Jesús González Jartín: "Fungi offer a large number of compounds to the therapeutic arsenal"

Fungi can be our greatest ally and the most variegated of our enemies. A solution or a problem. Jesús González Jartín knows this better than anyone. His work in mycotoxins is helping to shed light on compounds that could represent a notable risk to public Health.

A graduate in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master in Innovation in Food Safety and Technologies from the University of Santiago de Compostela, in 2020, he obtained his Ph.D. in Basic and Applied Research in Veterinary Sciences with a cum laude qualification, obtaining the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.

Currently, Jesús González Jartín is a teacher and researcher in the Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Technology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Campus Terra. His research in mycotoxins has contributed to focus on compounds that can be highly toxic to humans.

The swimming pool, a bike ride or a good movie are some of his favorite options to escape from the daily grind and breathe. In this interview, we talk to him about the dairy industry and the bacteria, international collaboration between research groups, and the future, among many other topics.

Please spend a few minutes with him. It is very worthwhile...

-In one of your latest research projects, you worked on a sensitive food safety issue. Possible episodes of mycotoxin contamination in plant-based beverages are likely due to the use of certain raw materials. What are the conclusions of your work?

-We have conducted an exhaustive analysis of samples of practically all types of vegetable beverages available on the Spanish market. During this process, we mainly identified the presence of emerging toxins, such as enniatins and beauvericin. It is important to note that emerging toxins have been recently discovered and still need to be regulated by current legislation.

Recent studies indicate that these compounds can be highly toxic; however, the amounts we have detected are minimal, which means that they do not pose a risk to consumers. Nevertheless, it is essential to begin routine controls to monitor and keep the levels of these contaminants under control.

-You have stood out for your work as a researcher in mycotoxins. Why is your study so relevant?

-The study of mycotoxins is relatively recent; it began in the 1960s after a veterinary crisis that occurred in England and resulted in the death of approximately 100,000 turkeys. These toxins are produced by filamentous fungi, commonly known as molds.

In some cases, these fungi are present in food, so it is relatively easy to identify possible contaminated consignments. However, on many occasions, raw materials can be contaminated with toxins without fungi being observed, as is the case when cereals are contaminated in the field with fungi such as Fusarium.

Therefore, my research has focused on developing rapid and accessible methods for identifying toxins in various foods and feeds. This is especially important since animals are particularly susceptible to toxins due to the large amount of raw materials they consume.

In addition, in collaboration with several companies, we have conducted studies on a wide range of cereals and silages to determine the toxins associated with each and their seasonal variations. We have found that climatic conditions strongly influence toxin production.

Recently, in response to the growing interest in the effects of climate change and thanks to funding from a Campus Terra project, we have initiated research on how environmental conditions are expected to affect the presence of toxins in food shortly. This line of research will allow us to be better prepared for the challenges that may arise and ensure food safety.

-In the case of cheese, they presented a method for quantifying 32 mycotoxins that could appear in this product. From a distance, this type of research is of enormous interest to the dairy industry. Is that so?

-Yes, these methods are highly beneficial for the industry to perform self-control of their products and for public bodies to conduct official analyses. These methods are validated and comply with all legal requirements for their use.

In addition to assessing all regulated toxins, they allow the detection of numerous emerging toxins, providing a more complete picture from a product quality perspective. This is essential to ensure food safety and public health protection.

-Is the food industry sufficiently prepared to prevent and contain these events?

-All companies have implemented methods that allow them to detect toxins regulated in the food they produce, enabling them to prevent acute intoxications in consumers.

In fact, unlike in other countries, no episodes of aflatoxicosis or other mycotoxicoses have been recorded in Europe since the entry into force of European legislation that established maximum limits for these contaminants. However, sporadic episodes occur in animals since legislation in this area is more permissive.

-Mushrooms, fungi, yeasts... The fungi kingdom can be our best ally or a real pain, can't it? Is there still a lot of research and discovery to be done in this field?

-It is true that, although we are talking about toxins, fungi also produce other metabolites with various pharmacological applications. Among them, the best known are antibiotics, such as penicillin, discovered by Fleming in the 1920s, which has saved millions of lives since then.

However, fungi also produce many other compounds, such as cyclosporin A or mycophenolic acid, which are immunosuppressants used in the prevention of acute transplant rejection, some statins used to reduce cholesterol levels, or ergotamine to prevent and treat migraines.

Thus, at present, mushrooms offer many compounds to the therapeutic arsenal. However, only a tiny fraction of mushrooms have been studied, so it is necessary to continue characterizing them to discover new metabolites with therapeutic capacity and toxins.

-Among the research you have participated in, some are related to bivalve mollusks. What did they consist of?

-In mollusks, I have worked on two main lines of research. On the one hand, we have developed methods for rapidly detecting marine toxins to reduce analysis times. On the other hand, I have been involved in developing nanotechnology-based methods to accelerate shellfish depuration processes. After red tide episodes, mollusks can take a long time to eliminate some toxins, while the duration of red tide can be hours, days, or weeks.

Therefore, we have focused on developing methods to treat water to remove toxins. This would allow the treated water to be used in the shellfish purification process, which would help speed up purification and reduce the risks associated with toxins in these seafood.

-Detection methods for marine toxins are critical for industries as relevant as muscles producers in Galicia. How effective are they? Will we still see improvements in this field in the coming years?

-The methods used to control marine toxins are highly effective, and the control system implemented in Galicia through Intecmar is exceptional. However, as I mentioned earlier, my research group is focused on developing methods to speed up toxin analysis, as some official techniques could be faster.

An additional problem in this field is the appearance of toxins from other regions on our coasts, which requires the implementation of new methods for their identification. For example, from the Farmatox group, we have worked on implementing and validating methods for detecting tetrodotoxin and other emerging toxins at the European level. These efforts are necessary to ensure rapid and accurate detection of marine toxins, contributing significantly to maintaining food safety in products from our coasts.

-In your career as a researcher and teacher, you have worked with international groups; how do you value this experience? Do these international collaborative projects work well, or is there still room for improvement?

-I have collaborated on European projects with groups from Portugal, France, Ireland, and the UK. Being part of international consortia is vital in today's world, especially in projects related to food safety, where the origin of raw materials and the distribution of products is global.

All these projects have generated exceptional synergies by combining research groups with diverse capabilities. This has made it possible to carry out comprehensive studies that would otherwise be impossible. International collaboration in these projects has been critical to comprehensively address food safety challenges and ensure product quality and safety globally.

-Campus Terra has several very relevant research groups in food safety or aquaculture, to name just a few. What are your plans for the future?

-Campus Terra is an excellent example of what is currently known as One Health, as it is home to leading research groups focused on various disciplines working to achieve optimal Health for people, animals, and the environment.
In recent years, the University has promoted the call for collaborative projects among Campus groups, which has allowed for strengthening the links between researchers and advancing towards the goals of One Health.

In this sense, I want to continue working along these lines, combining collaboration with international groups and creating synergies with other Campus groups.