Mycotoxicoses in Veterinary Medicine: Toxins, Grass Staggers, and Neothyphodium Toxins.

Fungi are a large group of eukaryotic microorganisms that can readily adapt to diverse environments and occur in almost all climatic zones and continents. Although some fungi are inevitable in the environment for the decay and recycling of organic material, many species are known to produce secondary metabolites, and these mycotoxins, when ingested with food or feed materials, can adversely affect animal and human health. Among the toxigenic fungi, species are recognized as so-called field fungi, invading crops and producing mycotoxins predominantly before harvest. produces a wide array of mycotoxins, causing different plant diseases. Fusariosis causes significant economic losses in a wide range of crops. secondary metabolites, particularly trichothecenes, are potent toxins in mammalian species and cause diverse adverse effects in humans and animals. Other prominent toxins with entirely different chemical structures are zearalenone and its derivatives and fumonisins. With an entirely different life cycle, toxins of endophytes belonging to the genus Epichloë and and comprise an animal health risk, particularly for grazing animals. This review aimed to summarize the adverse effects of selected and toxins, with a special emphasis on their occurrence in roughages and their mechanisms of action, and describe their effect on animal health and welfare and the potentially related public health risks.