Biomaterial Database

Naturally occurring toxic substances in foods. 1977

R L Gross, and P M Newberne

Numerous chemical toxins, including normal components of natural foods, e.g., mycotoxins, and toxic chemicals as contaminants such as pesticides, fertilizers, food additives, and preservatives, which are potentially toxic to humans, are discussed. Potential toxicity, the hazard to man represented by most of these chemicals, may be low because the concentration in food may be low. The gap in our knowledge of long-term effects makes rational decisions as to allowable levels of these substances a major problem. On the other hand, nitrosamines and aflatoxins are toxins for which there exists a voluminous literature documentaing extreme biologic activity in experimental animals and indirect evidence for activity in man. Epidemiologic evidence has linked them to human cancers, and because of increasing evidence of long-term human exposure to these toxins either as inadvertent contaminants during food preparation or as the metabolites of mycotic infestation this possible hazard demands intensive investigation. An exhaustive review of data from epidemiologic surveys in various parts of the world, as well as from long-term laboratory studies, represents an impressive start in this direction.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009602	Nitrosamines	A class of compounds that contain a -NH2 and a -NO radical. Many members of this group have carcinogenic and mutagenic properties.	Nitrosamine
D010945	Plants, Edible	An organism of the vegetable kingdom suitable by nature for use as a food, especially by human beings. Not all parts of any given plant are edible but all parts of edible plants have been known to figure as raw or cooked food: leaves, roots, tubers, stems, seeds, buds, fruits, and flowers. The most commonly edible parts of plants are FRUIT, usually sweet, fleshy, and succulent. Most edible plants are commonly cultivated for their nutritional value and are referred to as VEGETABLES.	Food Plants,Edible Plant,Edible Plants,Food Plant,Plant, Edible,Plant, Food,Plants, Food
D011480	Protease Inhibitors	Compounds which inhibit or antagonize biosynthesis or actions of proteases (ENDOPEPTIDASES).	Antiprotease,Endopeptidase Inhibitor,Endopeptidase Inhibitors,Peptidase Inhibitor,Peptidase Inhibitors,Peptide Hydrolase Inhibitor,Peptide Hydrolase Inhibitors,Peptide Peptidohydrolase Inhibitor,Peptide Peptidohydrolase Inhibitors,Protease Antagonist,Protease Antagonists,Antiproteases,Protease Inhibitor,Antagonist, Protease,Antagonists, Protease,Hydrolase Inhibitor, Peptide,Hydrolase Inhibitors, Peptide,Inhibitor, Endopeptidase,Inhibitor, Peptidase,Inhibitor, Peptide Hydrolase,Inhibitor, Peptide Peptidohydrolase,Inhibitor, Protease,Inhibitors, Endopeptidase,Inhibitors, Peptidase,Inhibitors, Peptide Hydrolase,Inhibitors, Peptide Peptidohydrolase,Inhibitors, Protease,Peptidohydrolase Inhibitor, Peptide,Peptidohydrolase Inhibitors, Peptide
D005504	Food Analysis	Measurement and evaluation of the components of substances to be taken as FOOD.	Analysis, Food,Analyses, Food,Food Analyses
D005506	Food Contamination	The presence in food of harmful, unpalatable, or otherwise objectionable foreign substances, e.g. chemicals, microorganisms or diluents, before, during, or after processing or storage.	Food Adulteration,Adulteration, Food,Adulterations, Food,Contamination, Food,Contaminations, Food,Food Adulterations,Food Contaminations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000348	Aflatoxins	Furano-furano-benzopyrans that are produced by ASPERGILLUS from STERIGMATOCYSTIN. They are structurally related to COUMARINS and easily oxidized to an epoxide form to become ALKYLATING AGENTS. Members of the group include AFLATOXIN B1; aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1, aflatoxin G2; AFLATOXIN M1; and aflatoxin M2.	Aflatoxin
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014118	Toxins, Biological	Specific, characterizable, poisonous chemicals, often PROTEINS, with specific biological properties, including immunogenicity, produced by microbes, higher plants (PLANTS, TOXIC), or ANIMALS.	Biological Toxins
D056486	Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury	A spectrum of clinical liver diseases ranging from mild biochemical abnormalities to ACUTE LIVER FAILURE, caused by drugs, drug metabolites, herbal and dietary supplements and chemicals from the environment.	Drug-Induced Liver Injury,Liver Injury, Drug-Induced,Acute Liver Injury, Drug-Induced,Chemically-Induced Liver Toxicity,Drug-Induced Acute Liver Injury,Drug-Induced Liver Disease,Hepatitis, Drug-Induced,Hepatitis, Toxic,Liver Injury, Drug-Induced, Acute,Toxic Hepatitis,Acute Liver Injury, Drug Induced,Chemically Induced Liver Toxicity,Chemically-Induced Liver Toxicities,Disease, Drug-Induced Liver,Diseases, Drug-Induced Liver,Drug Induced Acute Liver Injury,Drug Induced Liver Disease,Drug Induced Liver Injury,Drug-Induced Hepatitides,Drug-Induced Hepatitis,Drug-Induced Liver Diseases,Drug-Induced Liver Injuries,Hepatitides, Drug-Induced,Hepatitides, Toxic,Hepatitis, Drug Induced,Injuries, Drug-Induced Liver,Injury, Drug-Induced Liver,Liver Disease, Drug-Induced,Liver Diseases, Drug-Induced,Liver Injuries, Drug-Induced,Liver Injury, Drug Induced,Liver Toxicities, Chemically-Induced,Liver Toxicity, Chemically-Induced,Toxic Hepatitides,Toxicities, Chemically-Induced Liver,Toxicity, Chemically-Induced Liver