Worldwide occurrence of mycotoxins in rice

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some species of fungi that may contaminate a wide variety of foods, and which can cause acute and chronic toxic effects in both animals and humans (mycotoxicoses). Their presence has been identified in rice crops. The present manuscript revises several worldwide researches about the various kinds and frequency of occurrence of mycotoxins in rice. Aflatoxins, citrinin, deoxynivalenol, sterigmatocystin, fumonisins, zearalenone, cyclopiazonic acid, patulin, gliotoxin and some trichothecenes are the main mycotoxins that have been identified in this cereal, and their levels variate widely throughout the samples of rice that were analysed. In several countries of the Asian continent the consumption of this cereal constitutes the main source of these secondary metabolites. Due to the importance of rice as a basic element of the human diet, it is necessary to carry out further research about this subject.