Glycosylated mycotoxins: a hidden enemy.

This study focuses on glycosylated mycotoxins: a hidden enemy.. The research employs high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques to address analytical challenges in the food safety field. Covering: 2010 up to 2025 (May)Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi, are highly toxic contaminants of food crops. These contaminated plants pose a significant health risk to livestock and humans. Cereals are the main source of dietary mycotoxin intake in the EU and are often contaminated with... Research Background and Significance Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by various filamentous fungi that commonly contaminate food crops, posing significant health risks to both humans and livestock. Among these, glycosylated mycotoxins represent a particularly insidious threat due to their masked nature, making them difficult to detect with conventional analytical methods. These conjugated forms can evade routine screening, yet they retain or can release toxicity upon metabolism, complicating food safety assessments. The study "Glycosylated mycotoxins: a hidden enemy" by Stránská et al. addresses this critical gap by focusing on the improved detection and quantification of glycosylated mycotoxins in cereals, which are a primary dietary source of mycotoxin exposure in the European Union. The significance of this research lies in its potential to enhance food safety monitoring programs by providing robust analytical tools to identify these hidden contaminants, thereby protecting public health and supporting regulatory compliance. Experimental Design and Methodology The researchers employed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as the central analytical technique to separate, identify, and quantify glycosylated mycotoxins in comple