Aflatoxin

**Semantic type:** Hazardous or Poisonous Substance|Organic Chemical

**Definition:** A group of mycotoxins, which are most commonly produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, and their toxic metabolites that are comprised of a fused coumarin-bis(dihydrofuran) ring structure, with potential acute and chronic toxic effects. Acute exposure to high levels of aflatoxins can cause liver damage. Chronic aflatoxin exposure results in an increased risk for liver cancer potentially caused by DNA intercalation and epoxide-mediated alkylation of nucleobases by aflatoxin metabolites, leading to increased levels of DNA damage, which may cause mutations.

**Synonyms:** - aflatoxin