Abstract: Deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene compound, is a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium. DON is present in crops, animal feed and human food. A number of reports in the literature indicate that DON has been found in many areas all over the world. Due to its strong toxity, it not only causes severe agricultural economic losses, but also brings serious threat to human and animal health and give rise to a series of adverse reactions such as vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding and so on. Recent progresses made in the studies of DON toxicity, detectable levels in different areas of the world, factors affecting DON level and DON degradation approaches are reviewed, which will provide some references for further study of DON.

Key words: deoxynivalenol (DON), content, influencing factors, degradation