Food-Origin Mycotoxin-Induced Neurotoxicity: Intend to Break the Rules of Neuroglia Cells

Figure 1

Food-origin mycotoxins cause neuronal and brain damage by infecting astrocytes and microglia. Mycotoxins including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) enter the body mainly through food crops and animal-origin foods (meat, eggs, milk, sugarcane, and edible viscera). Mycotoxins and its metabolites can easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and infect astrocytes and microglia, which eventually leading to neuronal damage and brain damage. Whether mycotoxins cause neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer, Parkinson, Huntington, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis need further research.