**Author details**

*Mycotoxins and Food Safety*

It has been discovered that OH•

ing cell respiration, which led to cell death.

threat to the consumer or the environment.

Russian Federation, goszadanie no. 2019-1075.

**6. Conclusions**

**Acknowledgments**

, interacted with constituents of DNA, which

could

led to the breakage of DNA single-strands via the formation of 8-hydroxyl-2′ deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) DNA adduct [226, 227]. In vivo studies have shown that AgNPs influenced the activity of chicken oxidative stress enzymes [228]. AgNP treatment induced a pronounced ROS in *P. aeruginosa* compared to AgNO3. The expression levels of ROS related proteins (PA4133, Hmp, KatA, CcoP2, SodB, CcpA, RibC, EtfA, and PiuC) were specifically regulated after exposure to AgNPs in concentration and time-related modes. Cells treated with AgNO3 did not show any perturbation in intracellular ROS generation at low levels, which supports the existing theory that oxidative stress is triggered solely by AgNPs at their corresponding

concentrations [229]. As reported by [220], the biocidal activities of Ag+

also be attributed to its interactions with the thiol-related compounds found in the respiratory enzymes of cells, resulting in cell death. A researcher [230] proposed a theory using Ag with cellular energy production. Essential proteins of prokaryotes and eukaryotes located on the cell exterior and interior (mitochondrial organelles), respectively, deactivated after coming in contact with AgNPs. However, the interior components (mitochondrial proteins) required higher concentrations and much smaller AgNPs before they are rendered inactive, because the cellular membrane acted as a diffusion barrier. Moreover, the eukaryotes possessed numerous biological energy conservation system due it extensive mitochondria when compared to the prokaryotes, thereby predisposing the latter cells to AgNP interaction, hamper-

It is shown from the above studies that all the mentioned microorganisms, especially the fungi, are involved in grain contamination and subsequent mycotoxin production during storage. Mechanical damage during harvesting or processing served as an easy route via which microorganisms penetrated the endosperms of seeds, and secrete mycotoxins (aflatoxins, etc.) rendering stored grains unsafe for human consumption. The ability of AgNPs to inhibit microbial growth makes them a promising candidate for utilization in storing grains to minimize the economic losses and food poisoning caused by mycotoxins contamination. Moreover, AgNPs inhibited the synthesis of these mycotoxins by switching off molecular pathways via which they are produced, thus guaranteeing the safety of stored grains for consumption. The utilization of AgNPs could enhance shelf-life, maintain the quality and nutritional values of grains. This innovative method is safe and do not pose a

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of

**116**

Daniel Nsengumuremyi1,2†, Parise Adadi3†\*, Gavers K. Oppong4,5, Nadezhda V. Barakova1 and Elena F. Krivoshapkina2

1 Department of Food Biotechnology for Plant Origin Products, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

2 Solution Chemistry of Advanced Materials and Technology (SCAMT) Institute, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

3 Department of Food Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

4 Department of Plant Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

5 School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, United Kingdom

\*Address all correspondence to: parise.adadi@postgrad.otago.ac.nz or pariseadadi@gmail.com

† These authors contributed equally.

© 2020 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
