This compound is a very good example of the wide and diverse activity of fungal metabolites.
Chemically, patulin is a two-ring lactone called 4-hydroxy-H-furo-3,2-c-piran-2 (6H)-one.
Patulin is a very reactive compound that binds easily to proteins and nucleic acids. This property is the main cause of harm to living organisms, but, on the other hand, it also allows you to quickly inactivate the toxin in food and feed. The passage of patulin through the gastrointestinal tract to animals is generally not dangerous. Only its high concentrations inhibit the development of intestinal microflora.
Patulin contamination affects all types of raw materials and food products: fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, cheese, bread. However, this applies most to apples, pears, grapes and their juices. The content of patulin in canned fruit is a good indicator of the quality of the raw materials used in their production.
Determination of mycotoxin content
Mycotoxins are present in food and feed in very small amounts. Their analyses are based on the physico-chemical properties of the compounds and are carried out in three stages:
• extraction, most often with chloroform or acetonitrile;
• purification of extracts from impurities that interfere with the analysis;
• Qualitative and quantitative determination using thin-layer, gas or high-performance liquid chromatography.
ELISA-based analysis methods are also widely used. The spectrofluorimetric method can also be used to study ochratoxin A in animal blood and tissues.
Assessment of the toxicity of fungal metabolites
Studies of the harmfulness of mycotoxins for domestic and laboratory animals are carried out by scientific medical and veterinary institutions. Their task is to determine the harmfulness thresholds of mycotoxins contained in food and feed. When this threshold is exceeded, toxins accumulate in the liver, kidneys and muscles. Harmful compounds enter milk and eggs, which poses a danger to the health of the consumer. Only a small amount of mycotoxins can be metabolized, inactivated and excreted in the urine without harm.
The toxicity assessment of fungal metabolites is carried out mainly on embryos of chicken eggs or laboratory animals (for example, ducklings, chickens, mice, rats, guinea pigs), which are fed with contaminated feed, and then their health status is assessed. More accurate tests are performed only if there is a decrease in body weight or other symptoms of the disease. Then the lethal dose of the toxin is determined, and then the changes caused by it in various organs are analyzed. Based on long-term toxicological studies, acceptable levels of individual toxins in food and feed are determined, which can be consumed without fear for human and animal health.
Simpler and cheaper laboratory biological tests using shrimp larvae have also been developed. Primum Esse darbuotojų atranka
Chemically, patulin is a two-ring lactone called 4-hydroxy-H-furo-3,2-c-piran-2 (6H)-one.
Patulin is a very reactive compound that binds easily to proteins and nucleic acids. This property is the main cause of harm to living organisms, but, on the other hand, it also allows you to quickly inactivate the toxin in food and feed. The passage of patulin through the gastrointestinal tract to animals is generally not dangerous. Only its high concentrations inhibit the development of intestinal microflora.
Patulin contamination affects all types of raw materials and food products: fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, cheese, bread. However, this applies most to apples, pears, grapes and their juices. The content of patulin in canned fruit is a good indicator of the quality of the raw materials used in their production.
Determination of mycotoxin content
Mycotoxins are present in food and feed in very small amounts. Their analyses are based on the physico-chemical properties of the compounds and are carried out in three stages:
• extraction, most often with chloroform or acetonitrile;
• purification of extracts from impurities that interfere with the analysis;
• Qualitative and quantitative determination using thin-layer, gas or high-performance liquid chromatography.
ELISA-based analysis methods are also widely used. The spectrofluorimetric method can also be used to study ochratoxin A in animal blood and tissues.
Assessment of the toxicity of fungal metabolites
Studies of the harmfulness of mycotoxins for domestic and laboratory animals are carried out by scientific medical and veterinary institutions. Their task is to determine the harmfulness thresholds of mycotoxins contained in food and feed. When this threshold is exceeded, toxins accumulate in the liver, kidneys and muscles. Harmful compounds enter milk and eggs, which poses a danger to the health of the consumer. Only a small amount of mycotoxins can be metabolized, inactivated and excreted in the urine without harm.
The toxicity assessment of fungal metabolites is carried out mainly on embryos of chicken eggs or laboratory animals (for example, ducklings, chickens, mice, rats, guinea pigs), which are fed with contaminated feed, and then their health status is assessed. More accurate tests are performed only if there is a decrease in body weight or other symptoms of the disease. Then the lethal dose of the toxin is determined, and then the changes caused by it in various organs are analyzed. Based on long-term toxicological studies, acceptable levels of individual toxins in food and feed are determined, which can be consumed without fear for human and animal health.
Simpler and cheaper laboratory biological tests using shrimp larvae have also been developed. Primum Esse darbuotojų atranka
