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Ochratoxins
Rapid CDIATM Ochratoxins kits are intended for the detection of Ochratoxins in food.
Ochratoxins are a group of mycotoxins produced by some Aspergillus
species (mainly A. ochraceus, but also by 33% of A. niger industrial
strains) and some Penicillium species, especially P. verrucosum and P.
carbonarius . Ochratoxin A is the most prevalent and relevant fungal
toxin of this group, while ochratoxins B and C are of lesser importance.
Ochratoxin A is known to occur in commodities such as cereals, coffee,
dried fruit, and red wine. It is possibly a human carcinogen and is of
special interest as it can be accumulated in the meat of animals. Thus,
meat and meat products can be contaminated with this toxin. Exposure to
ochratoxins through diet can cause acute toxicity in mammalian kidneys.
It has been suggested that carriers of alleles associated with
phenylketonuria may have been protected from spontaneous abortion caused
by ochratoxin exposure, providing a heterozygous advantage for the
alleles despite the possibility of severe mental retardation in the
rarer instance of inheritance from both parents.