Black aspergilli and ochratoxin A in foods

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent nephrotoxin and carcinogen which is found in a wide variety of common foods and beverages. The black aspergilli are distributed worldwide and are regarded as common food spoilage fungi. These fungi are one of the more difficult groups concerning classification and iden...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Cabañes Sáenz, Francisco Javier|||0000-0002-2244-5778; Bragulat, M. Rosa|||0000-0003-1853-1777
Format: Article
Publication date:2018
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:190528
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/190528
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.cofs.2018.01.006
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Aspergillus section Nigri
Foods
Mycotoxins
Ochratoxin A
Taxonomy
Description
Summary:Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent nephrotoxin and carcinogen which is found in a wide variety of common foods and beverages. The black aspergilli are distributed worldwide and are regarded as common food spoilage fungi. These fungi are one of the more difficult groups concerning classification and identification. New molecular approaches have shown that there is a high biodiversity, but that species are occasionally difficult to recognise based solely on their phenotypic characters. Only few species have been confirmed to be OTA producers in this group and fewer are known to contaminate foods with this mycotoxin as a natural occurring contaminant. In this paper, the OTA-producing species included in the Aspergillus section Nigri and the foods that they are able to contaminate are reviewed in depth.