**Sławomir Gonkowski 1, Magdalena Gaj ˛ecka <sup>2</sup> and Krystyna Makowska 3,\***


Received: 5 June 2020; Accepted: 17 July 2020; Published: 19 July 2020

**Abstract:** Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by various fungal species. They are commonly found in a wide range of agricultural products. Mycotoxins contained in food enter living organisms and may have harmful effects on many internal organs and systems. The gastrointestinal tract, which first comes into contact with mycotoxins present in food, is particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of these toxins. One of the lesser-known aspects of the impact of mycotoxins on the gastrointestinal tract is the influence of these substances on gastrointestinal innervation. Therefore, the present study is the first review of current knowledge concerning the influence of mycotoxins on the enteric nervous system, which plays an important role, not only in almost all regulatory processes within the gastrointestinal tract, but also in adaptive and protective reactions in response to pathological and toxic factors in food.

**Keywords:** mycotoxins; enteric nervous system; gastrointestinal tract; mammals; animal pathology; intestines; toxins; feed

**Key Contribution:** Mycotoxins contained in food affect the living organism, especially the gastrointestinal tract and the enteric nervous system. This impact may be multidirectional and depends not only on the chemical structure of the mycotoxin and mammal species studied, but also on the type of the enteric plexuses and segment of the digestive tract.
