Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites from moulds and are capable of causing Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites from moulds and are capable of causing diseases in plants, human and animals. Although they occur more frequently in areas with hot and humid climate favourable for the growth of moulds, they can also be found in temperate zones. Exposure to many mycotoxins is mostly through ingestion. It is also obtained through inhalation .The contamination of mycotoxins results, generally, in inferior quality of products and produce end-products, food safety, and ultimately as barriers to the trans-border marketability of agro-produce. Black pepper (Xylopia aethiopia, Uda in Igbo), Ashanti pepper(Piper guineese; Uziza in Igbo), and calash nutmeg (Ehuru in Igbo) have been contaminated with such fungi as Aspergillus sp, Penicillium spFiusarium sp and Rhizopus sp which secrete some mycotoxins. The toxic effects of mycotoxins like aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, fumonisins, zearalenone, etc. are known to have deleterious effects on animal and human health, and the details of these and means of management are discussed in this paper.