IONOPHORETIC EFFECT OF SOME MYCOTOXINS ON LIPID BILAYERS

Planar lipid bilayer made of asolectin were used to investigate whether or not mycotoxins (verrucarine A, roridin H, DON, F-2, and zearalenone) can influence the permeability of the lipid moiety of biomembranes. All toxins but DON are found to be able to induce ion channels in the lipid bilayer when added in concentration between 1 to 6 mug/ml to the aqueous solution on one side of the membrane. This was taken as evidence that, at least certain mycotoxins might express their toxic activity by depolarizing affected biomembranes.