WFO MARASAS and JP RHEEDER

Programme on Mycotoxins and Experimental Carcinogenesis (PROMEC), Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, 7505 Tygerberg, South Africa

Background and objectives
The fumonisins are a group of structurally related mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme and other related Fusarium species. Fumonisin analogues characterized thus far can be separated into four main groups identified as the fumonisin A, B, C and P series. The B analogues, comprising the toxicologically important fumonisins B₁ (FB₁), B₂ and B₃ are the most abundant naturally occurring fumonisins, with FB₁ predominating and usually at the highest le