Definition

1. Noun:
   • A highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical compound produced by certain molds of the Aspergillus species, particularly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. It is a significant food safety concern, commonly contaminating crops like peanuts, tree nuts, corn, and cottonseed.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The peanut batch was recalled due to high levels of aflatoxin.
  • Chronic exposure to aflatoxin is a major risk factor for liver cancer.
  • Strict regulations limit the permissible amount of aflatoxin in food products.

Advanced Usage

• "Aflatoxin contamination": Refers to the presence of aflatoxin in a substance, especially foodstuffs.
  • Aflatoxin contamination in maize is a persistent problem in some tropical regions.
• "Aflatoxin poisoning" (or aflatoxicosis): Refers to the illness resulting from ingesting high levels of aflatoxins.
  • The outbreak of aflatoxin poisoning was traced back to moldy grain.

Variants and Related Words

• Aflatoxigenic (adj): Describing molds capable of producing aflatoxin.
  • Aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus were identified in the soil.
• Aflatoxicosis (n): The medical condition of poisoning by aflatoxins.

Synonyms

• Mycotoxin: This is a broader category; aflatoxin is a specific, potent type of mycotoxin.
• Carcinogen: A substance capable of causing cancer; aflatoxin is a specific, naturally occurring carcinogen.

Related Phrases

• "Produced by Aspergillus": A key descriptive phrase identifying the source of aflatoxin.
  • The aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus can survive many food processing methods.

Related Concepts

• Biological weapon (bioweapon): As referenced, aflatoxin has been researched for potential use as a toxin in biological warfare due to its stability and potency.
• Food safety hazard: Aflatoxin is a classic example of a naturally occurring chemical hazard in the food supply chain.

Noun

1. a potent carcinogen from the fungus Aspergillus; can be produced and stored for use as a bioweapon