Detoxification of Aflatoxin B1 in Milk Using Lactic Acid Bacteria

Synergistic Effects of Probiotic Bifidobacterium Isolated from Chicken's Intestine in Combination with Polyvinylpyrrolidone on Reduction of Aflatoxin B1

Food contamination with aflatoxin is one of the most critical concerns of health professionals. One of the best ways to reduce aflatoxin content in food is probiotics. Therefore, this study was performed to isolate Bifidobacterium from the chick's intestine; evaluate its probiotic activities and its application with Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to reduce aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁ ) in the medium were investigated. Samples were isolated from the chick's intestine, and Bifidobacterium was isolated and identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Next, the potential probiotic characterization was assessed. Afterward, the effect of selected isolate and PVP on reducing AFB₁ in the medium was studied using ELISA and HPLC. Biochemical and molecular evaluations indicated isolation of Bifidobacterium bifidum strain from chick's intestine. One of the B. bifidum strains was selected for the next steps, which showed potential probiotic characterization and the ability to reduce the concentration of AFB₁ in the medium (50% reduction). When used in combination with PVP showed synergistic effects in reducing the concentration of AFB₁ from the medium (up to 90%). In conclusion, it was found that selected B. bifidum strains and PVP could have synergistic effects in reducing AFB₁ toxin in a medium up to 90%.

Potential probiotic strains with heavy metals and mycotoxins bioremoval capacity for application in foodstuffs

Heavy metals and mycotoxins in foodstuffs are one of the major concerns of our world nowadays. Food decontamination with the help of microbial biomass is a cheap, easy, efficient, and green method known as bioremoval. Probiotics are able to reduce the availability of heavy metals and toxins in food products. The purpose of this review is to summarize the probiotics and potential probiotics' interesting role in food bio-decontamination. After a brief glance at the definition of potential probiotic strains with bioremoval ability, LABs (lactic acid bacteria) are described as they are the most important groups of probiotics. After that, the role of the main probiotic and potential probiotic strains (Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for heavy metals and mycotoxins bioremoval are described. Additionally, the bioremoval mechanism and the effect of some factors in bioremoval efficiency are explained. Finally, the investigations about probiotic and contaminant stability are mentioned. It is worth mentioning that this review article can be exerted in different food and beverage industries to eliminate the heavy metals and mycotoxins in foodstuffs.

Mycotoxin detoxification of food by lactic acid bacteria

Today, a few hundred mycotoxins have been identified and the number is rising. Mycotoxin detoxification of food and feed has been a technically uphill task for the industry. In the twenty-first century, the public demand is healthy food with minimum use of chemicals and preservatives. Among all the fungal inhibition and mycotoxin detoxification methods so far developed for food, biopreservation and biodetoxification have been found safe and reliable. Nowadays, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great interest as biological additives in food owing to their Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) classification and mycotoxin detoxification capability. The occurrence of fungul growth in the food chain can lead to health problems such as mycotoxicosis and cancer to humans due to producing mycotoxins such as aflatoxins. Biopreservation is among the safest and most reliable methods for inhibition of fungi in food. This review highlights the great potential of LAB as biodetoxificant by summarizing various reported detoxification activities of LAB against fungal mycotoxins released into foods. Mechanisms of mycotoxin detoxification, also the inherent and environmental factors affecting detoxifying properties of LAB are also covered.

Role of the lactobacilli in food bio-decontamination: Friends with benefits

Food contamination such as toxins and heavy metals has been increasing in the last few decades as a result of industrialization in general and as part of food production in particular. Application of microorganisms in toxins and heavy metals bio-removal has been documented and applied as a favorable decontamination approach due to being environmentally friendly, reasonably simple, and economically feasible. Lactobacilli have been proposed and applied as a beneficial biologic sorbent for toxins and heavy metals in processes of reducing their hazardous bio-availability. The purpose of this review is to summarize the known role of Lactobacillus bacterial species in food bio-decontamination processes. After a quick glimpse of the worthy properties of lactobacilli, their cell wall structure is mentioned. Then the potential role of Lactobacillus strains for mycotoxins (aflatoxins, patulin, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, zearalenone, cyanotoxins, and trichothecenes) and heavy metals (lead, arsenic copper, mercury, cadmium, zinc, aluminum, chromium, and iron) bio-removal were described. In addition, the role of various factors in removal yield and the decontamination mechanism were explained. Finally, the lactobacilli-contaminant stability, in vivo studies, and being a friend or foe of Lactobacillus bacteria are discussed.

A kinetic analysis of the aflatoxin detoxification potential of lactic acid bacteria in Terxine (a cereal-based food)

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a hazardous component that can seriously threaten the public health. Terxine is a component used in traditional soup and found in the western mountainous regions of Iran. Several microorganisms have been reported to bind or degrade aflatoxins (AFs) in foods and feeds. This research aimed to investigate the effect of Terxine fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum strains AF1 and LU5 on AFB1. Fermentation was carried out, and pH, lactic acid and AFB1 amount and microbial count were further determined. In addition, the kinetic experimental data of AFB1 by L. plantarum AF1 and LU5 (obtained at 37°C) were fitted to the zero-order, first-order and parabolic diffusion models. According to the coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square of errors (RMSE), the zero-order model best described AF degradation. The growth of Lactobacillus strains was increased by the rise in the fermentation time; in this regard, the number of L. plantarum AF1 increased from 4.2 to 5.1 log cfu/g and that of L. plantarum LU5 increased from 4.1 to 5.2 log cfu/g in the first 8 h, reaching 7.2 and 7.4 log cfu/g in the next 8 h, respectively. The results also showed that the amount of lactic acid increased whereas the pH value decreased during the 24 h fermentation. Both microorganisms reduced the amount of AFB1 while L. plantarum AF1 was more effective. Therefore, L. plantarum strains AF1 and LU5 can be effectively used to reduce AFB1 in fermented foods.

Biological Control and Mitigation of Aflatoxin Contamination in Commodities

Aflatoxins (AFs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced mostly by Aspergillus species. AF contamination entering the feed and food chain has been a crucial long-term issue for veterinarians, medicals, agroindustry experts, and researchers working in this field. Although different (physical, chemical, and biological) technologies have been developed, tested, and employed to mitigate the detrimental effects of mycotoxins, including AFs, universal methods are still not available to reduce AF levels in feed and food in the last decades. Possible biological control by bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, their excretes, the role of the ruminal degradation, pre-harvest biocontrol by competitive exclusion or biofungicides, and post-harvest technologies and practices based on biological agents currently used to alleviate the toxic effects of AFs are collected in this review. Pre-harvest biocontrol technologies can give us the greatest opportunity to reduce AF production on the spot. Together with post-harvest applications of bacteria or fungal cultures, these technologies can help us strictly reduce AF contamination without synthetic chemicals.

Detoxification of Aflatoxin B1 by Probiotic Yeasts and Bacteria Isolated From Dairy Products of Iran

Purpose: The present study was conducted to assess the ability of probiotic bacteria and yeasts strains to reduce aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in gastrointestinal simulated conditions. Aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic and immunosuppressive agents. Acute exposure to a high level of aflatoxins leads to aflatoxicosis, which cause rapid death due to liver failure. It is anticipated that consumption of probiotic microorganisms capable of binding aflatoxins can reduce the risk of AFB1 on human health to a certain extent.

Methods: For this purpose, the bacteria (1 × 10¹⁰ cfu/mL) and yeasts count (2 × 10⁸ cells/mL) and AFB1 concentration (10 ppb) were adjusted. Then, the samples were incubated in the simulated medium, human gastric secretions and small intestine. The concentration of residual AFB1 was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results were statistically analyzed by SPSS 16 software.

Results: The native isolated bacteria and yeasts in the simulated gastrointestinal tract condition showed a significant effect on AFB1 reduction (P <0.05). The AFB1 reduction ability of native probiotic microorganisms was strain dependent. The highest binding ability in bacteria belonged to Lactobacillus rhamnosus (31.14%) and at yeasts belonged to Saccharomyces cerevisiae (30.46%).

Conclusion: The use of probiotic strains is the appropriate biological method to reduce AFB1 in the human gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic bacteria could help to decrease the harmful effects of AFB1 in humans through enhancing the food safety.

Assorted Methods for Decontamination of Aflatoxin M1 in Milk Using Microbial Adsorbents

Aflatoxins (AF) are carcinogenic metabolites produced by different species of Aspergillus which readily colonize crops. AFM1 is secreted in the milk of lactating mammals through the ingestion of feedstuffs contaminated by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Therefore, its presence in milk, even in small amounts, presents a real concern for dairy industries and consumers of dairy products. Different strategies can lead to the reduction of AFM1 contamination levels in milk. They include adopting good agricultural practices, decreasing the AFB1 contamination of animal feeds, or using diverse types of adsorbent materials. One of the most effective types of adsorbents used for AFM1 decontamination are those of microbial origin. This review discusses current issues about AFM1 decontamination methods. These methods are based on the use of different bio-adsorbent agents such as bacteria and yeasts to complex AFM1 in milk. Moreover, this review answers some of the raised concerns about the binding stability of the formed AFM1-microbial complex. Thus, the efficiency of the decontamination methods was addressed, and plausible experimental variants were discussed.