A research team from the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) in Japan discovered a fungus that helps destroy a harmful food toxin, Patulin.
Key finding:
The team identified a filamentous fungal strain, Acremonium sp. or "TUS-MM1," belonging to the genera Acremonium.
The scientists then performed various experiments to shed light on the mechanisms by which TUS-MM1 degraded patulin.
This involved incubating the mold strain in a patulin-rich solution and focusing on the substances that gradually appeared both inside and outside its cells in response to patulin over time.
They found that TUS-MM1 cells transformed any absorbed patulin into desoxypatulinic acid, a compound much less toxic than patulin, by adding hydrogen atoms to it.
The team also found that some of the compounds secreted by TUS-MM1 cells can transform patulin into other molecules.
About Patulin:
Patulin (C7H6O4) is a toxic mycotoxin produced by several types of fungi.
It is harmful to a wide range of creatures, including humans, mammals, plants, and microbes.
It can grow on damaged or decaying fruits, especially apples.
Impact on human health
It is responsible for a wide variety of health hazards, including nausea, lung congestion, ulcers, intestinal haemorrhages, and even more serious outcomes—such as DNA damage, immunosuppression and increased cancer risk.
Treatment of patulin toxicity includes oxygen therapy, immunotherapy, detoxification therapy, and nutrient therapy.
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