A new study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture evaluates the combined toxicity of multiple Penicillium-derived mycotoxins, focusing on how co-exposure affects absorption, metabolism, and excretion. The authors report that mycotoxins occurring together can produce additive or synergistic effects that single-toxin studies miss.
Penicillium species produce several toxins of human-health interest, including ochratoxin A, citrinin, and patulin. Real-world exposure, whether through diet or indoor environments, typically involves multiple mycotoxins simultaneously, making combined-exposure data clinically relevant.
The authors call for risk assessment frameworks that account for mixtures rather than single compounds, noting that current regulatory thresholds are typically derived from single-toxin studies.