a toxic substance produced by certain bacteria
Proteins produced by bacteria that are either ingested as pre-formed toxins or are produced by a pathogen that has colonised the gastro-intestinal tract. Usually the toxin has specific targets and either disrupts cell function or kills the cell.
An intestinal toxin produced by certain bacteria that causes symptoms of food poisoning.
An enterotoxin is a protein toxin released by a micro-organism in the lower Intestine. Enterotoxins are frequently cytotoxic and kill cells by altering the permeability of the epithelial cells in the intestinal wall. They are mostly pore forming toxins, secreted by bacteria, that assemble to form pores in cell membranes.