Emerging Fungal Pathogens and Mycotoxins: Epidemiology and Extraction

Abstract

Emerging fungal infections and mycotoxins pose a severe threat to food safety, agriculture, and global health, necessitating rapid action and innovative solutions. Secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi, known as mycotoxins, have the potential to impair both human and animal health. The bulk of filamentous fungi that produce these mycotoxins fall into four genera: Alternaria, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Aspergillus. In addition to their capacity to contaminate crops and ruin food, mycotoxigenic fungi offer a long-term and major hazard to agriculture, including the risk of malnutrition when nutritional quality is reduced. Because these diseases and toxins are so complex, detecting and identifying them can be extremely difficult; sophisticated molecular and analytical procedures are frequently necessary. The chemical diversity and great stability of these toxins complicate matters, enabling them to endure the usual processing, storage and transportation conditions. Their prevalence in significant commodities including cereals, fruits, and animal feed  leads to both acute and chronic health issue, including hepatotoxicity, carcinogenesis, immunological suppression, and gastrointestinal disorders. The chapter also highlights the significant economic burden resulting from crop rejection, livestock losses, and the heightened demand for surveillance and mitigation strategies. Recent advancements in analytical technologies, such as chromatographic techniques, ELISA, biosensors, and molecular assays, have significantly improved detection accuracy, however they remain difficult to implement in resource constrained environments. Additionally, the extraction methodologies covered QuEChERS, SLE, LLE, ASE, SFE, MAE and VALDS-ME are essential for enhancing sample preparation and lowering matrix interference. Therefore, reducing mycotoxin exposure and ensuring global food security require integrated approaches that combine pre-harvest management, post-harvest control, and effective extraction and detection techniques.