The effect of zinc, copper, and iron levels on production of ochratoxin A by Aspergillus ochraceus Wilhelm in a synthetic medium in a shake culture was investigated. Optimal concentrations of ZnSO(4), CuSO(4), and FeCl(3) for ochratoxin A production were 0.055 to 2.2 mg/liter, 0.004 to 0.04 mg/liter, and 1.2 to 24 mg/liter, respectively. Zinc and copper levels greater than optimum reduced the r...

The effect of rumen microbes on six mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, and deoxynivalenol ) considered to be health risks for domestic animals was investigated. The mycotoxins were incubated with intact rumen fluid or fractions of rumen protozoa and bacteria from sheep and cattle in the presence or absence of milled feed. Rumen fluid had no effec...

The approach to assess exposure to ochratoxin A from the diet by the analysis of human plasma and urine samples has been developed. Composite duplicate diet samples from 50 individuals and corresponding plasma and urine samples were obtained over 30 days. Samples were analysed using sensitive methods capable of measuring ochratoxin A at 0.001 ng g(-1) in food, 0.1 ng ml(-1) in plasma and 0.01 n...

Ochratoxin A is a toxic and carcinogenic fungal secondary metabolite; its presence in foods is increasingly regulated. Various fungi are known to produce ochratoxins, but it is not known which species produce ochratoxins consistently and which species cause ochratoxin contamination of various crops. We isolated fungi in the Aspergillus ochraceus group (section Circumdati) and Aspergillus alliac...

Ochratoxin A, a naturally occurring mycotoxin, has recently been shown to cause renal and hepatic carcinomas in mice. In the present studies, the effects of ochratoxin A on immune mechanisms associated with tumor resistance were examined in mice using dose levels similar to those that cause neoplasia. Ochratoxin A was shown to specifically inhibit natural killer (NK) cell activity and increase ...

Aspergillus ochraceus NRRL 3174 produced 29 mg of ochratoxin A per 100 ml of nutrient medium consisting of 4% sucrose and 2% yeast extract. Ochratoxin A was the sole metabolite present in the chloroform extracts of the growth medium. Trace amounts of ochratoxin B were produced in a 1% yeast medium, and a comparatively large amount of ochratoxin B was produced in media containing 16 and 32% sucr...

The present study was carried out to evaluate the spermatotoxic effect of ochratoxin and it's amelioration by Emblica officinalis aqueous extract. When male albino mice were treated with ochratoxin (50 and 100 microg/0.2 mL of olive oil/animal/day for 45 days, orally) alterations in various reproductive parameters were observed (sperm count, sperm motility, sperm viability and fertility rate), ...

Ochratoxin A is a potent nephrotoxin and a possible human carcinogen that can contaminate various agricultural products, including grapes and wine. The capabilities of species other than Aspergillus carbonarius within Aspergillus section Nigri to produce ochratoxin A from grapes are uncertain, since strain identification is based primarily on morphological traits. We used amplified fragment len...

The opposing effect of ascorbic acid against ochratoxin induced perturbations in some haematological and biochemical parameters in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was investigated. This study was carried out to evaluate the ability of a minimum level (500 mg/ kg diet) of vitamin C to counteract the toxicity of two levels of ochratoxin (400 and 600 μg/ kg diet). Nile tilapia (5060 g/ fish) ...

BACKGROUND The mycotoxin ochratoxin A, an agent responsible for endemic Balkan nephropathy is known to trigger apoptosis and thus being toxic to several organs including the kidney. The mechanisms involved in ochratoxin A induced apoptosis include oxidative stress. Sequelae of ochratoxin intoxication include anemia. Similar to apoptosis of nucleated cells, erythrocytes may undergo suicidal cell...