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The Neuroscience Chronicles

ISSN: 2767-3405

Review Article Open Access

Dietary exposure to neurotoxic mycotoxins in Cameroon: Implications for brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders in children

Wilfred Angie Abia1,2,*, Laure Viviane Ndam Ngoungoure1,,3, Brice Vincent Ayissi Owona1, Yacouba Foupouapouognigni1, Ferdinand Kouoh Elombo1, Herman Philipe Njitoyap Nfombouot1, Angéle N. Tchana1, Frédéric Nico Njayou1, Paul F. Moundipa1
  • 1Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biochemistry, FS, University of Yaounde 1, P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
  • 2Agri-Food Safety and One Health Agency (AFS1HA), Yaounde, Cameroon, CA, Africa
  • 3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, South Africa
+ Affiliations - Affiliations

Corresponding Author

Wilfred Angie Abia, abiawilfred@gmail.com

Received Date: August 20, 2025

Accepted Date: November 14, 2025

Citation:

Abia WA, Ngoungoure LVN, Owona BVA, Foupouapouognigni Y, Elombo FK, Nfombouot HPN, et al. Dietary exposure to neurotoxic mycotoxins in Cameroon: Implications for brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Neurosci Chron. 2025;5(1):74-83.


Copyright: © 2025 Abia WA, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are redited.

Abstract

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are increasingly prevalent in children globally, including Cameroon. Emerging evidence suggests that early-life exposure to environmental neurotoxins, particularly mycotoxins, may disrupt brain development and contribute to these disorders.
Objective: This review aimed to assess the potential impact of dietary exposure to neurotoxic mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxin B1, fumonisin B1, and ochratoxin A, on brain development and the risk of NDDs in children in Cameroon.
Methods: A comprehensive review of peer-reviewed studies, national reports, and biomonitoring data from 1993 to 2024 was conducted. Literature on food contamination, mycotoxin toxicology, exposure levels, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in both humans and animal models was synthesized.
Results and Discussion: Children in Cameroon are exposed to mycotoxins through contaminated staple foods such as maize and groundnuts, with exposures often exceeding international safety limits. These toxins can cross the blood-brain barrier and placenta, disrupt key neurodevelopmental processes (e.g., neuroplasticity, neurogenesis) through various mechanisms such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and result in behavioral and cognitive impairments. Animal studies show strong links between chronic mycotoxin exposure and NDD-like symptoms. In Cameroon, these risks are intensified by poor food storage, weak regulations, and low dietary diversity.
Conclusion: Dietary mycotoxin exposure in children is a serious but underrecognized contributor to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in Cameroon. There is an urgent need for national surveillance, child-specific risk assessments, stronger food safety enforcement, and public health education to mitigate exposure and protect vulnerable populations.

Keywords

Neurotoxic mycotoxins, brain development, neurodevelopmental disorders, dietary exposure, children, Cameroon

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