# Mechanism of Mycotoxin Contamination of Medicinal Herbs

## TL;DR

This review explores how mycotoxins like aflatoxin and ochratoxin contaminate medicinal herbs, focusing on factors like plant maturity and fungal interactions.

## Contribution

The paper provides a novel, comprehensive analysis of contamination mechanisms in medicinal herbs, linking them to plant maturity and physical characteristics.

## Key findings

- Aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination involve interactions between plant defenses and fungal pathogenicity.
- Herb maturity and physical composition significantly influence mycotoxin contamination levels.
- Understanding these mechanisms improves strategies to mitigate contamination in medicinal herbs.

## Abstract

Mycotoxin contamination in medicinal plants can lead to toxicity, reduced therapeutic efficacy, and economic losses. This contamination has emerged as a significant issue, drawing attention from researchers and research centers worldwide. Over recent decades, numerous analytical studies have addressed mycotoxin contamination in these herbs, evaluating various methods to determine their presence quantitatively and qualitatively. While several reviews have summarized these studies, they often overlook a comprehensive exploration of the mechanisms and influencing factors of mycotoxin contamination in medicinal herbs. Therefore, this review aims to delve into the mechanisms of aflatoxin and ochratoxin contamination in some of the most widespread medicinal herbs, including jujube fruits, lotus seeds, and licorice roots. The factors influencing these mechanisms were also examined, including the physical composition and maturity stages of the herbs. This review concluded that aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination of medicinal herbs involves complex interactions between the herbs’ natural defenses, fungal pathogenicity, chemical composition, physical characteristics, and individual plant differences at various maturity stages. Understanding these mechanisms of contamination, and their association with maturity, nutrient profile, and physical development, advances our comprehension of mycotoxin contamination in medicinal herbs.