FUMONISINS

Description

Fumonisins are a group of toxic metabolites (mycotoxins) produced primarily by the fungi Fusarium moniliforme (teleomorph Gibberella fujikuroi) and F. proliferatum. F. moniliforme, which infects corn (maize), numerous grasses, and herbaceous plants, and is cosmopolitan in cooler regions. Other Fusarium species that produce fumonisins include F. napiforme and F. nygamai. Fumonisin B1, the most common toxin, is generally considered to be produced on moldy corn and silage by certain strains of F. moniliforme. It is also often abundant in ground feeds and silage (1–4).

Pharmacology

Fumonisins cause neurotic diseases of horses, donkeys, and mules called “blind staggers” (technically known as equine leukocephalomalacia, or ELEM). These mycotoxins destroy areas of an animal’s brain. The disease occurs sporadically in many countries where these animals forage for corn left standing in the field after harvest and by consuming corn screenings or sweepings. Fumonisins are known to cause pulmonary edema in swine and liver cancer in rats. However, growing pigs that were fed a ration containing 78–82% corn heavily colonized by F. moniliforme grew as well as the control pigs, which were fed a ration of sound corn. Fumonisins have been associated with high rates of esophageal cancer of humans in South Africa and China (1–7).