Complicated interactions between bio-adsorbents and mycotoxins during mycotoxin adsorption: Current research and future prospects

Adsorptive removal of aflatoxin B1 via spore protein from Aspergillus luchuensis YZ-1

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most toxic mycotoxin commonly found in the environment. Finding efficient and environmentally friendly ways to remove AFB1 is critical. In this study, Aspergillus luchuensis YZ-1 demonstrated a potent ability to adsorb AFB1 for the first time, and the binding of AFB1 to YZ-1 is highly stable. Spores exhibited higher adsorption efficiency than mycelia, adsorbing approximately 95 % of AFB1 within 15 min. The spores were comprehensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Various adsorption kinetic models (pseudo-first and pseudo-second order), adsorption isotherm models (Freundlich and Langmuir), Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to investigate the adsorption properties and mechanisms. The adsorption capacity of spores decreased with heating, urea, and SDS treatments, indicating that spore proteins may be the primary substance for AFB1 adsorption. Subsequent experiments showed that proteins with molecular weights greater than 50 kDa played a key role in the adsorption. Additionally, the spores possess excellent storage properties and are valuable for adsorbing AFB1 from vegetable oils. Therefore, the YZ-1 spores hold promise for development into a novel biosorbent for AFB1 removal.

Unlocking the potential of phenolated kraft lignin as a versatile feed additive

Lignin, a renewable natural antioxidant and bacteriostat, holds promise as a versatile, cost-effective feed additive. However, traditional industrial lignin faces limitations, including low reactivity, poor uniformity, and unstable properties, necessitating chemical modification. Complex modification methods pose economic and toxicity challenges, so this study adopted a relatively simple alkali-catalyzed phenolization approach, using phenol, catechol, and pyrogallol to modify kraft lignin, and characterized the resulting products using various techniques. Subsequently, their antioxidant, antibacterial, adsorption properties for heavy metal ions and mycotoxins, growth-promoting properties, and antiviral abilities were assessed. The phenolation process led to lignin depolymerization and a notable increase in phenolic hydroxyl content, particularly in pyrogallol-phenolated lignin (Py-L), rising from 3.08 to 4.68 mmol/g. These modified lignins exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity, with over 99 % inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus, and remarkable adsorption capacities for heavy metal ions and mycotoxins. Importantly, Py-L improved the growth performance of mice and reduced influenza mortality. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations elucidated the mechanism behind the enhanced antioxidant properties. This study presents a promising avenue for developing versatile feed additives to address challenges related to animal feed antioxidant supplementation, bacterial control, and growth promotion.

A comprehensive review of biodetoxification of trichothecenes: Mechanisms, limitations and novel strategies

Trichothecenes are Fusarium mycotoxins with sesquiterpenoid structure, which are widely occurred in grains. Due to high efficiency and environmental friendliness, biological detoxification methods have been of great interest to treat this global food and feed safety concern. This review summarized the biological detoxification methods of trichothecenes from three aspects, biosorption, biotransformation and biotherapy. The detoxification efficiency, characteristics, mechanisms and limitations of different strategies were discussed in detail. Computer-aided design will bring a new research paradigm for more efficient discovery of biodetoxifier. Integrating different detoxification approaches assisted with computational tools will become a promising research direction in the future, which will help to maximize the detoxification effect, or provide precise detoxification programs for the coexistence of various toxins at different levels in actual production. In addition, technical and regulatory issues in practical application were also discussed. These findings contribute to the exploration of efficient, applicable and sustainable methods for trichothecenes detoxification, ensuring the safety of food and feed to reduce the deleterious effects of trichothecenes on humans and animals.

Microbial Composition of Water Kefir Grains and Their Application for the Detoxification of Aflatoxin B1

Water kefir grains (WKGs), the starter used to develop a traditional beverage named water kefir, consist of a symbiotic mixture of probiotics with diverse bioactivities, but little is known about their abilities to remove mycotoxins that have serious adverse effects on humans and animals. This study investigated the ability of WKGs to remove aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), one of the most toxic mycotoxins, under different settings, and determined the mechanism of absorption mediated by WKGs and the effect of WKGs on the toxicity induced by AFB1 and the reduction in AFB1 in cow milk and tea soups. The results showed the WKGs used herein were dominated by Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, Phenylobacterium, Sediminibacterium, Saccharomyces, Issatchenkia, and Kodamaea. HPLC analysis demonstrated that the WKGs effectively removed AFB1 at concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 µg/mL, pH values ranging from 3 to 9, and temperatures ranging from 4 to 45 °C. Additionally, the removal of AFB1 mainly depended on absorption, which was consistent with the Freundlich and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Moreover, only 49.63% of AFB1 was released from the AFB1-WKG complex after four washes when the release of AFB1 was non-detectable. Furthermore, WKG treatment caused a dramatic reduction in the mutagenicity induced by AFB1 according to an Ames test and reduced more than 54% of AFB1 in cow milk and three tea soups. These results suggested that WKGs can act as a potential bio-absorbent with a high binding ability to detoxify AFB1 in food and feed via a chemical action step and multi-binding sites of AFB1 absorption in a wide range of scenarios.

Mitigating Aflatoxin B1-Induced Growth Impairment and Hepatic Stress in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Comparative Efficacy of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Silicate-Based Detoxifiers

The objective of this study was to detect the effects of acute aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and the effectiveness of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and silicate in reducing these effects. Two hundred and forty Nile tilapia fingerlings (16 ± 0.5 g) were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, each with 60 fish and three replicates. Control basal diet (Diet 1) and three test diets were formulated, where Diet 2 was supplemented with 200 ppb AFB1. Diets 3 and 4 were intoxicated with AFB1 (200 ppb) and supplemented with 0.5% S. cerevisiae or 0.5%, respectively. After 60 days, Diet 1 had considerably greater growth characteristics than the other groups (p < 0.05). Diet 2 revealed a reduced (p < 0.05) survival rate after 1 month of exposure. In addition, Diet 1 showed higher (p < 0.05) total protein and albumin levels than Diets 3 and 4. AFB1 residues were detected in the liver in fish-fed Diet 2, Diet 4, and Diet 3. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, and urea levels increased (p < 0.05) in fish-fed Diet 2. The glutathione peroxidase, lysozyme, and catalase activity were decreased (p < 0.05) in the fish-fed Diet 2. The malondialdehyde level was significantly higher in fish given Diet 2 (p < 0.05) than in fish-fed Diets 3 and 4. Histopathological investigation of fish-fed Diet 2 revealed impaired liver and spleen; however, both treatments (Diets 3 and 4) successfully lowered inflammation and preserved liver and spleen integrities. In conclusion, AFB1 impaired growth performance and posed a severe health risk to Nile tilapia. Furthermore, S. cerevisiae alleviated the contamination of AFB1 effects more efficiently than silicate employed for toxin adsorption.

Removal of aflatoxin B1 from contaminated milk and water by nitrogen/carbon-enriched cobalt ferrite -chitosan nanosphere: RSM optimization, kinetic, and thermodynamic perspectives

In view of the feed/foods inevitably contaminated by toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), efficient mesoporous metformin-chitosan/silica‑cobalt ferrite nanospheres (Mt-CS/CFS NSs) was prepared to remove AFB1 from aqueous/non-aqueous media. The morphological, functional, and structural characteristics and adsorption properties of C/N-enriched CS/CFS were investigated systematically. The interactive operating variables (temperature (5.0-35 °C); time (10-100 min); AFB1 dose (50-100 μg/mL); and Mt-CS/CFS dosage (0.5-3.5 mg) were optimized via the Box-Behnken design (BBD), which demonstrated good agreement between the experimental data and proposed model. The adsorption efficiency in artificially contaminated cow's milk as well as aqueous environment reached over 91.0 % in a wide pH range (3.0-9.0), without significant change in the nutritional value of milk. Freundlich isotherm and second-order adsorption kinetics were regarded as the most suitable models to fit the adsorption results, and the adsorption rate is dominated by the intra-particle diffusion and boundary layer diffusion. Thermodynamic analyses proved that the process was spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption mechanism could be explained as physisorption via hydrogen bonding, n-π interaction, and hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions. The porous Mt-CS/CFS NS derived from chitosan nanoparticles is therefore outstanding adsorbent, offering great adsorptive performance and recycabilities, which impedes economic losses in the food industry.

Adsorptive removal of aflatoxin B1 from water and edible oil by dopamine-grafted biomass chitosan-iron-cobalt spinel oxide nanocomposite: mechanism, kinetics, equilibrium, thermodynamics, and oil quality

Currently, the use of magnetic physical adsorbents for detoxification is widely applied in the food industry; however, the fabrication of high-efficiency low-cost absorbents without damaging the nutritional quality of food is a major challenge. Herein, a simple, green, efficient, and cost-effective method for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) from edible oils and aqueous matrices was developed using a dopamine-loaded biomass chitosan-iron-cobalt spinel oxide nanocomposite (DC/CFOS NC). The characterization, physicochemical processes, mechanism, and reusability of DC/CFOS were systematically evaluated in detail. It was found that the adsorption characteristic of DC/CFOS NC was accurately represented by the pseudo-second-order kinetics (k2 = 0.199 g mg-1 min-1) and Freundlich isotherm models (Kf = 1.139 (mg g-1) (L mg-1), R2 = 0.991)), and its adsorptive process is feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic. Benefiting from its high specific surface area, microporous structure, and polar/non-polar active sites, the as-prepared DC/CFOS exhibited an excellent adsorption performance for AFB1 (50.0 μg mL-1), as measured using the Freundlich isotherm model. The mechanistic studies demonstrated that the synergistic effects of the surface complexation and electrostatic interactions between the functional groups of DC/CFOS NC and AFB1 were the dominant adsorption pathways. Besides, DC/CFOS exhibited negligible impacts on the nutritional quality of the oil after the removal process and storage. Thus, DC/CFOS NC showed sufficient efficacy and safety in the removal of AFB1 from contaminated edible oil.

Degradation of zearalenone by microorganisms and enzymes

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi that may cause serious health problems in humans and animals. Zearalenone is a secondary metabolite produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium, widely exists in animal feed and human food. One concern with the use of microbial strains and their enzyme derivatives for zearalenone degradation is the potential variability in the effectiveness of the degradation process. The efficiency of degradation may depend on various factors such as the type and concentration of zearalenone, the properties of the microbial strains and enzymes, and the environmental conditions. Therefore, it is important to carefully evaluate the efficacy of these methods under different conditions and ensure their reproducibility. Another important consideration is the safety and potential side effects of using microbial strains and enzymes for zearalenone degradation. It is necessary to evaluate the potential risks associated with the use of genetically modified microorganisms or recombinant enzymes, including their potential impact on the environment and non-target organisms. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the degradation products are indeed harmless and do not pose any health risks to humans or animals. Furthermore, while the use of microbial strains and enzymes may offer an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for zearalenone degradation, it is important to explore other methods such as physical or chemical treatments as well. These methods may offer complementary approaches for zearalenone detoxification, and their combination with microbial or enzyme-based methods may improve overall efficacy. Overall, the research on the biodegradation of zearalenone using microorganisms and enzyme derivatives is promising, but there are important considerations that need to be addressed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these methods. Development of recombinant enzymes improves enzymatic detoxification of zearalenone to a non-toxic product without damaging the nutritional content. This review summarizes biodegradation of zearalenone using microorganisms and enzyme derivatives to nontoxic products. Further research is needed to fully evaluate the potential of these methods for mitigating the impact of mycotoxins in food and feed.

Mycotoxin Contamination Status of Cereals in China and Potential Microbial Decontamination Methods

The presence of mycotoxins in cereals can pose a significant health risk to animals and humans. China is one of the countries that is facing cereal contamination by mycotoxins. Treating mycotoxin-contaminated cereals with established physical and chemical methods can lead to negative effects, such as the loss of nutrients, chemical residues, and high energy consumption. Therefore, microbial detoxification techniques are being considered for reducing and treating mycotoxins in cereals. This paper reviews the contamination of aflatoxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, and ochratoxin A in major cereals (rice, wheat, and maize). Our discussion is based on 8700 samples from 30 provincial areas in China between 2005 and 2021. Previous research suggests that the temperature and humidity in the highly contaminated Chinese cereal-growing regions match the growth conditions of potential antagonists. Therefore, this review takes biological detoxification as the starting point and summarizes the methods of microbial detoxification, microbial active substance detoxification, and other microbial inhibition methods for treating contaminated cereals. Furthermore, their respective mechanisms are systematically analyzed, and a series of strategies for combining the above methods with the treatment of contaminated cereals in China are proposed. It is hoped that this review will provide a reference for subsequent solutions to cereal contamination problems and for the development of safer and more efficient methods of biological detoxification.

Occurrence of aflatoxins in water and decontamination strategies: A review

Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic metabolites produced by some Aspergillus species and are the most prevalent mycotoxins. Although aflatoxins are commonly synthesized during fungal colonization in preharvest maize, cereals, and nuts, they can be transported by rainfall to surface water and are a common toxin found in wastewater from some food industries. Here, the occurrence of aflatoxins in bodies of water is reviewed for the first time, along with the decontamination methods. Aflatoxins have been detected in surface, wastewater and drinking water, including tap and bottled water. The specific sources of water contamination remain unclear, which is an important gap that must be addressed in future research. Two main kinds of decontamination methods have been reported, including degradation and adsorption. The best degradation rates were observed using gamma and UV irradiations, oxidoreductases and ozone, while the best adsorption abilities were observed with minerals, polyvinyl alcohol, durian peel and activated carbon. Synthetic polymers could be used as membranes in pipes to remove aflatoxins in water flows. Although most decontamination methods were screened using AFB₁, the other commonly found aflatoxins were not used in the screenings. Overall, the occurrence of aflatoxins in water could be a significant emerging public health concern largely ignored by local and international legislation. Numerous advances have been reported for the decontamination of aflatoxins in water; however, there is still a long way to go to put them into practice.

Current Review of Mycotoxin Biodegradation and Bioadsorption: Microorganisms, Mechanisms, and Main Important Applications

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi. Food/feed contamination by mycotoxins is a great threat to food safety. The contamination can occur along the food chain and can cause many diseases in humans and animals, and it also can cause economic losses. Many detoxification methods, including physical, chemical, and biological techniques, have been established to eliminate mycotoxins in food/feed. The biological method, with mycotoxin detoxification by microorganisms, is reliable, efficient, less costly, and easy to use compared with physical and chemical ones. However, it is important to discover the metabolite's toxicity resulting from mycotoxin biodegradation. These compounds can be less or more toxic than the parent. On the other hand, mechanisms involved in a mycotoxin's biological control remain still unclear. Mostly, there is little information about the method used by microorganisms to control mycotoxins. Therefore, this article presents an overview of the most toxic mycotoxins and the different microorganisms that have a mycotoxin detoxification ability. At the same time, different screening methods for degradation compound elucidation are given. In addition, the review summarizes mechanisms of mycotoxin biodegradation and gives some applications.

Unveiling ochratoxin a controlling and biodetoxification molecular mechanisms: Opportunities to secure foodstuffs from OTA contamination

Anarchic growth of ochratoxin A (OTA) producing fungi during crop production, prolonged storage, and processing results in OTA contamination in foodstuffs. OTA in food exacerbates the risk of health and economic problems for consumers and farmers worldwide. Although the toxic effects of OTA on human health have not been well established, comprehensive preventive and remedial measures will be essential to eliminate OTA from foodstuffs. Strict regulations, controlling OTA at pre- or post-harvest stage, and decontamination of OTA have been adopted to prevent human and animal OTA exposure. Biological control of OTA and bio-decontamination are the most promising strategies due to their safety, specificity and nutritional value. This review addresses the current understanding of OTA biodegradation mechanisms and recent developments in OTA control and bio-decontamination strategies. Additionally, this review analyses the strength and weaknesses of different OTA control methods and the contemporary approaches to enhance the efficiency of biocontrol agents. Overall, this review will support the implementation of new strategies to effectively control OTA in food sectors. Further studies on efficacy-related issues, production issues and cost-effectiveness of OTA biocontrol are to be carried out to improve the knowledge, develop improved delivery technologies and safeguard the durability of OTA biocontrol approaches.

Characterization of a Trametes versicolor aflatoxin B1-degrading enzyme (TV-AFB1D) and its application in the AFB1 degradation of contaminated rice in situ

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) contaminates rice during harvest or storage and causes a considerable risk to human and animal health. In this study, Trametes versicolor AFB₁–degrading enzyme (TV–AFB₁D) gene recombinantly expressed in engineered E. coli BL21 (DE3) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The TV–AFB₁D enzymatic characteristics and AFB₁ degradation efficiency in contaminated rice were investigated. Results showed that the size of recombinant TV-AFB₁D expressing in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and S. cerevisiae was appropriately 77 KDa. The kinetic equation of TV-AFB₁D was y = 0.01671x + 1.80756 (R² = 0.994, K_m = 9.24 mM, and V_max = 553.23 mM/min). The Kcat and Kcat/K_m values of TV-AFB₁D were 0.07392 (s⁻¹) and 8 M⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively. The AFB₁ concentration of contaminated rice decreased from 100 μg/ml to 32.6 μg/ml after treatment at 32°C for 5 h under the catabolism of TV-AFB₁D. S. cerevisiae engineered strains carrying aldehyde oxidase 1 (AOX1) and Cauliflower mosaic virus 35 S (CaMV 35 S) promoters caused the residual AFB₁ contents, respectively, decreased to 3.4 and 2.9 μg/g from the initial AFB₁ content of 7.4 μg/g after 24 h of fermentation using AFB₁-contaminated rice as substrate. The AFB₁ degradation rates of S. cerevisiae engineered strains carrying AOX1 and CaMV promoters were 54 and 61%, respectively. Engineered S. cerevisiae strains integrated with TV-AFB₁D expression cassettes were developed to simultaneously degrade AFB₁ and produce ethanol using AFB₁-contaminated rice as substrate. Thus, TV-AFB₁D has significant application potential in the AFB₁ decomposition from contaminated agricultural products.

Elimination of Deoxynivalenol, Aflatoxin B1, and Zearalenone by Gram-Positive Microbes (Firmicutes)

Mycotoxin contaminations in the feed and food chain are common. Either directly or indirectly, mycotoxins enter the human body through the consumption of food of plant and animal origin. Bacteria with a high mycotoxin elimination capability can reduce mycotoxin contamination in feed and food. Four Gram-positive endospore-forming bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis AMK10/1, Lysinibacillus boronitolerans AMK9/1, Lysinibacillus fusiformis AMK10/2, and Rummeliibacillus suwonensis AMK9/2) were isolated from fermented forages and tested for their deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and zearalenone (ZEA) elimination potentials. Notably, the contribution of bacterial cell wall fractions to the observed outstanding ZEA elimination rates was demonstrated; however, the ZEA elimination differed considerably within the tested group of Gram-positive bacteria. It is worth noting that the purified cell wall of L. boronitolerans AMK9/1, L. fusiformis AMK10/2 and B. thuringiensis AMK10/1 were highly efficient in eliminating ZEA and the teichoic acid fractions of B. thuringiensis AMK10/1, and L. fusiformis AMK10/2 could also be successfully used in ZEA binding. The ZEA elimination capacity of viable R. suwonensis AMK9/2 cells was outstanding (40%). Meanwhile, R. suwonensis AMK9/2 and L. boronitolerans AMK9/1 cells produced significant esterase activities, and ZEA elimination of the cell wall fractions of that species did not correlate with esterase activity. DON and AFB1 binding capabilities of the tested bacterial cells and their cell wall fractions were low, except for B. thuringiensis AMK10/1, where the observed high 64% AFB1 elimination could be linked to the surface layer (S-layer) fraction of the cell wall.

Biodetoxification and Protective Properties of Probiotics

Probiotic consumption is recognized as being generally safe and correlates with multiple and valuable health benefits. However, the mechanism by which it helps detoxify the body and its anti-carcinogenic and antimutagenic potential is less discussed. A widely known fact is that globalization and mass food production/cultivation make it impossible to keep all possible risks under control. Scientists associate the multitude of diseases in the days when we live with these risks that threaten the population’s safety in terms of food. This review aims to explore whether the use of probiotics may be a safe, economically viable, and versatile tool in biodetoxification despite the numerous risks associated with food and the limited possibility to evaluate the contaminants. Based on scientific data, this paper focuses on the aspects mentioned above and demonstrates the probiotics’ possible risks, as well as their anti-carcinogenic and antimutagenic potential. After reviewing the probiotic capacity to react with pathogens, fungi infection, mycotoxins, acrylamide toxicity, benzopyrene, and heavy metals, we can conclude that the specific probiotic strain and probiotic combinations bring significant health outcomes. Furthermore, the biodetoxification maximization process can be performed using probiotic-bioactive compound association.

Role of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food Preservation and Safety

Fermentation of various food stuffs by lactic acid bacteria is one of the oldest forms of food biopreservation. Bacterial antagonism has been recognized for over a century, but in recent years, this phenomenon has received more scientific attention, particularly in the use of various strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Certain strains of LAB demonstrated antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, including bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi. Furthermore, in recent years, many authors proved that lactic acid bacteria have the ability to neutralize mycotoxin produced by the last group. Antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria is mainly based on the production of metabolites such as lactic acid, organic acids, hydroperoxide and bacteriocins. In addition, some research suggests other mechanisms of antimicrobial activity of LAB against pathogens as well as their toxic metabolites. These properties are very important because of the future possibility to exchange chemical and physical methods of preservation with a biological method based on the lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites. Biopreservation is defined as the extension of shelf life and the increase in food safety by use of controlled microorganisms or their metabolites. This biological method may determine the alternative for the usage of chemical preservatives. In this study, the possibilities of the use of lactic acid bacteria against foodborne pathogens is provided. Our aim is to yield knowledge about lactic acid fermentation and the activity of lactic acid bacteria against pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, we would like to introduce actual information about health aspects associated with the consumption of fermented products, including probiotics.

Reduced of mycotoxin levels in parboiled rice by using ozone and its effects on technological and chemical properties

Contamination of foods by mycotoxins is a reality. However, emerging technologies such as ozonization can be used to reduce the levels of these contaminants. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using ozone at different period and application times during the soaking step of parboiling process. Samples were analyzed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of mycotoxins, swelling power and solubility, head rice yield, protein solubility, cooking time, texturometric profile, colorimetric profile and defective grains. The results showed tha parboiled rice grains treated with ozone present significant reduction of mycotoxins contamination, regardless of the time and period of application and the mycotoxin evaluated. Regardig to technological properties, the samples treated with ozone in the final 3 h and for 5 h of soaking presented higher head rice yield, luminosity and hardness, with decreases in cooking time, percentage of defective grains and soluble protein.

Invited review: Remediation strategies for mycotoxin control in feed

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of different species of fungi. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) are the main mycotoxins contaminating animal feedstuffs. These mycotoxins can primarily induce hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, consequently cause adverse effects on the health and performance of animals. Therefore, physical, chemical, biological and nutritional regulation approaches have been developed as primary strategies for the decontamination and detoxification of these mycotoxins in the feed industry. Meanwhile, each of these techniques has its drawbacks, including inefficient, costly, or impractically applied on large scale. This review summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the different remediation strategies, as well as updates of the research progress of these strategies for AFB1, DON, ZEN and FB1 control in the feed industry.

Bio-control on the contamination of Ochratoxin A in food: Current research and future prospects

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite of several fungi and widely exists in various species of foods. The establishment of effective methods for OTA reduction is a key measure to ensure food processing and human health. This article reviews the current research of OTA reduction by biological approaches, summarizes the characteristics and efficiency of them, and evaluates the transformation pathways and metabolites safety of each degradation technology. The shortcomings of various methods are pointed out and future prospects are also proposed. Biological methods are the most promising approaches for OTA control. The defect of them is the long processing time and the growth of microbial cells may affect the product quality. Therefore, the control of OTA contamination should be conducted according to the food processing and their product types. Besides, it is significant for the exploitation of new strains, enzyme and novel adsorbents.

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The application of physical and chemical methods has been restricted.

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Existing biological methods can effectively detoxify OTA.

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OTA reduction systems should be established for different food.

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The exploitation of novel equipment, enzyme and adsorbents is essential.

Distribution, toxicity, interactive effects, and detection of ochratoxin and deoxynivalenol in food: A review

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that cause severe damage to agricultural products and food in the food supply chain. These detrimental pollutants have been directly linked with poor socioeconomic patterns and human health issues. Among the natural micropollutants, ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are widely distributed in food materials. The primary occurrence of these mycotoxins is reported in almost all cereal grains and fresh agro-products. Both mycotoxins have shown harmful effects, such as nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, and genotoxic effects, in humans due to their complex structural formation during the degradation/acetylation reaction. In addition, improper preharvest, harvest, and postharvest handling tend to lead to the formation of OTA and DON in various food commodities, which allows different harmful fungicides in practice. Therefore, this review provides more insight into the distribution and toxicity of OTA/DON in the food matrix and human health. Furthermore, the interactive effects of OTA/DON with co-contaminated organic and inorganic compounds are discussed. Finally, international regulation and mitigation strategies for detoxication are critically evaluated to meet food safety and good agriculture practices.

Recent technological advances in mechanism, toxicity, and food perspectives of enzyme-mediated aflatoxin degradation

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus section Flavi that contaminates a wide variety of food and feed products and is responsible for serious health and economic consequences. Fermented foods are prepared with a wide variety of substrates over a long fermentation time and are thus vulnerable to contamination by aflatoxin-producing fungi, leading to the production of aflatoxin B1. The mitigation and control of aflatoxin is currently a prime focus for developing safe aflatoxin-free food. This review summarizes the role of major aflatoxin-degrading enzymes such as laccase, peroxidase, and lactonase, and microorganisms in the context of their application in food. A putative mechanism of enzyme-mediated aflatoxin degradation and toxicity evaluation of the degraded products are also extensively discussed to evaluate the safety of degradation processes for food applications. The review also describes aflatoxin-degrading microorganisms isolated from fermented products and investigates their applicability in food as aflatoxin preventing agents. Furthermore, a summary of recent technological advancements in protein engineering, nanozymes, in silico and statistical optimization approaches are explored to improve the industrial applicability of aflatoxin-degrading enzymes.

Alimentary Risk of Mycotoxins for Humans and Animals

Mycotoxins can be found in many foods consumed by humans and animals. These substances are secondary metabolites of some fungi species and are resistant to technological processes (cooking, frying, baking, distillation, fermentation). They most often contaminate products of animal (beef, pork, poultry, lamb, fish, game meat, milk) and plant origin (cereals, processed cereals, vegetables, nuts). It is estimated that about 25% of the world's harvest may be contaminated with mycotoxins. These substances damage crops and may cause mycotoxicosis. Many mycotoxins can be present in food, together with mold fungi, increasing the exposure of humans and animals to them. In this review we characterized the health risks caused by mycotoxins found in food, pet food and feed. The most important groups of mycotoxins are presented in terms of their toxicity and occurrence.

Microbial community diversity associated with Tibetan kefir grains and its detoxification of Ochratoxin A during fermentation

Tibetan kefir grains (TKG) are multi-functional starter cultures used in foods and have been applied in various fermentation systems. This study aimed to investigate the microbial community composition of TKG, the detoxification abilities of TKG and their isolates towards common mycotoxins, and the potential for applying TKG and their associated microbial populations to avoid mycotoxin contamination in dairy products. Cultivation-independent high-throughput sequencing of bacterial and fungal rDNA genes indicated that Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Kazachstania turicensis were the most abundant bacterial and fungal taxa, respectively. In addition, 27 total isolates were obtained using cultivation methods. TKG removed more than 90% of the Ochratoxin A (OTA) after 24 h, while the isolate Kazachstania unisporus AC-2 exhibited the highest removal capacity (~46.1%). Further, the isolate exhibited good resistance to acid and bile salts environment. Analysis of the OTA detoxification mechanism revealed that both adsorption and degradation activities were exhibited by TKG, with adsorption playing a major detoxification role. Furthermore, the addition of OTA did not affect the microbial community structure of TKG. These results indicate that TKG-fermented products can naturally remove mycotoxin contamination of milk and could potentially be practically applied as probiotics in fermentation products.

Aflatoxin contamination and recommendations to improve its control: a review

Aflatoxin producing fungi cause contamination of food and feed resulting in health hazards and economic loss. It is imperative to develop workable control measures throughout the food chain to prevent and reduce aflatoxin contamination. This is a critical review of contemporary published papers in the field. It is a review of reports from the original aflatoxin researches conducted on foods, from 2015-2020. Most of the reports show high aflatoxin contaminations in food at levels that exceed a regulatory limit of 20 μg/kg and 4 μg/kg set for foods for human consumption in the USA and European Union, respectively. The highest aflatoxin concentration (3,760 μg/kg) was observed in maize. Some of the strategies being deployed in aflatoxin control include application of biocontrol agents, specifically of Aflasafe™, development of resistant crop varieties, and application of other good agricultural practices. We recommend the adoption of emerging technologies such as combined methods technology (CMT) or hurdle technology, one health concept (OHC), improved regulations, on-line monitoring of aflatoxins, and creative art intervention (CAI) to prevent or restrict the growth of target aflatoxin causative fungi.

A FRET aptasensor for sensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 based on a novel donor-acceptor pair between ZnS quantum dots and Ag nanocubes

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals. A novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensor based on aptamer recognition technology is proposed for the sensitive detection of AFB1 in moldy peanuts using Ag nanocubes as energy acceptors and ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as energy donors. Compared to the traditional FRET system based on an Au quencher, Ag nanocubes can not only quench the fluorescence of aptamer modified ZnS QDs, but are also inexpensive. In addition, compared with heavy metal QDs, ZnS QDs are environmentally friendly, have excellent photochemical properties, and are ideal energy donors. Without Ag nanocubes, the aptamer modified ZnS QDs emits blue fluorescence under an ultraviolet lamp. Because the emission spectrum of ZnS and the absorption spectrum of Ag nanocubes meet the requirements of FRET, the fluorescence quenching of ZnS QDs is realized. Nevertheless, with AFB1, the specific binding of aptamer and complementary chain makes the ZnS QDs break away from the Ag nanocubes, which leads to the fluorescence recovery of the ZnS QDs. Under the optimized detection conditions, the linear range of AFB1 was 5 pg mL^-1 to 300 ng mL^-1, and there was no obvious reaction with other similar mycotoxins. According to S/N = 3, the detection limit of AFB1 was 2.67 pg mL^-1. The detection of AFB1 in peanut samples shows that the new FRET system can successfully be applied in the future to agricultural products.

Novel strategies for degradation of aflatoxins in food and feed: A review

Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites mainly produced by Aspergillus fungi, posing high carcinogenic potency in humans and animals. Dietary exposure to aflatoxins is a global problem in both developed and developing countries especially where there is poor regulation of their levels in food and feed. Thus, academics have been striving over the decades to develop effective strategies for degrading aflatoxins in food and feed. These strategies are technologically diverse and based on physical, chemical, or biological principles. This review summarizes the recent progress on novel aflatoxin degradation strategies including irradiation, cold plasma, ozone, electrolyzed oxidizing water, organic acids, natural plant extracts, microorganisms and enzymes. A clear understanding of the detoxification efficiency, mechanism of action, degradation products, application potential and current limitations of these methods is presented. In addition, the development and future perspective of nanozymes in aflatoxins degradation are introduced.

Usability of graphene oxide as a mycotoxin binder: In vitro study

Mycotoxin management in agriculture is an essential challenge for maintaining the health of both animals and humans. Choosing the right adsorbent is still a question for many breeders and an important criterion for feed manufacturers. New adsorbents are still being sought. Graphene oxide is a promising material in the field of nanotechnology, which excels in its adsorption properties. Presented in vitro study investigates graphene oxide for the binding of mycotoxins from crushed wheat. The results show that graphene oxide has an adsorption capacity for aflatoxin 0.045 mg/g, zearalenone 0.53 mg/g and deoxynivalenol 1.69 mg/g at 37° C. In vitro simulation of crushed wheat digestion showed rapid adsorption during the gastric phase. Of the minerals, Mg, Cu and Zn were the most adsorbed. The applied dose of graphene oxide of 10 mg/g caused only a slight inhibition of the digestive enzymes α-amylase and trypsin compared to pepsin and gastric lipase. In vitro results indicated the suitability of graphene oxide in the adsorption of the aflatoxin, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol.

Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts and Organic Wines Fermentation: Implications on Human Health

A relevant trend in winemaking is to reduce the use of chemical compounds in both the vineyard and winery. In organic productions, synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms must be avoided, aiming to achieve the production of a “safer wine”. Safety represents a big threat all over the world, being one of the most important goals to be achieved in both Western society and developing countries. An occurrence in wine safety results in the recovery of a broad variety of harmful compounds for human health such as amines, carbamate, and mycotoxins. The perceived increase in sensory complexity and superiority of successful uninoculated wine fermentations, as well as a thrust from consumers looking for a more “natural” or “organic” wine, produced with fewer additives, and perceived health attributes has led to more investigations into the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking, namely in organic wines. However, the use of copper and sulfur-based molecules as an alternative to chemical pesticides, in organic vineyards, seems to affect the composition of grape microbiota; high copper residues can be present in grape must and wine. This review aims to provide an overview of organic wine safety, when using indigenous and/or non-Saccharomyces yeasts to perform fermentation, with a special focus on some metabolites of microbial origin, namely, ochratoxin A (OTA) and other mycotoxins, biogenic amines (BAs), and ethyl carbamate (EC). These health hazards present an increased awareness of the effects on health and well-being by wine consumers, who also enjoy wines where terroir is perceived and is a characteristic of a given geographical area. In this regard, vineyard yeast biota, namely non-Saccharomyces wine-yeasts, can strongly contribute to the uniqueness of the wines derived from each specific region.