Aflatoxin and human diseases

ABSTRACT

Fungi invasion of our agricultural products and food lead to mouldiness and production of mycotoxin . These mycotoxin are toxic secondary metabolites elaborated by the fungi. They can cause diseases generally referred to as mycotoxicoses; the fungi per se are not involved in the disease process. One of such secondary metabolites of mouldiness is aflatoxin (which are exotoxin). The aflatoxin - producing species of fungi belong to the genus aspergillus Micheli 1729; which forms a large proportion of all the moulds encountered in our agricultural and industrial works. Their contamination of the foods and feeds (maize; sorghum; millet; rice; wheat soyabean etc) constitute an important toxicological hazard