The natural occurrence, toxicity mechanisms and management strategies of Fumonisin B1：A review

Spectral intelligent detection for aflatoxin B1 via contrastive learning based on Siamese network

Aflatoxins, harmful substances found in peanuts, corn, and their derivatives, pose significant health risks. Addressing this, the presented research introduces an innovative MSGhostDNN model, merging contrastive learning with multi-scale convolutional networks for precise aflatoxin detection. The method significantly enhances feature discrimination, achieving an impressive 97.87% detection accuracy with a pre-trained model. By applying Grad-CAM, it further refines the model to identify key wavelengths, particularly 416 nm, and focuses on 40 key wavelengths for optimal performance with 97.46% accuracy. The study also incorporates a task dimensionality reduction approach for continuous learning, allowing effective ongoing aflatoxin spectrum monitoring in peanuts and corn. This approach not only boosts aflatoxin detection efficiency but also sets a precedent for rapid online detection of similar toxins, offering a promising solution to mitigate the health risks associated with aflatoxin exposure.

Magnolol ameliorates fumonisin B1-induced oxidative damage and lipid metabolism dysfunction in astrocyte-like C6 cells

The neurotoxicity of fumonisin B1 (FB1), a commonly detected mycotoxin in crops and the environment, has attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, no effective method for eliminating FB1 completely exists due to the thermal stability and water solubility of this mycotoxin. Magnolol (MAG) is a neolignane with antioxidative and neuroprotective effects. It has been applied in neurotoxicity treatment. However, the application of MAG to attenuate FB1-induced toxicity has not been reported. This study explored the protective mechanism of MAG against FB1-induced damage in C6 cells through antioxidant and lipid metabolism modulation. Results showed that exposure to 15 μM FB1 caused oxidative stress by changing the levels of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total glutathione. These changes were reversed by MAG addition, especially at the concentration of 80 μM. The protective effects of MAG were further confirmed by the reduction in the phosphorylation levels of proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway. Lipidomics analysis identified 263 lipids, which belong to 24 lipid classes. Among all of the identified lipids, triglycerides (TGs), diglycerides (DGs), phosphatidylcholines (PCs), wax monoesters (WEs), Cers, and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) were major categories. Moreover, nine categories of lipids showed the opposite change trend in the FB1 exposure and MAG 80 groups. A further investigation of the 34 co-occurring differential lipids with remarkable changes (P value < 0.05 and VIP value > 1) in the control, FB1 exposure, and MAG 80 groups was performed. Therein, nine lipids (PCs, LPCs, and SM) were screened out as potential biomarkers to reveal the cytoprotective effects of MAG. This work is the first to investigate the rescue mechanism of MAG in FB1-induced cytotoxicity. The obtained results may expand the application of MAG to alleviate the toxicity of mycotoxins.

An Encyclopedic Compendium on Chemosensing Supramolecular Metal-Organic Gels

Chemosensing, an interdisciplinary scientific domain, plays a pivotal role ranging from environmental monitoring to healthcare diagnostics and (inter)national security. Metal-organic gels (MOGs) are recognized for their stability, selectivity, and responsiveness, making them valuable for chemosensing applications. Researchers have explored the development of MOGs based on different metal ions and ligands, allowing for tailored properties and sensitivities, and have even demonstrated their applications as portable sensors such as paper-based test strips for practical use. Herein, several studies related to MOGs development and their applications in the chemosensing field via UV-visible or luminance along with electrochemical approach are presented. These papers explored MOGs as versatile materials with their use in sensing bio or environmental analytes. This review provides a foundational understanding of key concepts, methodologies, and recent advancements in this field, fostering the scientific community.

Fumonisin distorts the cellular membrane lipid profile: A mechanistic insight

Monitoring modifications in membrane lipids in association with external stimuli/agents, including fumonisins (FUMs), is a widely employed approach to assess cellular metabolic response/status. FUMs are prevalent fusariotoxins worldwide that have diverse structures with varying toxicity across species; nevertheless, they can induce metabolic disturbances and disease, including cancer. The capacity of FUMs to disrupt membrane lipids, demonstrated across numerous species and organs/tissues, is ascribed to a multitude of factors/events, which range from direct to indirect effects. Certain events are well established, whereas the potential consequences of others remain speculative. The most notable effect is their resemblance to sphingoid bases, which impacts the synthesis of ceramides leading to numerous changes in lipids' composition that are not limited to sphingolipids' composition of the membranes. The next plausible scenario involves the induction of oxidative stress, which is considered an indirect/secondary effect of FUMs. Additional modes of action include modifications of enzyme activities and nuclear signals related to lipid metabolism, although these are likely not yet fully comprehended. This review provides in-depth insight into the current state of these events and their potential mechanistic actions in modifying membrane lipids, with a focus on long-chain fatty acids. This paper also presents a detailed description of the reported modifications to membrane lipids by FUMs.

Application of Biosensors for the Detection of Mycotoxins for the Improvement of Food Safety

Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites synthesized by various filamentous fungi genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Claviceps, and Alternaria, are potent toxic compounds. Their production is contingent upon specific environmental conditions during fungal growth. Arising as byproducts of fungal metabolic processes, mycotoxins exhibit significant toxicity, posing risks of acute or chronic health complications. Recognized as highly hazardous food contaminants, mycotoxins present a pervasive threat throughout the agricultural and food processing continuum, from plant cultivation to post-harvest stages. The imperative to adhere to principles of good agricultural and industrial practice is underscored to mitigate the risk of mycotoxin contamination in food production. In the domain of food safety, the rapid and efficient detection of mycotoxins holds paramount significance. This paper delineates conventional and commercial methodologies for mycotoxin detection in ensuring food safety, encompassing techniques like liquid chromatography, immunoassays, and test strips, with a significant emphasis on the role of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensors, which are known for their high sensitivity and specificity. These are categorized into antibody-, and aptamer-based, as well as molecular imprinting methods. This paper examines the latest advancements in biosensors for mycotoxin testing, with a particular focus on their amplification strategies and operating mechanisms.

Mild endoplasmic reticulum stress alleviates FB1-triggered intestinal pyroptosis via the Sec62-PERK pathway

Fumonisin B1 (FB1), a water-soluble mycotoxin released by Fusarium moniliforme Sheld, is widely present in corn and its derivative products, and seriously endangers human life and health. Recent studies have reported that FB1 can lead to pyroptosis, however, the mechanisms by which FB1-induced pyroptosis remain indistinct. In the present study, we aim to investigate the mechanisms of pyroptosis in intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) and the relationship between FB1-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and pyroptosis. Our experimental results showed that the pyroptosis protein indicators in IPEC-J2 were significantly increased after exposure to FB1. The ERS markers, including glucose-regulated Protein 78 (GRP78), PKR-like ER kinase protein (PERK), and preprotein translocation factor (Sec62) were also significantly increased. Using small interfering RNA silencing of PERK or Sec62, the results demonstrated that upregulation of Sec62 activates the PERK pathway, and activation of the PERK signaling pathway is upstream of FB1-induced pyroptosis. After using the ERS inhibitor 4-PBA reduced the FB1-triggered intestinal injury by the Sec62-PERK pathway. In conclusion, we found that FB1 induced pyroptosis by upregulating Sec62 to activate the PERK pathway, and mild ERS alleviates FB1-triggered damage. It all boils down to one fact, the study provides a new perspective for further, and improving the toxicological mechanism of FB1.

Phytotoxic fungal secondary metabolites as herbicides

Among the alternatives to synthetic plant protection products, biocontrol appears as a promising method. This review reports on the diversity of fungal secondary metabolites phytotoxic to weeds and on the approach generally used to extract, characterize, identify and exploit them for weed management. The 183 phytotoxic fungal secondary metabolites discussed in this review fall into five main classes of molecules: 61 polyketides, 53 terpenoids, 36 nitrogenous metabolites, 18 phenols and phenolic acids, and 15 miscellaneous. They are mainly produced by the genera Drechslera, Fusarium and Alternaria. The phytotoxic effects, more often described by the symptoms they produce on plants than by their mode of action, range from inhibition of germination to inhibition of root and vegetative growth, including tissue and organ alterations. The biochemical characterization of fungal secondary metabolites requires expertise and tools to carry out fungal cultivation and metabolite extraction, phytotoxicity tests, purification and fractionation of the extracts, and chemical identification procedures. Phytotoxicity tests are mainly carried out under controlled laboratory conditions (not always on whole plants), while effectiveness against targeted weeds and environmental impacts must be assessed in greenhouses and open fields. These steps are necessary for the formulation of effective, environment-friendly fungal secondary metabolites-derived bioherbicides using new technologies such as nanomaterials. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of a fumonisin-sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicator strain and utilization for activity testing of candidate detoxification genes

IMPORTANCE

Fumonisins can cause diseases in animals and humans consuming Fusarium-contaminated food or feed. The search for microbes capable of fumonisin degradation, or for enzymes that can detoxify fumonisins, currently relies primarily on chemical detection methods. Our constructed fumonisin B1-sensitive yeast strain can be used to phenotypically detect detoxification activity and should be useful in screening for novel fumonisin resistance genes and to elucidate fumonisin metabolism and resistance mechanisms in fungi and plants, and thereby, in the long term, help to mitigate the threat of fumonisins in feed and food.

Effects of FB1 and HFB1 on Autonomous Exploratory and Spatial Memory and Learning Abilities in Mice

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a representative form of fumonisin and is widely present in food and feed. Hydrolyzed fumonisin B1 (HFB1) emerges as a breakdown product of FB1, which is accompanied by FB1 alterations. While previous studies have primarily focused on the liver or kidney toxicity of FB1, with limited studies existing on its neurotoxicity and even fewer on the toxicity of HFB1, this study focuses on the neurotoxicity of FB1 and HFB1 exposure in mice investigated by the open field test, Morris water maze test, histopathological analysis, and nontargeted metabolomics. Further, the levels of oxidative stress-related indices, neurotransmitters, and sphingolipids in the brain were measured to analyze their correlation with behavioral outcomes. The results showed that both FB1 (5 mg/kg) and HFB1 (2.8 mg/kg) reduced autonomous exploratory behavior in mice, impaired spatial learning and memory, and caused mild abnormalities in the brain structure. Quantitative analysis further indicated that exposure to FB1 and HFB1 disrupted neurotransmitter homeostasis, exacerbated oxidative stress, and significantly increased the sphinganine/sphingosine (Sa/So) ratio. Moreover, HFB1 exhibited neurotoxic effects similar to those of FB1, emphasizing the need to pay attention to the neurotoxicity effect of HFB1. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the risks and potential neurological damage associated with FB1 and HFB1 exposure, highlighting the necessity for further research in this crucial field.

Interaction of Fumonisin B1, N-Palmitoyl-Fumonisin B1, 5-O-Palmitoyl-Fumonisin B1, and Fumonisin B4 Mycotoxins with Human Serum Albumin and Their Toxic Impacts on Zebrafish Embryos

Fumonisins are frequent food contaminants. The high exposure to fumonisins can cause harmful effects in humans and animals. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most typical member of this group; however, the occurrence of several other derivatives has been reported. Acylated metabolites of FB1 have also been described as possible food contaminants, and the very limited data available suggest their significantly higher toxicity compared to FB1. Furthermore, the physicochemical and toxicokinetic properties (e.g., albumin binding) of acyl-FB1 derivatives may show large differences compared to the parent mycotoxin. Therefore, we tested the interactions of FB1, N-palmitoyl-FB1 (N-pal-FB1), 5-O-palmitoyl-FB1 (5-O-pal-FB1), and fumonisin B4 (FB4) with human serum albumin as well as the toxic effects of these mycotoxins on zebrafish embryos were examined. Based on our results, the most important observations and conclusions are the following: (1) FB1 and FB4 bind to albumin with low affinity, while palmitoyl-FB1 derivatives form highly stable complexes with the protein. (2) N-pal-FB1 and 5-O-pal-FB1 likely occupy more high-affinity binding sites on albumin. (3) Among the mycotoxins tested, N-pal-FB1 showed the most toxic effects on zebrafish, followed by 5-O-pal-FB1, FB4, and FB1. (4) Our study provides the first in vivo toxicity data regarding N-pal-FB1, 5-O-pal-FB1, and FB4.

The Co-Occurrence of T-2 Toxin, Deoxynivalenol, and Fumonisin B1 Activated the Glutathione Redox System in the EU-Limiting Doses in Laying Hens

Different mycotoxins in feed lead to combined exposure, increasing adverse effects on animal health. Trichothecene mycotoxins have been associated with inducing oxidative stress, which is neutralized by the glutathione system within the antioxidant defense, depending on the dose and duration of exposure. T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), and fumonisin B1 (FB1) are commonly found in feed commodities simultaneously. In the present study, the intracellular biochemical and gene expression changes were investigated in the case of multi-mycotoxin exposure, focusing on certain elements of the glutathione redox system. In a short-term feeding trial, an in vivo study was performed with low (EU-proposed) doses: T-2/HT-2 toxin: 0.25 mg; DON/2-AcDON/15-AcDON.: 5 mg; FB1: 20 mg/kg feed, and high doses (twice the low dose) in laying hens. The multi-mycotoxin exposure affected the glutathione system; GSH concentration and GPx activity was higher in the liver in the low-dose group on day 1 compared to the control. Furthermore, the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes increased significantly on day 1 in both exposure levels compared to the control. The results suggest that when EU-limiting doses are applied, individual mycotoxins may have a synergistic effect in the induction of oxidative stress.