INTRODUCTION: Medicinal plants are extensively utilized as dietary supplements to encourage disease prevention and to support the treatment of various health disorders. Unfortunately, several plants are known for mycotoxin contamination, which may overwhelm any beneficial effects the plants might have. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CIT) in medicinal herbal products (MHP). METHODS: Sixty samples of different MHP types were purchased on the Czech market during 2020-2021. Both mycotoxins were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector with immunoaffinity columns employed as a pretreatment. RESULTS: In total, 40% and 27% of samples were above the limit of quantification with the concentrations ranging up to 826.62 ng/g and 472.79 ng/g for OTA and CIT, respectively. The co-occurrence was confirmed in six MHP types. CONCLUSIONS: MHP could be a significant source of OTA and CIT. To protect the health of MHP users, it is desirable to continue monitoring the presence of mycotoxins in MHP. During this study, new OTA regulations for herbs came into force in the EU.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

This review updates the current status of activities related to hazard characterisation for mycotoxins, with special reference to regulatory work accomplished within the European Union. Because the relevant information on these topics is widely scattered in the scientific literature, this review intends to provide a condensed overview on the most pertinent aspects. Human health risk assessment is a procedure to estimate the nature and potential for harmful effects of mycotoxins on human health due to exposure to them via contaminated food. This assessment involves hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment, and risk characterisation. Mycotoxins covered in this review are aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, cyclopiazonic acid, citrinin, trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, T-2, and HT-2 toxins), fumonisins, zearalenone, patulin, and ergot alkaloids. For mycotoxins with clear genotoxic/carcinogenic properties, the focus is on the margin of exposure approach. One of its goals is to document predictive characterisation of the human hazard, based on studies in animals using conditions of low exposure. For the other, non-genotoxic toxins, individual 'no adverse effect levels' have been established, but structural analogues or modified forms may still complicate assessment. During the process of hazard characterisation, each identified effect is assessed for human relevance. The estimation of a 'safe dose' is the hazard characterisation endpoint. The final aim of all of these activities is to establish a system, which is able to minimise and control the risk for the consumer from mycotoxins in food. Ongoing research on mycotoxins constantly comes up with new findings, which may have to be implemented into this system.

• Keywords
• Food, Hazard characterisation, Health risk assessment, Mycotoxins, Total diet study,
• MeSH
• Aflatoxins * analysis   MeSH
• Fumonisins * analysis   MeSH
• Food Contamination analysis   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mycotoxins * analysis   MeSH
• Ergot Alkaloids * MeSH
• Patulin * analysis   MeSH
• Zearalenone * analysis   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Aflatoxins * MeSH
• Fumonisins * MeSH
• Mycotoxins * MeSH
• Ergot Alkaloids * MeSH
• Patulin * MeSH
• Zearalenone * MeSH

Spices are imported worldwide mainly from developing countries with tropical and/or subtropical climate. Local conditions, such as high temperature, heavy rainfall, and humidity, promote fungal growth leading to increased occurrence of mycotoxins in spices. Moreover, the lack of good agricultural practice (GAP), good manufacturing practice (GMP), and good hygienic practice (GHP) in developing countries are of great concern. This review summarizes recent data from a total of 56 original papers dealing with mycotoxins and microfungi in various spices in the last five years. A total of 38 kinds of spices, 17 mycotoxins, and 14 microfungi are discussed in the review. Worldwide, spices are rather overlooked in terms of mycotoxin regulations, which usually only cover aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA). In this paper, an extensive attention is devoted to the limits on mycotoxins in spices in the context of the European Union (EU) as well as other countries. As proven in this review, the incidence of AFs and OTA, as well as other mycotoxins, is relatively high in many spices; thus, the preparation of new regulation limits is advisable.

• Keywords
• contamination, microfungi, mycotoxin, spices,
• MeSH
• Aflatoxins analysis   toxicity   MeSH
• Time Factors MeSH
• Fungi isolation & purification   MeSH
• Internationality * legislation & jurisprudence   MeSH
• Food Contamination legislation & jurisprudence   prevention & control   MeSH
• Spices adverse effects   analysis   toxicity   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mycotoxins analysis   toxicity   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Aflatoxins MeSH
• Mycotoxins MeSH

The Czech Republic occupies the first place in the world in the frequency of renal and other urinary tract tumours, but their aetiology is unknown. To explore whether carcinogenic and nephrotoxic mycotoxins may contribute to kidney diseases in the Czech population, biomarkers of ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CIT) exposure were determined in biological specimens from a cohort of 50 patients with malignant renal tumours. Biomarker analyses in blood and urine samples used validated targeted methods for measuring OTA and CIT plus dihydrocitrinone (DH-CIT) after enrichment of analytes by specific immunoaffinity clean-up. OTA and CIT plus its metabolite DH-CIT were frequently detected in patient urine samples (OTA 62%; CIT 91%; DH-CIT 100%). The concentration ranges in urine were 1-27.8 ng/L for OTA, 2-87 ng/L for CIT and 2-160 ng/L for DH-CIT. The analyses of blood samples revealed also a frequent co-occurrence of OTA and CIT, in the ranges of 40-870 ng/L serum for OTA and 21-182 ng/L plasma for CIT. This first analysis of biomarkers in blood and urine samples of Czech patients revealed no major differences in comparison with published data for the general healthy Czech and European populations. Nonetheless, a frequent co-occurrence of CIT and OTA biomarkers in patient samples may be of interest with regard to potential interactions with other risk factors for renal disease.

• Keywords
• Biomarkers, Citrinin, Dihydrocitrinone, Ochratoxin A, Renal carcinogenicity,
• MeSH
• Biomarkers blood   urine   MeSH
• Chromatography, Liquid MeSH
• Citrinin blood   urine   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Cohort Studies MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mycotoxins blood   urine   MeSH
• Kidney Neoplasms chemistry   urine   MeSH
• Ochratoxins blood   urine   MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Tandem Mass Spectrometry MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czechoslovakia MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Biomarkers MeSH
• Citrinin MeSH
• Mycotoxins MeSH
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH

Since ochratoxin A (OTA) was discovered, it has been ubiquitous as a natural contaminant of moldy food and feed. The multiple toxic effects of OTA are a real threat for human beings and animal health. For example, OTA can cause porcine nephropathy but can also damage poultries. Humans exposed to OTA can develop (notably by inhalation in the development of acute renal failure within 24 h) a range of chronic disorders such as upper urothelial carcinoma. OTA plays the main role in the pathogenesis of some renal diseases including Balkan endemic nephropathy, kidney tumors occurring in certain endemic regions of the Balkan Peninsula, and chronic interstitial nephropathy occurring in Northern African countries and likely in other parts of the world. OTA leads to DNA adduct formation, which is known for its genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. The present article discusses how renal carcinogenicity and nephrotoxicity cause both oxidative stress and direct genotoxicity. Careful analyses of the data show that OTA carcinogenic effects are due to combined direct and indirect mechanisms (e.g., genotoxicity, oxidative stress, epigenetic factors). Altogether this provides strong evidence that OTA carcinogenicity can also occur in humans.

• Keywords
• Balkan endemic nephropathy, biomarkers, carcinogenicity, feed, food, microfungi, ochratoxin A, toxicity, urothelial cancer,
• MeSH
• Balkan Nephropathy chemically induced   genetics   history   metabolism   MeSH
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Epigenesis, Genetic drug effects   MeSH
• Risk Assessment MeSH
• Kidney drug effects   metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Cell Transformation, Neoplastic chemically induced   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Kidney Neoplasms chemically induced   genetics   history   metabolism   MeSH
• Ochratoxins history   metabolism   toxicity   MeSH
• Oxidative Stress drug effects   MeSH
• DNA Damage MeSH
• Food Microbiology * history   trends   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic drug effects   MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Toxicology * history   trends   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH

Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxic and renal carcinogenic mycotoxin and is a common contaminant of various food commodities. Eighty six kinds of foodstuffs (1032 food samples) were collected in 2011-2013. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used for ochratoxin A determination. Limit of quantification of the method varied between 0.01-0.2 μg/kg depending on the food matrices. The most exposed population is children aged 4-6 years old. Globally for this group, the maximum ochratoxin A dietary exposure for "average consumer" was estimated at 3.3 ng/kg bw/day (lower bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 0) and 3.9 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 1/2 limit of quantification). Important sources of exposure for this latter group include grain-based products, confectionery, meat products and fruit juice. The dietary intake for "high consumers" in the group 4-6 years old was estimated from grains and grain-based products at 19.8 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound), from tea at 12.0 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound) and from confectionery at 6.5 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound). For men aged 18-59 years old beer was the main contributor with an intake of 2.60 ng/kg bw/day ("high consumers", middle bound). Tea and grain-based products were identified to be the main contributors for dietary exposure in women aged 18-59 years old. Coffee and wine were identified as a higher contributor of the OTA intake in the population group of women aged 18-59 years old compared to the other population groups.

• Keywords
• Czech population, dietary exposure, exposure sources, food, ochratoxin A,
• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Edible Grain microbiology   MeSH
• Coffee microbiology   MeSH
• Food Contamination analysis   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Meat Products MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Ochratoxins administration & dosage   analysis   toxicity   MeSH
• Fruit and Vegetable Juices microbiology   MeSH
• Beer microbiology   MeSH
• Population Groups * MeSH
• Food Microbiology MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Wine microbiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Coffee MeSH
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, reprotoxic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic (group 2B), being characterized by species and sex differences in sensitivity. Despite the fact that OTA is in some aspects a controversial topic, OTA is the most powerful renal carcinogen. The aim of this study was to make a small survey concerning OTA content in black tea, fruit tea, and ground roasted coffee, and to assess OTA transfer into beverages. OTA content was measured using a validated and accredited HPLC-FLD method with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.35 ng/g. The OTA amount ranged from LOQ up to 250 ng/g in black tea and up to 104 ng/g in fruit tea. Black tea and fruit tea, naturally contaminated, were used to prepare tea infusions. The transfer from black tea to the infusion was 34.8% ± 1.3% and from fruit tea 4.1% ± 0.2%. Ground roasted coffee naturally contaminated at 0.92 ng/g was used to prepare seven kinds of coffee beverages. Depending on the type of process used, OTA transfer into coffee ranged from 22.3% to 66.1%. OTA intakes from fruit and black tea or coffee represent a non-negligible human source.

• MeSH
• Tea microbiology   MeSH
• Coffee microbiology   MeSH
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration MeSH
• Food Contamination analysis   MeSH
• Ochratoxins analysis   MeSH
• Fruit microbiology   MeSH
• Food Microbiology MeSH
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Tea MeSH
• Coffee MeSH
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH