ABSTRACT
Mycotoxins are the general name given to a number of secondary metabolites produced by microscopic fungi that parasitize the crops. The main types of mycotoxins are the aflatoxins (AFB) B1, B2, G1, and G2, ochratoxin (OTA) A, trichothecenes, zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), fumonision B1 and B2 (FB1 and FB2), fusaproliferin, moniliformic, beauvericin-, enniatins, ergot alkaloids, altenuene, alternariol, alternariol methyl ether, altertoxin, and tenuazonic acid. ZEA is metabolized in the liver and in the small intestine through redox reactions to α- and β-zearalenol. Sus scrofa is a preferred animal model for ZEA toxicological evaluation. Sus scrofa is a mammal whose organs bear a lot of similarities to those of humans, when it comes to shape and size. ZEA changes spleen parameters by reducing spleen wet weight, interferon levels, and antioxidant capacity. ZEA acts by affecting the endocrine system from its command center, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland down to the peripheral glands, the ovaries.
