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Coumarin (2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) is a plant-derived natural product known for its pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antihypertensive, antitubercular, anticonvulsant, antiadipogenic, antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. Dietary exposure to benzopyrones is significant as these compounds are found in vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, coffee, tea, and wine. In view of the established low toxicity, relative cheapness, presence in the diet, and occurrence in various herbal remedies of coumarins, it appears prudent to evaluate their properties and applications further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Phenolic compounds from plants offer a means for both the prevention and detoxification of mycotoxins that affect human health. This research investigates the control of fungal growth and toxin production by Fusarium verticillioides with plant phenolic compounds, namely chlorophorin, iroko and maakianin, benzoic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and vanillic acid. Inhibition by these compounds of fungal growth was determined by the agar overlay method and their effect on fumonisin B[sub 1] (FB[sub 1]) production was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Chlorophorin was the most effective compound in inhibiting fungal growth, followed by iroko, maakianin, vanillic acid and caffeic acid. Chlorophorin also was the most effective compound in reducing toxin production (94% reduction), followed by caffeic acid, ferulic acid, vanillic acid and iroko, which reduced FB[sub 1] levels by 90-91%. The widespread occurrence of fumonisins world-wide and the lack of adequate prevention of fumonisins require 'biologically safe' alternatives to prevent the transfer of fungi and their health hazardous toxins into our daily foods and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes how industrial effluents and leachates from hazardous landfill sites were tested for toxicity using the anaerobic toxicity assay. Use of brewery spent grain effluent and a chemical industry effluent; How the chemical industry effluent was found to be most toxic; Findings that the leachate from Holfontein hazardous landfill site was least biodegradable.

Traditionally brewed alcoholic beverages are regularly consumed by most ethnic black South Africans. Maize and barley, both of which are used for producing locally brewed alcoholic beer, are frequently contaminated by mycotoxin-producing moulds. The study was undertaken to investigate whether these toxins are present in raw grains and the traditional beers imbibed by the local black African population. It was established that the raw ingredients (sorghum, sorghum malt grains, maize grits), commercially produced traditional beers (Utshwala and Utshwala special) and home-brewed beers (Umqombotha, Isiqatha, Imfulamfula) were contaminated by bacteria and fungi (both yeasts and moulds). The contaminating moulds were isolated and identified. The contaminated samples were analysed for aflatoxins B[sub 1], B[sub 2], G[sub 1] and G[sub 2], zearalenone, citrinin, deoxynivalenol, and ochratoxin A using a multi-mycotoxin thin-layer chromatography screening method and the toxins were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Grain samples were infected by Aspergillus flavus, A. alliaceus, A. clavatus, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp. and Mucor spp. Sorghum malt grain samples contained the toxin zearalenone. No mycotoxin-producing fungi were present in the fermented beers but two of six commercial beer samples contained aflatoxins (200 and 400 μgl[sup -1]) and 45% (13 of 29) of the home-brewed beers had zearalenone (range 2.6-426 μg l[sup -1]) and/or ochratoxin A (3-2340 μg l[sup -1]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]