Fumonisin Toxicosis and its Effects on Human Health: Sources, Detection, and Risk Mitigation

Abstract

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced primarily by Fusarium species that frequently contaminate maize and other cereal crops, posing significant food safety and public health concerns worldwide. Chronic exposure to fumonisins, particularly fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), has been associated with adverse human health outcomes, including disruption of sphingolipid metabolism, oxidative stress, immunotoxicity, neural tube defects, and increased risk of oesophageal cancer in high-exposure populations. This review synthesizes scientific knowledge on the sources, global occurrence, and epidemiology of fumonisin contamination, highlighting environmental and storage factors that influence toxin production. The key molecular mechanisms of fumonisin toxicity, especially inhibition of ceramide synthase and consequent alterations in membrane lipid homeostasis, are discussed alongside evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies. Advances in fumonisin detection methods and international regulatory guidelines established by WHO and EFSA are also reviewed. The paper emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, improved food safety practices, and effective mitigation strategies, particularly in regions where maize-based diets predominate.