Mycophenolic Acid in food: ingestion safety

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is a meroterpenoid mycotoxin produced by Penicillium roqueforti, P. brevicompactum, and P. carneum, commonly found in silage, blue cheese, and as a contaminant of grain and indoor environments. It is also a critically important pharmaceutical: mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) and mycophenolate sodium (Myfortic) are prodrugs of MPA used as immunosuppressants in organ transplant rejection prophylaxis and autoimmune diseases. Mechanism: MPA is a potent, selective, reversible inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) type II, the rate-limiting enzyme in de novo purine synthesis in lymphocytes. This selectively suppresses T and B cell proliferation. As a mycotoxin in silage: MPA at concentrations of 25-50 mg/kg has been associated with reduced feed intake and immunosuppression in cattle. Blue cheese contains 0.15-1.5 mg/kg MPA — dietary exposure from cheese is considered low risk for immunocompetent adults. FDA pregnancy category D (teratogenic): mycophenolate causes ear, facial, cardiac, and digital malformations. REMS program required for pharmaceutical use.