Effect of β-cyclodextrin on spectroscopic properties of ochratoxin A in aqueous solution

Probing Serum Albumins and Cyclodextrins as Binders of the Mycotoxin Metabolites Alternariol-3-Glucoside, Alternariol-9-Monomethylether-3-Glucoside, and Zearalenone-14-Glucuronide

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites of molds. Chronic exposure to alternariol, zearalenone, and their metabolites may cause the development of endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic effects. Alternariol-3-glucoside (AG) and alternariol-9-monomethylether-3-glucoside (AMG) are masked derivatives of alternariol. Furthermore, in mammals, zearalenone-14-glucuronide (Z14Glr) is one of the most dominant metabolites of zearalenone. In this study, we examined serum albumins and cyclodextrins (CDs) as potential binders of AG, AMG, and Z14Glr. The most important results/conclusions were as follows: AG and AMG formed moderately strong complexes with human, bovine, porcine, and rat albumins. Rat albumin bound Z14Glr approximately 4.5-fold stronger than human albumin. AG–albumin and Z14Glr–albumin interactions were barely influenced by the environmental pH, while the formation of AMG–albumin complexes was strongly favored by alkaline conditions. Among the mycotoxin–CD complexes examined, AMG–sugammadex interaction proved to be the most stable. CD bead polymers decreased the mycotoxin content of aqueous solutions, with moderate removal of AG and AMG, while weak extraction of Z14Glr was observed. In conclusion, rat albumin is a relatively strong binder of Z14Glr, and albumin can form highly stable complexes with AMG at pH 8.5. Therefore, albumins can be considered as affinity proteins with regard to the latter mycotoxin metabolites.

Testing the protective effects of cyclodextrins vs. alternariol-induced acute toxicity in HeLa cells and in zebrafish embryos

Alternariol (AOH) is a mycotoxin produced by Alternaria fungi, it appears as a contaminant in tomatoes, grains, and grapes. The chronic exposure to AOH may cause carcinogenic and xenoestrogenic effects. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides, they form host-guest complexes with apolar molecules. In this study, the interactions of AOH with CD monomers and polymers were examined employing fluorescence spectroscopy. Thereafter, the protective effects of certain CDs vs. AOH-induced toxicity were investigated on HeLa cells and on zebrafish embryos. Our major observations are the following: (1) Sugammadex forms highly stable complex with AOH (K = 4.8 ×10⁴ L/mol). (2) Sugammadex abolished the AOH-induced toxicity in HeLa cells, while native β-CD did not show relevant protective effect. (3) Each CD tested decreased the AOH-induced mortality and sublethal adverse effects in zebrafish embryos: Interestingly, native β-CD showed the strongest protective impact in this model. (4) CD technology may be suitable to relieve AOH-induced toxicity.

Testing the extraction of 12 mycotoxins from aqueous solutions by insoluble beta-cyclodextrin bead polymer

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites of filamentous fungi; they are common contaminants in numerous foods and beverages. Cyclodextrins are ring-shaped oligosaccharides, which can form host-guest type complexes with certain mycotoxins. Insoluble beta-cyclodextrin bead polymer (BBP) extracted successfully some mycotoxins (e.g., alternariol and zearalenone) from aqueous solutions, including beverages. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the ability of BBP to remove other 12 mycotoxins (including aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin M1, citrinin, dihydrocitrinone, cyclopiazonic acid, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, patulin, sterigmatocystin, zearalanone, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol) from different buffers (pH 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0). Our results showed that BBP can effectively extract citrinin, dihydrocitrinone, sterigmatocystin, zearalanone, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol at each pH tested. However, for the removal of ochratoxin A, BBP was far the most effective at pH 3.0. Based on these observations, BBP may be a suitable mycotoxin binder to extract certain mycotoxins from aqueous solutions for decontamination and/or for analytical purposes.

Main Applications of Cyclodextrins in the Food Industry as the Compounds of Choice to Form Host-Guest Complexes

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligomers broadly used in food manufacturing as food additives for different purposes, e.g., to improve sensorial qualities, shelf life, and sequestration of components. In this review, the latest advancements of their applications along with the characteristics of the uses of the different CDs (α, β, γ and their derivatives) were reviewed. Their beneficial effects can be achieved by mixing small amounts of CDs with the target material to be stabilized. Essentially, they have the capacity to form stable inclusion complexes with sensitive lipophilic nutrients and constituents of flavor and taste. Their toxicity has been also studied, showing that CDs are innocuous in oral administration. A review of the current legislation was also carried out, showing a general trend towards a wider acceptance of CDs as food additives. Suitable and cost-effective procedures for the manufacture of CDs have progressed, and nowadays it is possible to obtain realistic prices and used them in foods. Therefore, CDs have a promising future due to consumer demand for healthy and functional products.

Interactions of Mycotoxin Alternariol with Cyclodextrins and its Removal from Aqueous Solution by Beta-Cyclodextrin Bead Polymer

Alternariol is an Alternaria mycotoxin that appears in fruits, tomatoes, oilseeds, and corresponding products. Chronic exposure to it can induce carcinogenic and xenoestrogenic effects. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are ring-shaped molecules built up by glucose units, which form host–guest type complexes with some mycotoxins. Furthermore, insoluble CD polymers seem suitable for the extraction/removal of mycotoxins from aqueous solutions. In this study, the interactions of alternariol with β- and γ-CDs were tested by employing fluorescence spectroscopic and modeling studies. Moreover, the removal of alternariol from aqueous solutions by insoluble β-CD bead polymer (BBP) was examined. Our major observations/conclusions are the following: (1) CDs strongly increased the fluorescence of alternariol, the strongest enhancement was induced by the native γ-CD at pH 7.4. (2) Alternariol formed the most stable complexes with the native γ-CD (logK = 3.2) and the quaternary ammonium derivatives (logK = 3.4–3.6) at acidic/physiological pH and at pH 10.0, respectively. (3) BBP effectively removed alternariol from aqueous solution. (4) The alternariol-binding ability of β-CD polymers was significantly higher than was expected based on their β-CD content. (5) CD technology seems a promising tool to improve the fluorescence detection of alternariol and/or to develop new mycotoxin binders to decrease alternariol exposure.

Interaction of Dihydrocitrinone with Native and Chemically Modified Cyclodextrins

Citrinin (CIT) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Monascus genera. It appears as a contaminant in grains, fruits, and spices. After oral exposure to CIT, its major urinary metabolite, dihydrocitrinone (DHC) is formed, which can be detected in human urine and blood samples. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are ring-shaped molecules built up from glucose units. CDs can form host-guest type complexes with several compounds, including mycotoxins. In this study, the complex formation of DHC with native and chemically modified beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins was tested at a wide pH range, employing steady-state fluorescence spectroscopic and modeling studies. The weakly acidic environment favors the formation of DHC-CD complexes. Among the CDs tested, the quaternary-ammonium-γ-cyclodextrin (QAGCD) formed the most stable complexes with DHC. However, the quaternary-ammonium-β-cyclodextrin (QABCD) induced the strongest enhancement in the fluorescence signal of DHC. Our results show that some of the chemically modified CDs are able to form stable complexes with DHC (logK = 3.2–3.4) and the complex formation can produce even a 20-fold increase in the fluorescence signal of DHC. Considering the above-listed observations, CD technology may be a promising tool to increase the sensitivity of the fluorescence detection of DHC.

Comprehensive study on the degradation of ochratoxin A in water by spectroscopic techniques and DFT calculations

The OTA degradation process becomes irreversible only if, following hydrolyzation of the lactone ring, the molecule fragments.

Cyclodextrins in Food Technology and Human Nutrition: Benefits and Limitations

Cyclodextrins are tasteless, odorless, nondigestible, noncaloric, noncariogenic saccharides, which reduce the digestion of carbohydrates and lipids. They have low glycemic index and decrease the glycemic index of the food. They are either non- or only partly digestible by the enzymes of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract and fermented by the gut microflora. Based on these properties, cyclodextrins are dietary fibers useful for controlling the body weight and blood lipid profile. They are prebiotics, improve the intestinal microflora by selective proliferation of bifidobacteria. These antiobesity and anti-diabetic effects make them bioactive food supplements and nutraceuticals. In this review, these features are evaluated for α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins, which are the cyclodextrin variants approved by authorities for food applications. The mechanisms behind these effects are reviewed together with the applications as solubilizers, stabilizers of dietary lipids, such as unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, vitamins, flavonoids, carotenoids and other nutraceuticals. The recent applications of cyclodextrins for reducing unwanted components, such as trans-fats, allergens, mycotoxins, acrylamides, bitter compounds, as well as in smart active packaging of foods are also overviewed.

Heat Stability of Ochratoxin A in an Aqueous Buffered Model System

Ochratoxin A (OTA) represents one of the most widespread mycotoxins in agricultural commodities in the world and is considered a possible human carcinogen with its potent nephrotoxicity. OTA is stable under most food processing conditions; however, higher-temperature treatment may reduce OTA content in foods. Since OTA can be found in processed products destined for both human and animal consumption, factors affecting its stability or reduction during thermal processes were investigated here. The reduction of OTA was measured during various heating times (up to 60 min) at different temperatures (100, 125, 150, 175, and 200°C) in aqueous buffer solutions at different pHs (pH 4, 7, and 10). Quantification of OTA was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The results showed that the rate and extent of OTA reduction were dependent on pH, processing time, and temperature; greater than 90% OTA reduction was achieved at 200°C for all treatments except pH 4. After processing under an alkaline condition (pH 10) at 100°C for 60 min, about 50% of the OTA was lost, while after 60 min under neutral and acidic conditions at 100°C, significant reductions of OTA were not shown.

Impact of pH on the stability and the cross-reactivity of ochratoxin A and citrinin

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by several fungi contaminating crops. In several countries, the maximum permitted levels of mycotoxins are found in foodstuffs and feedstuffs. The common strategy of mycotoxin analysis involves extraction, clean-up and quantification by chromatography. In this paper, we analyzed the reasons of underestimation of ochratoxin A (OTA) content in wine, and overestimation of OTA in wheat, depending on the pH of the clean-up step and the simultaneous presence of citrinin (CIT). We demonstrated that the increase of pH by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) to wine led to an underestimation of OTA by conversion of OTA into open ring ochratoxin A OP-OA. In comparing three methods of extraction and clean-up for the determination of OTA and CIT in wheat--(i) an inter-laboratory validated method for OTA in cereals using immunoaffinity column clean-up (IAC) and extraction by acetonitrile/water; (ii) a validated method using IAC and extraction with 1% bicarbonate Na; and (iii) an in-house validated method based on acid liquid/liquid extraction--we observed an overestimation of OTA after immunoaffinity clean-up when CIT is also present in the sample, whereas an underestimation was observed when OTA was alone. Under neutral and alkaline conditions, CIT was partially recognized by OTA antibodies.

Comparison of clean-up methods for ochratoxin A on wine, beer, roasted coffee and chili commercialized in Italy

The most common technique used to detect ochratoxin A (OTA) in food matrices is based on extraction, clean-up, and chromatography detection. Different clean-up cartridges, such as immunoaffinity columns (IAC), molecular imprinting polymers (MIP), Mycosep™ 229, Mycospin™, and Oasis^® HLB (Hydrophilic Lipophilic balance) as solid phase extraction were tested to optimize the purification for red wine, beer, roasted coffee and chili. Recovery, reproducibility, reproducibility, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated for each clean-up method. IAC demonstrated to be suitable for OTA analysis in wine and beer with recovery rate >90%, as well as Mycosep™ for wine and chili. On the contrary, MIP columns were the most appropriate to clean up coffee. A total of 120 samples (30 wines, 30 beers, 30 roasted coffee, 30 chili) marketed in Italy were analyzed, by applying the developed clean-up methods. Twenty-seven out of 120 samples analyzed (22.7%: two wines, five beers, eight coffees, and 12 chili) resulted positive to OTA. A higher incidence of OTA was found in chili (40.0%) more than wine (6.6%), beers (16.6%) and coffee (26.6%). Moreover, OTA concentration in chili was the highest detected, reaching 47.8 µg/kg. Furthermore, three samples (2.5%), two wines and one chili, exceeded the European threshold.

Sorption of ochratoxin A from aqueous solutions using β-cyclodextrin-polyurethane polymer

The ability of a cyclodextrin-polyurethane polymer to remove ochratoxin A from aqueous solutions was examined by batch rebinding assays. The results from the aqueous binding studies were fit to two parameter models to gain insight into the interaction of ochratoxin A with the nanosponge material. The ochratoxin A sorption data fit well to the heterogeneous Freundlich isotherm model. The polymer was less effective at binding ochratoxin A in high pH buffer (9.5) under conditions where ochratoxin A exists predominantly in the dianionic state. Batch rebinding assays in red wine indicate the polymer is able to remove significant levels of ochratoxin A from spiked solutions between 1–10 μg·L⁻¹. These results suggest cyclodextrin nanosponge materials are suitable to reduce levels of ochratoxin A from spiked aqueous solutions and red wine samples.

Investigation of solvent effect and cyclodextrins on fluorescence properties of ochratoxin A

Fluorescence properties of ochratoxin A (OTA) solutions depend on the pH, solvent polarity and can be influenced by the presence of cyclodextrins (CDs). In this work, the effect of b-cyclodextrin (b-CD) and heptakis-2,6-dimethyl-o-b-cyclodextrin (ome-CD), on fluorescence properties of OTA in aqueous solutions has been investigated by means of steady-state fluorescence at different pHs (range 2-10). Binding constants of OTA/CDs inclusion complexes have been determined by applying by non-linear regression analysis. A 1:1 stoichiometry of OTA/CDs complexes has been observed at all tested pHs. The use of ome-CD generally resulted in the greatest fluorescence intensity. The effects of solvent and pH on the positions of lambdamax (excitation) and lambdamax (emission) of OTA was determined. Correlations between the excitation and emission wavelength of OTA (monoanion and dianionic forms) and the solvent parameters were analysed with Lippert-Mataga plots. Results show that the peak position is affected mainly by specific and non-specific types of interactions between the solvent and solute. The fluorescence quenching of OTA by chloroform (aprotic) and water (protic) were studied in methanol as solvent at room temperature. The quenching was found to be appreciable and a non-linear curve with downward curvature was obtained in the Stern-Volmer (SV) plot for the water in the concentration range studied. The quenching efficiency is related to hydrogen bond-donating capacity of the quencher molecule. It was inferred that non-linearity can be attributed to fractional accessibility of fluorophore to quencher. The quenching constant was calculated from the modified SV equation.

Mycotoxin detection plays "cops and robbers": cyclodextrin chemosensors as specialized police?

As in a cops and robbers play we discover new mycotoxins and metabolites everyday and we are forced to develop new molecules quickly as chemo- or biosensors or to modify existing molecules able to recognize these new hazardous compounds. This will result in an enormous cost saving to agro-food industry through the prevention and reduction of product recalls and reduced treatment costs. Here we present a brief review of the rapid methods used to detect mycotoxins, considering usefulness and limits. Then we propose a new fast, efficient and cheap methodology, based on a combination of computer chemistry aided design and fluorescence, that can help to drive synthesis in a more efficient way.

Use of cyclodextrins as modifiers of fluorescence in the detection of mycotoxins

Cyclodextrins, cyclic oligosaccharides composed of amylose subunits, are known to interact with mycotoxins. The interactions may be useful to analytical chemists by altering the properties of the mycotoxin of interest, namely the chromatographic properties, electrophoretic properties, fluorescence, or absorption of these fungal metabolites. Practical applications of these effects have been the incorporation of cyclodextrins into high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis methods for mycotoxin detection. Specific mycotoxins include those with a native fluorescence such as the aflatoxins, ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEN) as well as those that can be rendered fluorescent through derivatization, such as T-2 toxin. The literature describing the applications of cyclodextrins in mycotoxin analysis is reviewed and an attempt to extend the use of cyclodextrins to the detection of labelled T-2 toxin is presented. Twenty cyclodextrins were evaluated for their ability to enhance the fluorescence emission of T-2 toxin derivatized with pyrene-1-carbonyl cyanide (T2-Pyr). This evaluation revealed that heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB), in particular, enhanced T2-Pyr fluorescence. DIMEB was used as a buffer modifier in a capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) method for detecting T-2 in maize. Because of the effects that certain cyclodextrins have, especially under aqueous conditions, they may make useful additives for a variety of mycotoxin analytical methods.