METABOLISM AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO AFLATOXI NS TOXICITY

Aflatoxins are metabolites of Aspergillus sp fungi which are contamina nts of animal and human diets. Both phase I and phase II drug metaboli zing enzymes are involved in the biological activity of aflatoxins. Cy tochrome P450 plays a central role in the bioactivation to epoxyde, it also forms products that are less toxic than the parent compounds. Gl utathione S-tranferases are identified as the major epoxide detoxifica tion system. The relative efficacy of competing pathways of aflatoxins biotransformation is a critical factor in the susceptibility to their toxic effects. In addition, modulation of biotransformation, and thus toxicity, can result from a variety of dietary and drug treatments.