Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some fungi, sadly known for their toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic power, and for being frequent food contaminants.
The aflatoxins are mainly synthesized from two species of Aspergillus, the A. flavus (hence the name) and A. parasiticus. While the former synthesizes aflatoxins of type B (B1 and B2), the latter produces aflatoxins both of type B and of type G (G1 and G2); in addition to these, other types of aflatoxins have been identified (approximately twenty in all, classified according to fluorescence), but only the four listed and the aflatoxin M1, substance deriving from B1 metabolism in animals fed contaminated feed.
The toxicity of these molecules mainly affects the liver, to the point that their ability to induce hepatocellular carcinoma - when they are ingested in large quantities and for long periods - has been widely demonstrated. The damaging action of these toxins is accelerated by the simultaneous presence of chronic hepatopathies; this would explain the greater incidence of liver cancer in developing countries, where cereal storage does not meet satisfactory hygiene standards and liver diseases (such as viral hepatitis) are more common.
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