mycotoxin
Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that colonize crops, posing significant risks to agricultural safety and food security. In plant science, understanding mycotoxin production is critical for developing resistant crop varieties and improving post-harvest management strategies to reduce contamination. Research into the plant-fungal interactions that trigger mycotoxin biosynthesis also sheds light on broader mechanisms of plant defense and pathogen virulence.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-01
A common mold toxin found in wheat, corn, and other grains can damage the liver, gut, and immune system. This review identifies a key cellular protein (Nrf2) as the central switch that determines whether cells survive or are harmed by this toxin — and catalogs natural compounds that can flip that switch protectively.
Nrf2 activation follows a 'threshold effect': moderate oxidative stress from DON triggers protective cellular responses, while excessive stress suppresses Nrf2 and accelerates cell damage.
Plant extracts, amino acids, selenium, and microbial preparations were identified as Nrf2-targeting agents capable of reducing DON-induced organ toxicity.
Nrf2 modulation can simultaneously suppress oxidative damage, inflammation, ferroptosis (an iron-driven cell death), apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by DON exposure.