Mouldy Maize Could be Carcinogenic!

Hello readers, it has really been long LOL but today I bring to you something very important especially for developing nations especially African countries.

I would have say that all mouldy maize are Carcinogenic but I rather will say that all mouldy maize are possible Carcinogens.

Moulds (i. e. kind of fungi) are the organisms responsible for mouldy crops especially maize. There are several species Moulds responsible for mouldy maize. The fungi don't just infect the maize but also produce toxins that causes a lot disorders including cancer.

Though are many species of moulds responsible for crops, but the most prevalent species include:

1. Fusarium verticilliodes
2. Fusarium proliferatum
3. Aspergillus flavus
4. Aspergillus parasiticus
5. Aspergillus ochraceus
6. Aspergillus carbonarius
7. Penicillium verrucosum etc.

These moulds produce different toxins which are toxic to both animals and humans, causing a range of disorders including cancer.

Some of these toxins include:

1. AFLATOXIN produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus

2. FUMONISINS produced by Fusarium verticilliodes and Fusarium proliferatum

3. OCHRATOXIN produced by Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus carbonarius and Penicillium verrucosum.

Each of these toxins causes different kinds of cancer, for instance

AFLATOXINS can liver cancer. They are among the most carcinogenic substances known.

FUMONISINS can cause oesophageal cancer and liver cancer. In addition they can cause neural tube defect, leucoencephalomalacia in horses and pulmonary oedema in swines.

Among all crops, maize is the most frequently contaminated by the toxins, in fact it is difficult to see a maize plantation without any of these toxins especially fumonisins.

Diseases caused by these toxins have been reported in many developing nations where maize consumption is high. Nigeria is not an exception, maize consumption is also high in Nigeria in fact no part of Nigeria that doesn’t produce maize.

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