toxin structure. The masking of the fungal toxin often is done by the host plant as a defense mechanism, but can also occur during grain processing. Recently, it has been demonstrated that a common form of toxin masking, glycosylation, can be readily removed in the digestive tract of mammals, regenerating the “un-masked” mycotoxin. Work at USDA-ARS is in progress to identify common forms of masked mycotoxins, develop methods for their determination and characterize their relevance to health concerns associated with mycotoxins. |
