Trichothecenes: Hazards for Human and Animal Health

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi. One of the most important mycotoxins is trichothecenes. They commonly contaminated in grains particularly barley, corn, oats and wheat. They had been shown to exert a variety of toxic effects on human and animal health, particularly at the cellular level by inhibiting protein synthesis and in the other systems such as lymphatic, blood, nervous and immune systems. Trichothecenes are unavoidable contaminants in human food and animal feed. They pose a major problem in the public health all over the world. Studying their toxicity is particularly useful for prevention of harmful effects caused by the exposure to this toxin.