TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of fusarium-derived mycoestrogens on female reproduction
T2 - A systematic review
AU - Kinkade, Carolyn W.
AU - Rivera-Núñez, Zorimar
AU - Gorcyzca, Ludwik
AU - Aleksunes, Lauren M.
AU - Barrett, Emily S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Conflicts of Interest: The authors (Z.R.-N., L.G., L.M.A., and E.S.B.) receives grant support for research on this topic. The author (LA) has given talks on this topic at workshops, seminars, and conferences for which travel and accommodation has been paid for by the organizers. The other authors declare that they have no known conflicts of interest. Funding for this research is from: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [Grants F31ES029794, R01ES029275, T32ES019854, T32ES007148, and P30ES005022] and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences [Grant UL1TR003017].
Funding Information:
Funding: This work was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [Grants F31ES029794, R01ES029275, T32ES019854, T32ES007148, and P30ES005022] and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences [Grant UL1TR003017].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Contamination of the world’s food supply and animal feed with mycotoxins is a growing concern as global temperatures rise and promote the growth of fungus. Zearalenone (ZEN), an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, is a common contaminant of cereal grains and has also been detected at lower levels in meat, milk, and spices. ZEN’s synthetic derivative, zeranol, is used as a growth promoter in United States (US) and Canadian beef production. Experimental research suggests that ZEN and zeranol disrupt the endocrine and reproductive systems, leading to infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome-like phenotypes, pregnancy loss, and low birth weight. With widespread human dietary exposure and growing experimental evidence of endocrine-disrupting properties, a comprehensive review of the impact of ZEN, zeranol, and their metabolites on the female reproductive system is warranted. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological literature and evaluate the potential impact of ZEN, zeranol, and their metabolites (commonly referred to as mycoestrogens) on female reproductive outcomes. We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO registration CRD42020166469) of the literature (2000–2020) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The data sources were primary literature published in English obtained from searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The ToxR tool was applied to assess risk of bias. In vitro and in vivo studies (n = 104) were identified and, overall, evidence consistently supported adverse effects of mycoestrogens on physiological processes, organs, and tissues associated with female reproduction. In non-pregnant animals, mycoestrogens alter follicular profiles in the ovary, disrupt estrus cycling, and increase myometrium thickness. Furthermore, during pregnancy, mycoestrogen exposure contributes to placental hemorrhage, stillbirth, and impaired fetal growth. No epidemiological studies fitting the inclusion criteria were identified.
AB - Contamination of the world’s food supply and animal feed with mycotoxins is a growing concern as global temperatures rise and promote the growth of fungus. Zearalenone (ZEN), an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, is a common contaminant of cereal grains and has also been detected at lower levels in meat, milk, and spices. ZEN’s synthetic derivative, zeranol, is used as a growth promoter in United States (US) and Canadian beef production. Experimental research suggests that ZEN and zeranol disrupt the endocrine and reproductive systems, leading to infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome-like phenotypes, pregnancy loss, and low birth weight. With widespread human dietary exposure and growing experimental evidence of endocrine-disrupting properties, a comprehensive review of the impact of ZEN, zeranol, and their metabolites on the female reproductive system is warranted. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological literature and evaluate the potential impact of ZEN, zeranol, and their metabolites (commonly referred to as mycoestrogens) on female reproductive outcomes. We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO registration CRD42020166469) of the literature (2000–2020) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The data sources were primary literature published in English obtained from searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The ToxR tool was applied to assess risk of bias. In vitro and in vivo studies (n = 104) were identified and, overall, evidence consistently supported adverse effects of mycoestrogens on physiological processes, organs, and tissues associated with female reproduction. In non-pregnant animals, mycoestrogens alter follicular profiles in the ovary, disrupt estrus cycling, and increase myometrium thickness. Furthermore, during pregnancy, mycoestrogen exposure contributes to placental hemorrhage, stillbirth, and impaired fetal growth. No epidemiological studies fitting the inclusion criteria were identified.
KW - Female reproduction
KW - Fertility
KW - Mycoestrogen
KW - Mycotoxin
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Zearalenone
KW - Zeranol
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107406357&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85107406357&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/toxins13060373
DO - 10.3390/toxins13060373
M3 - Article
C2 - 34073731
AN - SCOPUS:85107406357
SN - 2072-6651
VL - 13
JO - Toxins
JF - Toxins
IS - 6
M1 - 373
ER -