Molecular toxicology and carcinogenesis of fumonisins: a review.

Fumonisins, discovered in 1988 are a group of naturally occurring toxins produced by pathogenic fungi. Besides their presence in animal feeds, contamination of human foods such as corn, millet, oats, rye, barley, wheat and their products are widespread. Exposure to fumonisins results in species and organ specific toxicities including neurological disorders among equids, pulmonary edema in swine, esophageal cancer in humans and both kidney and liver related toxicities in rodents.

Determinants of aflatoxin exposures in Kenyan School-aged children.

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring food toxins known to contaminate cereals with a carry-over effect in milk and meat products from farm animals raised on contaminated feed. In children, continuous consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food is linked to immune suppression, vaccine interference and growth faltering while in adult populations, carcinogenesis in the liver has been established. We evaluate the main determinants of aflatoxin exposures among children recruited from primary schools in Makueni and Siaya Counties.

Nutrition and growth outcomes are affected by aflatoxin exposures in Kenyan children.

Aflatoxin exposure, malnutrition and growth impairment in children present significant public health problems in low- and middle-income countries. Recent epidemiology studies show that exposure to aflatoxins through dietary sources in early life contributes to growth retardation among children. However, the findings remain inconclusive due to limited comparative studies in high versus low aflatoxin exposure regions.