Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by various fungal species that pose significant risks to food safety, agriculture, and public health. Contamination of crops, animal feed, and processed food products with mycotoxins leads to economic losses and severe health consequences, including carcinogenic, immunosuppressive, nephrotoxic, and hepatotoxic effects. Given their stability and resistance to conventional food processing methods, mycotoxin detection, risk assessment, and mitigation remain critical research areas.
Despite extensive studies, challenges persist in developing rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective detection techniques capable of identifying multiple mycotoxins simultaneously. Additionally, understanding the mechanisms of toxicity and their interactions with biological systems requires further exploration. Mitigation strategies, including biocontrol methods, chemical detoxification, food processing techniques, and genetic approaches to develop resistant crops, are still evolving.
This collection aims to bring together diverse methodologies and original research findings in mycotoxin analysis, toxicological assessment, and mitigation strategies. Topics of interest include advanced analytical techniques, fungal biology, and mycotoxin biosynthesis. Environmental factors influencing contamination will also be included, along with research on exposure assessment, toxicokinetics, biomarkers, and health risk evaluation. Contributions addressing food safety management, biodegradation and detoxification strategies, biocontrol approaches, and resistant crop development are welcome.
By consolidating methodologies and original research articles, this collection will serve as a comprehensive resource for scientists, food safety authorities, and policymakers. It will facilitate knowledge exchange, encourage interdisciplinary collaborations, and accelerate the development of effective solutions to mitigate mycotoxin-related risks, ultimately contributing to safer food systems and improved public health worldwide.