Modified mycotoxins: An updated review on their formation, detection, occurrence, and toxic effects

The occurrence and management of fumonisin contamination across the food production and supply chains

BACKGROUND

Fumonisins (FUMs) are among the most common mycotoxins in plant-derived food products. FUMs contamination has considerably impacted human and animal health, while causing significant economic losses. Hence, management of FUMs contamination in food production and supply chains is needed. The toxicities of FUMs have been widely investigated. FUMs management has been reported and several available strategies have been developed successfully to mitigate FUMs contamination present in foods. However, currently available management of FUMs contamination from different phases of food chains and the mechanisms of some major strategies are not comprehensively summarized.

AIM OF REVIEW

This review comprehensively characterize the occurrence, impacts, and management of FUMs contamination across food production and supply chains. Pre- and post-harvest strategies to prevent FUMs contamination also are reviewed, with an emphasis on the potential applications and the mechanisms of major mitigation strategies. The presence of modified FUMs products and their potential toxic effects are also considered. Importantly, the potential application of biotechnological approaches and emerging technologies are enunciated.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

Currently available pre- and post-harvest management of FUMs contamination primarily involves prevention and decontamination. Prevention strategies are mainly based on limiting fungal growth and FUMs biosynthesis. Decontamination strategies are implemented through alkalization, hydrolysis, thermal or chemical transformation, and enzymatic or chemical degradation of FUMs. Concerns have been raised about toxicities of modified FUMs derivatives, which presents challenges for reducing FUMs contamination in foods with conventional methodologies. Integrated prevention and decontamination protocols are recommended to control FUMs contamination across entire value chains in developed countries. In developing countries, several other approaches, including cultivating, introducing Bt maize, simple sorting/cleaning, and dehulling, are suggested. Future studies should focus on biotechnological approaches, emerging technologies, and metagenomic/genomic identification of new degradation enzymes that could allow better opportunities to manage FUMs contamination in the entire food system.

Studies of Mycotoxins in Medicinal Plants Conducted Worldwide over the Last Decade: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Exposure Risk Assessment

BACKGROUND

Mycotoxins have been reported to be present in medicinal plants. With the growing usage of medicinal plants, contamination of mycotoxins has emerged as one of the biggest threats to global food hygiene and ecological environment, posing a severe threat to human health.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the mycotoxin prevalence and levels in medicinal plants and conduct a risk assessment by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

A thorough search on Web of Science and PubMed was conducted for the last decade, resulting in 54 studies (meeting the inclusion criteria) with 2829 data items that were included in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The combined prevalence of mycotoxins in medicinal plants was 1.7% (95% confidence interval, CI = 1.1% - 2.4%), with a mean mycotoxin concentration in medicinal plants of 3.551 µg/kg (95% CI = 3.461 - 3.641 µg/kg). Risk assessment results indicated that aflatoxins and ochratoxin A found in several medicinal plants posed a health risk to humans; additionally, emerging enniatins exhibited possible health risks.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, the study underlines the need for establishing stringent control measures to reduce the severity of mycotoxin contamination in medicinal plants.

Genome-based taxonomic identification and safety assessment of an Enterococcus strain isolated from a homemade dairy product

The aim of this study was to explore the taxonomic identification and evaluate the safety of a bacterium, Enterococcus lactis IDCC 2105, isolated from homemade cheese in Korea, using whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis. It sought to identify the species level of this Enterococcus spp., assess its antibiotic resistance, and evaluate its virulence potential. WGS analysis confirmed the bacterial strain IDCC 2105 as E. lactis and identified genes responsible for resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin, specifically msrC, and eatAv, which are chromosomally located, indicating a minimal risk for horizontal gene transfer. The absence of plasmids in E. lactis IDCC 2105 further diminishes the likelihood of resistance gene dissemination. Additionally, our investigation into seven virulence factors, including hemolysis, platelet aggregation, biofilm formation, hyaluronidase, gelatinase, ammonia production, and β-glucuronidase activity, revealed no detectable virulence traits. Although bioinformatic analysis suggested the presence of collagen adhesion genes acm and scm, these were not corroborated by phenotypic virulence assays. Based on these findings, E. lactis IDCC 2105 presents as a safe strain for potential applications, contributing valuable information on its taxonomy, antibiotic resistance profile, and lack of virulence factors, supporting its use in food products.

A green-footprint approach for parallel multiclass analysis of contaminants in roasted coffee via LC-HRMS

The development and validation of a simple, comprehensive, and environment-friendly procedure to determine pesticide residues, naturally occurring and processing contaminants in roasted coffee is presented. A solid-liquid extraction of pesticides and mycotoxins with ethyl acetate and the concurrent partition of acrylamide to an aqueous phase follows a parallel analytical strategy that requires a single analytical portion to determine contaminants that are typically analyzed by dedicated single residue methods. The partition rules the lipids out of the aqueous extract before an "in-tube" dispersive solid phase microextraction (dSPME) for acrylamide retention. This is followed by the elution with buffer prior to injection. This extract is independently introduced into the system front end followed by the injection of the compounds from the organic phase, yet all spotted in the same run. A novel liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method setup enables the quantification of 186 compounds at 10 µg/kg, 226 at 5 µg/kg, and the acrylamide at 200 µg/kg for a total of 414 molecules, with acceptable recoveries (70-120%) and precision (RSD < 20%) making this strategy significantly faster and cost-effective than the dedicated single residue methods. Even though the presence of chlorpyrifos, acrylamide, and ochratoxin A was confirmed on samples of different origins, the findings were below the limit of quantification. During the storage of raw coffee, no proof of masking of OTA was found; however, condensation with glucose was evidenced during thermal processing experiments with sucrose by using stable isotope labeling (SIL). No detected conjugates were found in roasted nor in commercial sugar-added torrefacto samples, an industrial processing usually carried out above the decomposition temperature of the disaccharide.

Mycotoxins evaluation of total mixed ration (TMR) in bovine dairy farms: An update

The total mixed ration (TMR) is currently a widespread method to feed dairy cows. It is a mixture of raw fodder and concentrate feed that can be contaminated by several mycotoxins. The main aim of this paper was to provide a critical review on TMR mycotoxin occurrence and its usefulness to monitor and control them on-farm. Aflatoxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin and fumonisins (regulated mycotoxins) are the most prevalent mycotoxins evaluated in TMR. Nonetheless, several emerging mycotoxins represent a health risk at the animal level regarding their prevalence and level in TMR. Even when measured at low levels, the co-occurrence of mycotoxins is frequent and synergistic effects on animal health are still underevaluated. Similar to the animal feed industry, on-farm plans monitoring mycotoxin feed contamination can be developed as a herd health management program. The estimated daily intake of mycotoxins should be implemented, but thresholds for each mycotoxin are not currently defined in dairy farms.

Degradation of deoxynivalenol by a microbial consortia C1 from duck intestine

Deoxynivalenol (DON), one of the most widespread mycotoxins in food and feed, poses a persistent health threat to humans and farm animals, and is difficult to eliminate. The utilization of the biotransformation mechanism by microorganisms to detoxify DON is a promising strategy. Although individual strains are capable of DON degradation, their isolation and purification are challenging and time-consuming. Recently, the microbial consortia concept has been proposed, owing to their ability to perform more complex tasks and are more tolerant to environmental changes than individual strains or species. In this study, the novel microbial consortia C1 that could efficiently convert DON to de-epoxy DON (DOM-1) was screened from the cecum contents of ducks. After 24 h anaerobic incubation, 100 μg/ml DON was completely degraded by C1. In vitro, C1 can effectively degrade DON in corn steep liquor (CSL) with an efficiency of 49.44% within 14 days. Furthermore, C1 effectively alleviated the DON poisoning in mice. After C1 treatment, the serum DON level decreased by 40.39%, and the reduction in serum total protein and albumin levels were mitigated. Additionally, C1 is effective in protecting the mouse liver against 5 mg/kg DON. These findings suggest that C1 could be a promising DON biological detoxifier and provide novel microbial resources for preventing DON contamination.

Simultaneous detection of AFB1 and aflD gene by "Y" shaped aptamer fluorescent biosensor based on double quantum dots

The developed method for simultaneous detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflD genes can effectively monitor from the source and reduce the safety problems and economic losses caused by the production of aflatoxin, which can be of great significance for food safety regulations. In this paper, we constructed a sensitive and convenient fluorescent biosensor to detect AFB1 and aflD genes simultaneously based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between quantum dots (QDs) and a black hole quenching agent. A stable "Y" shaped aptasensor was employed as the detection platform and a double quantum dot labeled DNA fragment was utilized to be the sensing element in this work. When the targets of AFB1 and aflD genes were presented in the solution, the aptamer in the "Y" shaped probe is specifically recognized by the target. At this time, both Si-carbon quantum dots (Si-CDs) and CdTe QDs are far away from the BHQ1 and BHQ3 to recover the fluorescence. The linear range of the prepared fluorescence simultaneous detection method was as wide as 0.5-500 ng·mL-1 with detection lines of 0.64 ng·mL-1 for AFB1 and 0.5-500 nM with detection lines of 0.75 nM for aflD genes (3σ/k). This fabricated fluorescent biosensor was further validated in real rice flour and corn flour samples, which also achieved good results. The recoveries were calculated by comparing the known and found amounts of AFB1 which ranged from 88.4 to approximately 115.32% in the rice flour samples and 90.7 ~ 102.58% in the corn flour samples. The recoveries of aflD genes ranged from 84.32 to approximately 109.3% in the rice flour samples and 89.48 ~ 100.99% in the corn flour samples. Therefore, the proposed biosensor can significantly improve food safety and quality control through a simple, fast, and sensitive agricultural product monitoring and detection system.

Essential oils: An eco-friendly alternative for controlling toxigenic fungi in cereal grains

Fungi are widely disseminated in the environment and are major food contaminants, colonizing plant tissues throughout the production chain, from preharvest to postharvest, causing diseases. As a result, grain development and seed germination are affected, reducing grain quality and nutritional value. Some fungal species can also produce mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites for vertebrate animals. Natural compounds, such as essential oils, have been used to control fungal diseases in cereal grains due to their antimicrobial activity that may inhibit fungal growth. These compounds have been associated with reduced mycotoxin contamination, primarily related to reducing toxin production by toxigenic fungi. However, little is known about the mechanisms of action of these compounds against mycotoxigenic fungi. In this review, we address important information on the mechanisms of action of essential oils and their antifungal and antimycotoxigenic properties, recent technological strategies for food industry applications, and the potential toxicity of essential oils.

Effect of Aspergillus flavus contamination on the fungal community succession, mycotoxin production and storage quality of maize kernels at various temperatures

Aspergillus flavus, a notorious saprobe and opportunistic plant pathogen, alters mycotoxin contamination and biochemical components in maize kernels during processing and storage, thereby reducing the possibilities of maize end use and compromising food safety. This study explored changes in mycotoxin production, fungal community succession and biochemical components in maize kernels stored at 20, 25 and 30 °C, exposed to A. flavus. Results showed that aflatoxin B1 concentration increased over time, reaching 4.88 μg/kg at 20 °C, 167.23 μg/kg at 25 °C and 349.64 μg/kg at 30 °C after 15 days of storage, whereas the zearalenone production was characterized by an increase followed by a decrease. Correspondingly, the number of molds gradually increased and reached a stable stage after 10 days. High-throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) revealed that Eurotium dominated the fungal communities, with A. flavus reaching maximum abundance in maize kernels stored at 30 °C for 15 days. Correlation analysis indicated that the relative abundance of A. flavus was significantly negatively correlated with the content of zein and moisture (P < 0.05). Moreover, the wet milling process of maize effectively eliminated the concentration of aflatoxin B1 and zearalenone from the starch. Pasting temperature and setback value of starch decreased while peak viscosity, final viscosity and breakdown value increased with storage. These findings indicate that interactions between the epiphytic fungal community and A. flavus at elevated storage temperatures aggravate both maize quality deterioration and mycotoxin contamination. Furthermore, they have a discernible impact on the pasting properties of starch. This insight informs strategies to control fungal infections during maize processing and storage.

A comparative review on methods of detection and quantification of mycotoxins in solid food and feed: a focus on cereals and nuts

Many emerging factors and circumstances urge the need to develop and optimize the detection and quantification techniques of mycotoxins in solid food and feed. The diversity of mycotoxins, which have different properties and affinities, makes the standardization of the analytical procedures and the adoption of a single protocol that covers the attributes of all mycotoxins a tedious or even an impossible mission. Several modifications and improvements have been undergone in order to optimize the performance of these methods including the extraction solvents, the extraction methods, the clean-up procedures, and the analytical techniques. The techniques range from the rapid screening methods, which lack sensitivity and specificity such as TLC, to a spectrum of more advanced protocols, namely, ELISA, HPLC, and GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. This review aims at assessing the current studies related to these analytical techniques of mycotoxins in solid food and feed. It discusses and evaluates, through a critical approach, various sample treatment techniques, and provides an in-depth examination of different mycotoxin detection methods. Furthermore, it includes a comparison of their actual accuracy and a thorough analysis of the observed benefits and drawbacks.

Strategies to control mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi contamination by nano-semiconductor in food and agro-food: a review

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites generated from toxigenic fungi in the contaminated food and agro-food, which have been regarded as a serious threat to the food safety and human health. Therefore, the control of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi contamination is of great significance and has attracted the increasing attention of researchers. As we know, nano-semiconductors have many unique properties such as large surface area, structural stability, good biocompatibility, excellent photoelectrical properties, and low cost, which have been developed and applied in many research fields. Recently, nano-semiconductors have also been promisingly applied in mitigating or controlling mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi contaminations in food and agro-food. In this review, the type, occurrence, and toxicity of main mycotoxins in food and agro-food were introduced. Then, a variety of strategies to mitigate the mycotoxin contamination based on nano-semiconductors involving mycotoxins detection, inhibition of toxigenic fungi, and mycotoxins degradation were summarized. Finally, the outlook, opportunities, and challenges have prospected in the future for the mitigation of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi based on nano-semiconductors.

Suspect and nontarget screening of mycotoxins and their modified forms in wheat products based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

Various forms of mycotoxins commonly exist in food and pose a significant risk to human health. Here a comprehensive suspect and nontarget screening strategy for both parent and modified mycotoxins was developed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLCHRMS). We constructed an in-house MS/MS database containing 82 mycotoxins in 8 categories. Then fragmentation characteristics of different classes of mycotoxins were rapidly extracted by a Python program "Fragmentation pattern screener (FPScreener)" and nontarget screening rules were determined by analyzing the frequencies and average intensities of fragmentation characteristics. Using the suspect and nontarget screening strategy, we successfully identified six parent mycotoxins and eight modified mycotoxins with different confidence levels in contaminated wheat and flour samples. This strategy enables screening of unknown parents and modified mycotoxins in food matrices with corresponding fragmentation characteristics.

Zearalenone-14-glucoside specifically promotes dysplasia of Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue: A natural product for constructing intestinal nodular lymphatic hyperplasia model

INTRODUCTION

Zearalenone-14-glucoside (Z14G) is a modified mycotoxin that widely contaminates food across the world. Our preliminary experiment showed that Z14G degrades to zearalenone (ZEN) in the intestine exerting toxicity. Notably, oral administration of Z14G in rats induces intestinal nodular lymphatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the mechanism of Z14G intestinal toxicity and how it differs from ZEN toxicity. We conducted a precise toxicology study on the intestine of rats exposed to Z14G and ZEN using multi-omics technology.

METHODS

Rats were exposed to ZEN (5 mg/kg), Z14G-L (5 mg/kg), Z14G-H (10 mg/kg), and pseudo germ free (PGF)-Z14G-H (10 mg/kg) for 14 days. Histopathological studies were performed on intestines from each group and compared. Metagenomic, metabolomic, and proteomic analyses were performed on rat feces, serum, and intestines, respectively.

RESULTS

Histopathological studies showed that Z14G exposure resulted in dysplasia of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) compared to ZEN exposure. The elimination of gut microbes in the PGF-Z14G-H group alleviated or eliminated Z14G-induced intestinal toxicity and GALT dysplasia. Metagenomic analysis revealed that Z14G exposure significantly promoted the proliferation of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides compared to ZEN. Metabolomic analysis showed that Z14G exposure significantly reduced bile acid, while proteomic analysis found that Z14G exposure significantly reduced the expression of C-type lectins compared to ZEN.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experimental results and previous research suggest that Z14G is hydrolyzed to ZEN by Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides promoting their co-trophic proliferation. This leads to inactivation of lectins by hyperproliferative Bacteroides when ZEN caused intestinal involvement, resulting in abnormal lymphocyte homing and ultimately GALT dysplasia. It is noteworthy that Z14G is a promising model drug to establish rat models of intestinal nodular lymphatic hyperplasia (INLH), which is of great significance for studying the pathogenesis, drug screening and clinical application of INLH.

Application of DNA Nanotweezers in biosensing: Nanoarchitectonics and advanced challenges

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a carrier of genetic information. DNA hybridization is characterized by predictability, diversity, and specificity owing to the strict complementary base-pairing assembly mode, which stimulates the use of DNA to build a variety of nanomachines, including DNA tweezers, motors, walkers, and robots. DNA nanomachines have become prevalent for signal amplification and transformation in the field of biosensing, providing a new method for constructing highly sensitive sensing analysis strategies. DNA tweezers have exhibited unique advantages in biosensing applications owing to their simple structures and fast responses. The two-state conformation of DNA tweezers, the open and closed states, enable them to open and close autonomously after stimulation, thus facilitating the quick detection of corresponding signal changes of different targets. This review discusses the recent progress in the application of DNA nanotweezers in the field of biosensing, and the trends in their development for application in the field of biosensing are summarized.

Wheat craft beer made from AFB1-contaminated wheat malt contains detectable mycotoxins, retains quality attributes, but differs in some fermentation metabolites

Levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were measured during the production of wheat craft beer made with wheat malt contaminated with AFB1 (1.23 µg/kg). A wheat craft beer made with non-contaminated wheat malt was produced for comparison purposes. AFB1 was measured after mashing (malt after the mashing process), and in spent grain (spent grains are filtered to collect the wort - remaining sugar-rich liquid), sweet wort, green beer, spent yeast, and in beer. Physicochemical parameters (pH, titratable acidity, color parameters, total soluble solids), sugars, organic acids, alcohols, and phenolics were evaluated after mashing, and in sweet wort, green beer, and beer samples. Density and yeast counts were determined over 120 h of sweet wort fermentation every 24 h. The AFB1 levels in the final beer were 0.22 µg/L, while the spent grains and spent yeasts contained 0.71 ± 0.17 and 0.11 ± 0.03 µg/kg of AFB1, respectively. AFB1 contamination did not influence the final product's physicochemical parameters, density during fermentation, fructose, or glycerol content. Higher yeast counts were observed during the first 48 h of non-contaminated wheat craft beer fermentation, with higher ethanol, citric acid, and propionic acid contents and lower glucose, malic acid, and lactic acid contents compared with beer contaminated with AFB1. Non-contaminated wheat craft beer also had higher concentrations of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, procyanidin A2, and procyanidin B1. AFB1 contamination of wheat malt may not affect basic quality parameters in wheat craft beer but can influence the final product's organic acid and phenolic contents. Our findings show that if wheat craft beer is made with contaminated malt, AFB1 can remain in the final product and may pose a risk to consumers.

Toward Machine Learning-Driven Mass Spectrometric Identification of Trichothecenes in the Absence of Standard Reference Materials

While a significant body of work exists on the detection of commonly known trichothecene toxins, biological, environmental, and other transformational processes can generate many under-characterized and unknown modified trichothecenes. Lacking both analytical reference standards and associated mass spectral databases, identification of these modified compounds reflects both a challenge and a critical gap from forensic and public health perspectives. We report here the application of machine learning (ML) techniques toward identification of discriminative fragment ions from mass spectrometric data that can be exploited to detect evidence of type A and B trichothecenes. The goal of this work is to establish a new method for the identification of unknown, though structurally similar trichothecenes, by leveraging objective ML techniques. Discriminative fragments derived from a series of gradient-boosted machine learners are then used to develop ML-driven precursor ion scan (PIS) methods on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QQQ) for screening of "unknown unknown" trichothecenes. Specifically, we apply the PIS method to a laboratory-synthesized trichothecene, a first step in demonstrating the power of alternative, machine learning-driven mass spectrometric methods.

Modified Mycotoxins and Multitoxin Contamination of Food and Feed as Major Analytical Challenges

Mycotoxins, as natural products of molds, are often unavoidable contaminants of food and feed, to which the increasingly evident climate changes contribute a large part. The consequences are more or less severe and range from economic losses to worrying health problems to a fatal outcome. One of the best preventive approaches is regular monitoring of food and feed for the presence of mycotoxins. However, even under conditions of frequent, comprehensive, and conscientious controls, the desired protection goal may not be achieved. In fact, it often happens that, despite favorable analytical results that do not indicate high mycotoxin contamination, symptoms of their presence occur in practice. The most common reasons for this are the simultaneous presence of several different mycotoxins whose individual content does not exceed the detectable or prescribed values and/or the alteration of the form of the mycotoxin, which renders it impossible to be analytically determined using routine methods. When such contaminated foods enter a living organism, toxic effects occur. This article aims to shed light on the above problems in order to pay more attention to them, work to reduce their impact, and, eventually, overcome them.

Mycotoxins in Cereal-Based Products and Their Impacts on the Health of Humans, Livestock Animals and Pets

Cereal grains are the most important food staples for human beings and livestock animals. They can be processed into various types of food and feed products such as bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, cake, snacks, beer, complete feed, and pet foods. However, cereal grains are vulnerable to the contamination of soil microorganisms, particularly molds. The toxigenic fungi/molds not only cause quality deterioration and grain loss, but also produce toxic secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, which can cause acute toxicity, death, and chronic diseases such as cancer, immunity suppression, growth impairment, and neural tube defects in humans, livestock animals and pets. To protect human beings and animals from these health risks, many countries have established/adopted regulations to limit exposure to mycotoxins. The purpose of this review is to update the evidence regarding the occurrence and co-occurrence of mycotoxins in cereal grains and cereal-derived food and feed products and their health impacts on human beings, livestock animals and pets. The effort for safe food and feed supplies including prevention technologies, detoxification technologies/methods and up-to-date regulation limits of frequently detected mycotoxins in cereal grains for food and feed in major cereal-producing countries are also provided. Some important areas worthy of further investigation are proposed.

Recent Advances in Fluorescent Nanoprobes for Food Safety Detection

Fluorescent nanoprobes show similar fluorescence properties to traditional organic dyes, but the addition of nanotechnology accurately controls the size, shape, chemical composition, and surface chemistry of the nanoprobes with unique characteristics and properties, such as bright luminescence, high photostability, and strong biocompatibility. For example, modifying aptamers or antibodies on a fluorescent nanoprobe provides high selectivity and specificity for different objects to be tested. Fluorescence intensity, life, and other parameters of targets can be changed by different sensing mechanisms based on the unique structural and optical characteristics of fluorescent nanoprobes. What's more, the detection of fluorescent nanoprobes is cost-saving, simple, and offers great advantages in rapid food detection. Sensing mechanisms of fluorescent nanoprobes were introduced in this paper, focusing on the application progress in pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, microbes, mycotoxins, and other substances in food safety detection in recent years. A brief outlook for future development was provided as well.

Non-thermal emerging processing Technologies: Mitigation of microorganisms and mycotoxins, sensory and nutritional properties maintenance in clean label fruit juices

The increase in the fruit juice consumption and the interest in clean label products boosted the development and evaluation of new processing technologies. The impact of some emerging non-thermal technologies in food safety and sensory properties has been evaluated. The main technologies applied in the studies are ultrasound, high pressure, supercritical carbon dioxide, ultraviolet, pulsed electric field, cold plasma, ozone and pulsed light. Since there is no single technique that presents high potential for all the evaluated requirements (food safety, sensory, nutritional and the feasibility of implementation in the industry), the search for new technologies to overcome the limitations is fundamental. The high pressure seems to be the most promising technology regarding all the aspects mentioned. Some of the outstanding results are 5 log reduction of E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella, 98.2% of polyphenol oxidase inactivation and 96% PME reduction. However its cost can be a limitation for industrial implementation. The combination of pulsed light and ultrasound could overcome this limitation and provide higher quality fruit juices. The combination was able to achieve 5.8-6.4 log cycles reduction of S. Cerevisiae, and pulsed light is able to obtain PME inactivation around 90%, 61.0 % more antioxidants, 38.8% more phenolics and 68.2% more vitamin C comparing to conventional processing, and similar sensory scores after 45 days at 4 °C comparing to fresh fruit juice. This review aims to update the information related to the application of non-thermal technologies in the fruit juice processing through systematic and updated data to assist in industrial implementation strategies.

Mycotoxins on edible insects: Should we be worried?

Edible insects are a solid alternative to meet the growing demand for animal protein. However, there are doubts regarding the safety of insect consumption. Mycotoxins are substances of concern for food safety, as they may cause harmful effects on the human organism and accumulate in the tissues of some animals. This study focuses on the characteristics of the main mycotoxins, the mitigation of human consumption of contaminated insects, and the effects of mycotoxins on insect metabolism. To date, studies reported the interaction of the mycotoxins aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1, and T-2, isolated or combined, in three insect species from Coleoptera and one from Diptera order. The use of rearing substrates with low mycotoxin contamination did not reduce the survival and development of insects. Fasting practices and replacing contaminated substrate with a decontaminated one decreased the concentration of mycotoxins in insects. There is no evidence that mycotoxins accumulate in the tissues of the insects' larvae. Coleoptera species showed high excretion capacity, while Hermetia illucens had a lower excretion capacity of ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol. Thus, a substrate with low mycotoxin contamination could be used for raising edible insects, particularly from the Coleoptera order.

Comparison of two commercial methods with a UHPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of multiple mycotoxins in cereals

Immunoassay-based techniques are important on-site screening tools for the detection of mycotoxins in cereals. This study aims to evaluate the trueness, precision, repeatability and cross-reactivity of commercially available test strips, ELISA kits and UHPLC-MS/MS on analyzing zearalenone, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin and fumonisin B₁. The results showed that false negative rate (25.7 %-37.4 %) of all tested mycotoxins by test strips was higher than the false positive rate (0 %-31.0 %). The repeatability of ELISA kits at the declared LOD dispersed from -85.7 % to +98.4 %. ELISA kits were more accurate at 50 % of the maximum residue limit (MRL) of mycotoxins than 150 % and 200 %. All the tested deoxynivalenol/zearalenone derivatives had cross-reactivity with different level, and sample matrix could reinforce this overestimation of target mycotoxin. This study emphasized that higher-quality antibody screening and more analytical performance investigations are need to address for on-site detection of mycotoxins in the future.

Two-Step Epimerization of Deoxynivalenol by Quinone-Dependent Dehydrogenase and Candida parapsilosis ACCC 20221

Deoxynivalenol (DON), one of the main mycotoxins with enteric toxicity, genetic toxicity, and immunotoxicity, and is widely found in corn, barley, wheat, and rye. In order to achieve effective detoxification of DON, the least toxic 3-epi-DON (1/357th of the toxicity of DON) was chosen as the target for degradation. Quinone-dependent dehydrogenase (QDDH) reported from Devosia train D6-9 detoxifies DON by converting C3-OH to a ketone group with toxicity of less than 1/10 that of DON. In this study, the recombinant plasmid pPIC9K-QDDH was constructed and successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. Within 12 h, recombinant QDDH converted 78.46% of the 20 μg/mL DON to 3-keto-DON. Candida parapsilosis ACCC 20221 was screened for its activity in reducing 86.59% of 3-keto-DON within 48 h; its main products were identified as 3-epi-DON and DON. In addition, a two-step method was performed for epimerizing DON: 12 h catalysis by recombinant QDDH and 6 h transformation of the C. parapsilosis ACCC 20221 cell catalyst. The production rates of 3-keto-DON and 3-epi-DON were 51.59% and 32.57%, respectively, after manipulation. Through this study, effective detoxification of 84.16% of DON was achieved, with the products being mainly 3-keto-DON and 3-epi-DON.

Deoxynivalenol in food and feed: Recent advances in decontamination strategies

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that contaminates animal feed and crops around the world. DON not only causes significant economic losses, but can also lead diarrhea, vomiting, and gastroenteritis in humans and farm animals. Thus, there is an urgent need to find efficient approaches for DON decontamination in feed and food. However, physical and chemical treatment of DON may affect the nutrients, safety, and palatability of food. By contrast, biological detoxification methods based on microbial strains or enzymes have the advantages of high specificity, efficiency, and no secondary pollution. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the recently developed strategies for DON detoxification and classify their mechanisms. In addition, we identify remaining challenges in DON biodegradation and suggest research directions to address them. In the future, an in-depth understanding of the specific mechanisms through which DON is detoxified will provide an efficient, safe, and economical means for the removal of toxins from food and feed.

Effect of Gliding Arc Plasma Jet on the Mycobiota and Deoxynivalenol Levels in Naturally Contaminated Barley Grains

Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium meridionale are primary contaminants of barley, capable of producing several mycotoxins, mainly type B trichothecenes and zearalenone. Cold plasma decontamination has been gaining prominence, seeking to control the fungal and mycotoxin contamination of food and feed and to improve product quality. To reach this objective, the present study was divided into two parts. In the first part, F. meridionale and F. graminearum strains were exposed to gliding arc plasma jet (GAPJ). Cell viability tests showed the inactivation of F. meridionale after 15-min treatment, whereas F. graminearum showed to be resistant. In the second part, barley grains were treated by GAPJ for 10, 20, and 30 min, demonstrating a reduction of about 2 log CFU/g of the barley's mycobiota, composed of yeasts, strains belonging to the F. graminearum species complex, Alternaria, and Aspergillus. A decrease in DON levels (up to 89%) was observed after exposure for 20 min. However, an increase in the toxin Deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (D3G) was observed in barley grains, indicating a conversion of DON to D3G.

Tumor tissue microorganisms are closely associated with tumor immune subtypes

Studies have found that different immune subtypes are present in the same tumor. Different tumor subtypes have different tumor microenvironments (TME). This means that the efficacy of immunotherapy in actual applications will, therefore, have different results. Existing tumor immune subtype studies have mostly focused on immune cells, stromal cells, genes and molecules without considering the presence of microbes. Some studies have shown that microflora can strongly promote many gastrointestinal cancers. The microbiome has, therefore, become an important biomarker and regulatory factor of cancer progression and therapeutic responses. In addition, the presence of microflora can strongly regulate the host immune system, indirectly affecting tumor growth. Taken together, it is important to study the relationships that develop among tumor tissue microorganisms, tumor immune subtype, and the TME. In this study, correlations between microbial abundance, immune cell infiltration, immune gene expression and tumor immune subtype were studied. To accomplish this, tissue microorganisms and immune cell ratios with significant differences between the different cancers were obtained by comparing 203 gastric cancer and intestinal cancer samples. Two immune subtypes of intestinal samples were obtained by K-means clustering algorithm and tissue microorganisms, immune cell ratios and immune-related genes with significant differences between different immune subtypes were screened through Wilcoxon rank sum test. The results showed that Clostridioides difficile, Aspergillus fumigatus, Yarrowia lipolytica, and Fusarium pseudograminearum were all closely associated with the identified tumor immune subtypes. Our open-source software is freely available from GitHub at https://github.com/gutmicrobes/IMM-subtype.git.

Investigation of antifungal activities of myrcene on Fusarium reference strains

Antifungal effects of myrcene, the plant-based naturel compound, were investigated on Fusarium graminearum PH-1 and Fusarium culmorum FcUK99 references, for the first time. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and half of MIC (MIC₅₀) of both Fusarium strains against myrcene were found as 25 µg/µl and 12.5 µg/µl, respectively. MIC₅₀ application decreased the cell viabilities in the ratios of 34.90% and 33.91% in PH-1 and FcUK99, respectively (p < 0.01). The significantly increased catalase (CAT) activity was recorded in MIC₅₀ treated strains (p < 0.01). Apoptosis-like process and cellular oxidative stress were also monitored with acridine orange/ethidium bromide (Ao/Eb) dual staining and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) staining. The genomic template stability (GTS) percentages were calculated as 79% for PH-1 and 71% for FcUK99 via random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Methylation polymorphism values were calculated as 53.8% and 50.6% in PH-1 and 40.4% and 39% in FcUK99 for HapII and MspI, respectively by coupled restriction enzyme digestion-random amplification (CRED-RA). Methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) revealed that myrcene caused both type I and type III epigenetic modifications in both genomes. MIC₅₀ dose caused up to 13.86 ± 0.42-fold changes in the expressions of cat, mst20, and stuA, whereas downregulation in tri5 was recorded. Myrcene application did not change the retrotransposon movement in both species by the amplifying of idiomorphic retrotransposon patterns through inter-retrotransposon polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (IRAP-PCR). This study demonstrated that myrcene is an effective compound in the management of phytopathogenic Fusarium species by causing morphological, genetic, epigenetic, and cellular alterations, and has a potential to utilize as an antifungal agent.

Immunohistochemical Expression (IE) of Oestrogen Receptors in the Intestines of Prepubertal Gilts Exposed to Zearalenone

This study was conducted to determine if a low monotonic dose of zearalenone (ZEN) affects the immunohistochemical expression (IE) of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and oestrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in the intestines of sexually immature gilts. Group C (control group; n = 18) gilts were given a placebo. Group E (experimental group; n = 18) gilts were dosed orally with 40 μg ZEN /kg body weight (BW), each day before morning feeding. Samples of intestinal tissue were collected post-mortem six times. The samples were stained to analyse the IE of ERα and Erβ in the scanned slides. The strongest response was observed in ERα in the duodenum (90.387-average % of cells with ERα expression) and in ERβ in the descending colon (84.329-average % of cells with ERβ expression); the opposite response was recorded in the caecum (2.484-average % of cells with ERα expression) and the ascending colon (2.448-average % of cells with ERα expression); on the first two dates of exposure, the digestive tract had to adapt to ZEN in feed. The results of this study, supported by a mechanistic interpretation of previous research findings, suggest that ZEN performs numerous functions in the digestive tract.

Recent advances in nanomaterial-based optical biosensors for food safety applications: Ochratoxin-A detection, as case study

Global population growth tremendously impacts the global food industry, endangering food safety and quality. Mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin-A (OTA), emerge as a food chain production threat, since it is produced by fungus that contaminates different food species and products. Beyond this, OTA exhibits a possible human toxicological risk that can lead to carcinogenic and neurological diseases. A selective, sensitive, and reliable OTA biodetection approach is essential to ensure food safety. Current detection approaches rely on accurate and time-consuming laboratory techniques performed at the end of the food production process, or lateral-flow technologies that are rapid and on-site, but do not provide quantitative and precise OTA concentration measurements. Nanoengineered optical biosensors arise as an avant-garde solution, providing high sensing performance, and a fast and accurate OTA biodetection screening, which is attractive for the industrial market. This review core presents and discusses the recent advancements in optical OTA biosensing, considering engineered nanomaterials, optical transduction principle and biorecognition methodologies. Finally, the major challenges and future trends are discussed, and current patented OTA optical biosensors are emphasized for a particular promising detection method.

From Grapes to Wine: Impact of the Vinification Process on Ochratoxin A Contamination

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the major mycotoxins, classified as "potentially carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and wine is one of its main sources of intake in human consumption. The main producer of this toxin is Aspergillus carbonarius, a fungus that contaminates grapes early in the growing season. The vinification process, as a whole, reduces the toxin content in wine compared to the grapes; however, not all vinification steps contribute equally to this reduction. During the maceration phase in red wines, toxin concentrations generally tend to increase. Based on previous studies, this review provides an overview of how each step of the vinification process influences the final OTA contamination in wine. Moreover, certain physical, chemical, and microbiological post-harvest strategies are useful in reducing OTA levels in wine. Among these, the use of fining agents, such as gelatin, egg albumin, and bentonite, must be considered. Therefore, this review describes the fate of OTA during the winemaking process, including quantitative data when available, and highlights actions able to reduce the final OTA level in wine.

Comprehensive review on patulin and Alternaria toxins in fruit and derived products

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi, which can contaminate various food commodities, including fruits and their derived products. Patulin and Alternaria toxins are among the most commonly encountered mycotoxins in fruit and their derived products. In this review, the sources, toxicity, and regulations related to these mycotoxins, as well as their detection and mitigation strategies are widely discussed. Patulin is a mycotoxin produced mainly by the fungal genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Byssochlamys. Alternaria toxins, produced by fungi in the Alternaria genus, are another common group of mycotoxins found in fruits and fruit products. The most prevalent Alternaria toxins are alternariol (AOH) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME). These mycotoxins are of concern due to their potential negative effects on human health. Ingesting fruits contaminated with these mycotoxins can cause acute and chronic health problems. Detection of patulin and Alternaria toxins in fruit and their derived products can be challenging due to their low concentrations and the complexity of the food matrices. Common analytical methods, good agricultural practices, and contamination monitoring of these mycotoxins are important for safe consumption of fruits and derived products. And Future research will continue to explore new methods for detecting and managing these mycotoxins, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the safety and quality of fruits and derived product supply.

Reduction of Aflatoxin B1 and Zearalenone Contents in Corn Using Power Ultrasound and Its Effects on Corn Quality

The degradation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEA) is investigated using power ultrasound to identify suitable methods to reduce the mycotoxin content of corn. AFB1 and ZEA in corn are simultaneously degraded via power ultrasound; thus, this method has a significant effect on corn quality. The power intensity, solid-liquid ratio, and ultrasonic treatment modes significantly affect the degradation rates of AFB1 and ZEA. The dissolution of AFB1 and ZEA in water also facilitates their degradation. At the initial stage of ultrasonic treatment, power ultrasound promotes the dissolution of mycotoxins in water, whereupon they are partially oxidized by free radicals. With a treatment time of 10 min, the reduction rates decreased owing to the dissolution of combined-state mycotoxins. After ultrasonic treatment, the contents of the essential amino acids, the total number of amino acids, and the fatty acids in corn decreased; however, ΔH values decreased during starch gelatinization. In contrast, the amylose content and viscosity of corn significantly increased during gelatinization. Therefore, this method is potentially suitable for the reduction of AFB1 and ZEA contents in corn.

Exposure to Low Zearalenone Doses and Changes in the Homeostasis and Concentrations of Endogenous Hormones in Selected Steroid-Sensitive Tissues in Pre-Pubertal Gilts

This study was undertaken to analyze whether prolonged exposure to low-dose zearalenone (ZEN) mycotoxicosis affects the concentrations of ZEN, α-zearalenol (α-ZEL), and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL) in selected reproductive system tissues (ovaries, uterine horn-ovarian and uterine sections, and the middle part of the cervix), the hypothalamus, and pituitary gland, or the concentrations of selected steroid hormones in pre-pubertal gilts. For 42 days, gilts were administered per os different ZEN doses (MABEL dose [5 µg/kg BW], the highest NOAEL dose [10 µg/kg BW], and the lowest LOAEL dose [15 µg/kg BW]). Tissue samples were collected on days seven, twenty-one, and forty-two of exposure to ZEN (exposure days D1, D2, and D3, respectively). Blood for the analyses of estradiol and progesterone concentrations was collected in vivo on six dates at seven-day intervals (on analytical dates D1-D6). The analyses revealed that both ZEN and its metabolites were accumulated in the examined tissues. On successive analytical dates, the rate of mycotoxin accumulation in the studied tissues decreased gradually by 50% and proportionally to the administered ZEN dose. A hierarchical visualization revealed that values of the carry-over factor (CF) were highest on exposure day D2. In most groups and on most exposure days, the highest CF values were found in the middle part of the cervix, followed by the ovaries, both sections of the uterine horn, and the hypothalamus. These results suggest that ZEN, α-ZEL, and β-ZEL were deposited in all analyzed tissues despite exposure to very low ZEN doses. The presence of these undesirable compounds in the examined tissues can inhibit the somatic development of the reproductive system and compromise neuroendocrine coordination of reproductive competence in pre-pubertal gilts.

Modified Mycotoxins, a Still Unresolved Issue

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous microfungi on almost every agricultural commodity worldwide. After the infection of crop plants, mycotoxins are modified by plant enzymes or other fungi and often conjugated to more polar substances, like sugars. The formed—often less toxic—metabolites are stored in the vacuole in soluble form or bound to macromolecules. As these substances are usually not detected during routine analysis and no maximum limits are in force, they are called modified mycotoxins. While, in most cases, modified mycotoxins have lower intrinsic toxicity, they might be reactivated during mammalian metabolism. In particular, the polar group might be cleaved off (e.g., by intestinal bacteria), releasing the native mycotoxin. This review aims to provide an overview of the critical issues related to modified mycotoxins. The main conclusion is that analytical aspects, toxicological evaluation, and exposure assessment merit more investigation.

Occurrence, transformation, and toxicity of fumonisins and their covert products during food processing

Fumonisins comprise structurally related metabolites mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum. Contamination with fumonisins causes incalculable damage to the economy and poses a great risk to animal and human health. Fumonisins and their covert products are found in cereals and cereal products. Food processing significantly affects the degradation of toxins and the formation of covert toxins. However, studies on fumonisins and their covert mycotoxins remain inadequate. This review aims to summarize changes in fumonisins and the generation of covert fumonisins during processing. It also investigates the toxicity and determination methods of fumonisins and covert fumonisins, and elucidates the factors affecting fumonisins and their covert forms during processing. In addition to the metabolic production by plants and fungi, covert fumonisins are mainly produced by covalent or noncovalent binding, complexation, or physical entrapment of fumonisins with other substances. The toxicity of covert fumonisins is similar to that of free fumonisins and is a non-negligible hazard. Covert fumonisins are commonly found in food matrices, and methods to analyze them have yet to be improved. Food processing significantly affects the conversion of fumonisins to their covert toxins.

Advances in the study of liver microsomes in the in vitro metabolism and toxicity evaluation of foodborne contaminants

Foodborne contaminants are closely related to anthropologic activities and represent an important food safety hazard. The study of metabolic transformation and toxic side effects of foodborne contaminants in the body is important for their safety assessment. Liver microsomes contain a variety of enzymes related to substance metabolism and biotransformation. An in vitro model simulating liver metabolic transformation is associated with a significant advantage in the study of the metabolic transformation mechanisms of contaminants. This review summarizes the recent progress in the application of liver microsomes in metabolic transformation and toxicity evaluation of various foodborne pollutants based on metabolic kinetics, molecular docking and enzyme inhibition studies. The purpose of this review is to distinguish the existing studies involving liver microsomes and provide strategies for their application in the future. Finally, the prospects and challenges of the liver microsomal model are discussed.

Matrix-associated mycotoxins in foods, cereals and feedstuffs: A review on occurrence, detection, transformation and future challenges

Matrix-associated mycotoxins that bind with macromolecular components through covalent or non-covalent interactions easily occur in various cereals, cereal-based products, and cereal-based feedstuff. They are "masked" by macro-components, causing the underestimation of total exposure risk of mycotoxins. Most of the current reports focus on the free and modified mycotoxins, while the matrix-associated forms are ignored but still can exert toxic effects after ingestion. In this paper, current researches and future prospects of matrix-associated mycotoxins are reviewed. Especially, a focus is set on the transformation of matrix-associated mycotoxins with their free forms during metabolism and food processing. Enzymes, temperature and pH levels during food processing can induce the interconversion of matrix-associated mycotoxins with free mycotoxins. Furthermore, the analytical methods targeted on matrix-associated mycotoxins are discussed. Due to the lack of efficient methods releasing the mycotoxins from matrix, the standard analytical methods has not developed so far. Also, we further analyzed the challenges of matrix-associated mycotoxins about variety, occurrence, toxicity and transformation, exposure assessment, which contributes to establish preventive measures to control their hazards for consumers. Overall, this overview is significant for perfecting risk assessment, as well as developing effective prevention and control actions to matrix-associated mycotoxins.

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.

Using Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled with Reactive Carbon Fiber Ionization-Mass Spectrometry for the Detection of Aflatoxin B1 from Complex Samples

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a common mycotoxin present in agricultural and food products. Therefore, rapid screening methods must be developed for AFB1 detection with high sensitivity and good selectivity. In this study, we developed an analytical method based on the combination of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with carbon fiber ionization (CFI)-mass spectrometry (MS) to detect the presence of trace AFB1 from complex samples. A pencil lead (type 2B, length: ~2.5 cm) with a sharp end (diameter: ~150 μm) was used as the SPME fiber and the ionization emitter in CFI-MS analysis. Owing to the graphite structure of the pencil lead, AFB1 can be trapped on the pencil lead through π–π interactions. After adsorbing AFB1, the pencil lead was directly introduced in a pipette tip (length: ~0.7 cm; tip inner diameter: ~0.6 mm), placed close (~1 mm) to the inlet of the mass spectrometer, and applied with a high voltage (−4.5 kV) for in situ AFB1 elution and CFI-MS analysis. A direct electric contact on the SPME-CFI setup was not required. Followed by the introduction of an elution solvent (10 μL) (acetonitrile/ethanol/deionized water, 2:2:1 (v/v/v)) to the pipette tip, electrospray ionization was generated from the elution solvent containing AFB1 for CFI-MS analysis. A reactive SPME-CFI-MS strategy was employed to further identify AFB1 and improve elution capacity using our approach. Butylamine was added to the elution solvent, which was then introduced to the pipette tip inserted with the SPME fiber. Butylamine-derivatized AFB1 was readily generated and appeared in the resultant SPME-CFI mass spectrum. The lowest detectable concentration against AFB1 using our approach was ~1.25 nM. Our method can distinguish AFB1 from AFG1 in a mixture and can be used for the detection of trace AFB1 in complex peanut extract samples.

Rapid and sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS methods for dietary sample analysis of 43 mycotoxins in China total diet study

INTRODUCTION

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi that commonly contaminate foods. As recommended by the World Health Organization, total diet study (TDS) is the most efficient and effective way to estimate the dietary intakes of certain chemical substances for general populations. It requires sensitive and reliable analytical methods applicable to a wide range of complex food matrices and ready-to-eat dishes.

OBJECTIVES

A novel strategy with high selectivity and sensitivity, incorporating three methods based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), was designed for measuring 43 mycotoxins in dietary samples in a China TDS.

METHODS

The 43 mycotoxins were divided into 3 groups for analysis to achieve better performance. For each group, an UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed to determine the target compounds after clean-up by solid phase extraction. A total of 21 isotope internal standards were employed for accurate quantitation. Method validation in terms of linearity, selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision was performed for all the 43 mycotoxins in 12 complex food matrices.

RESULTS

The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 0.002-1 ng mL^-1 and 0.006-3 ng mL^-1, respectively. The method recoveries of the 43 mycotoxins spiked in 12 food categories were in the range of 60.3%-175.9% after internal standard correction, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 13.9%. For practical application, this method was utilized for 72 dietary samples collected from 6 provinces in the 6th China TDS. More than 80% of the samples were found contaminated by mycotoxins. DON, SMC, FB₁, ZEN, BEA, ENNB₁, and ENNB were most detected.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed methods with high sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness provide powerful tools for multi-mycotoxin monitoring and dietary exposure assessment, allowing 43 mycotoxins, including some emerging mycotoxins, to be accurately investigated in a total diet study for the first time.

The control of Fusarium growth and decontamination of produced mycotoxins by lactic acid bacteria

Global crop and food contamination with mycotoxins are one of the primary worldwide concerns, while there are several restrictions regarding approaching conventional physical and chemical mycotoxins decontamination methods due to nutrition loss, sensory attribute reduction in foods, chemical residual, inconvenient operation, high cost of equipment, and high energy consumption of some methods. In this regard, the overarching challenges of mycotoxin contamination in food and food crops require the development of biological decontamination strategies. Using certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as generally recognized safe (GRAS) compounds is one of the most effective alternatives due to their potential to release antifungal metabolites against various fungal factors species. This review highlights the potential applications of LAB as biodetoxificant agents and summarizes their decontamination activities against Fusarium growth and Fusarium mycotoxins released into food/feed. Firstly, the occurrence of Fusarium and the instrumental and bioanalytical methods for the analysis of mycotoxins were in-depth discussed. Upgraded knowledge on the biosynthesis pathway of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium offers new insightful ideas clarifying the function of these secondary metabolites. Moreover, the characterization of LAB metabolites and their impact on the decontamination of the mycotoxin from Fusarium, besides the main mechanisms of mycotoxin decontamination, are covered. While the thematic growth inhibition of Fusarium and decontamination of their mycotoxin by LAB is very complex, approaching certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is worth deeper investigations.

Deoxynivalenol: An Overview on Occurrence, Chemistry, Biosynthesis, Health Effects and Its Detection, Management, and Control Strategies in Food and Feed

Mycotoxins are fungi-produced secondary metabolites that can contaminate many foods eaten by humans and animals. Deoxynivalenol (DON), which is formed by Fusarium, is one of the most common occurring predominantly in cereal grains and thus poses a significant health risk. When DON is ingested, it can cause both acute and chronic toxicity. Acute signs include abdominal pain, anorexia, diarrhea, increased salivation, vomiting, and malaise. The most common effects of chronic DON exposure include changes in dietary efficacy, weight loss, and anorexia. This review provides a succinct overview of various sources, biosynthetic mechanisms, and genes governing DON production, along with its consequences on human and animal health. It also covers the effect of environmental factors on its production with potential detection, management, and control strategies.

Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide and Substance P Mediate Emetic Response Induction by Masked Trichothecene Deoxynivalenol-3-Glucoside through Ca2+ Signaling

Deoxynivalenol (DON), the most naturally-occurring trichothecenes, may affect animal and human health by causing vomiting as a hallmark of food poisoning. Deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (D3G) usually co-occurs with DON as its glucosylated form and is another emerging food safety issue in recent years. However, the toxicity of D3G is not fully understood compared to DON, especially in emetic potency. The goals of this research were to (1) compare emetic effects to D3G by oral and intraperitoneal (IP) routes and relate emetic effects to brain-gut peptides glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and substance P (SP) in mink; (2) determine the roles of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and transient receptor potential (TRP) channel in D3G’s emetic effect. Both oral and IP exposure to D3G elicited marked emetic events. This emetic response corresponded to an elevation of GIP and SP. Blocking the GIP receptor (GIPR) diminished emetic response induction by GIP and D3G. The neurokinin 1 receptor (NK-1R) inhibitor Emend^® restrained the induction of emesis by SP and D3G. Importantly, CaSR antagonist NPS-2143 or TRP channel antagonist ruthenium red dose-dependently inhibited both D3G-induced emesis and brain-gut peptides GIP and SP release; cotreatment with both antagonists additively suppressed both emetic and brain-gut peptide responses to D3G. To summarize, our findings demonstrate that activation of CaSR and TRP channels contributes to D3G-induced emesis by mediating brain-gut peptide exocytosis in mink.

In Vitro Effects of Lemon Balm Extracts in Reducing the Growth and Mycotoxins Biosynthesis of Fusarium culmorum and F. proliferatum

The objectives of this research were to obtain the extracts of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) using supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) and methanol as co-solvent and evaluate the antifungal activity of those extracts against two selected strains of Fusarium species (Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium proliferatum). The extraction conditions were set at 40 and 60 °C and 250 bar. The obtained extracts were characterized in terms of antifungal activity on potato dextrose agar media (PDA). The results showed that the extraction parameters had different effects on mycelium growth and mycotoxins biosynthesis reduction. All studied lemon balm extracts (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%) inhibited the growth of F. proliferatum and F. culmorum mycelia compared to the control. The lemon balm extracts significantly reduced ergosterol content and synthesized mycotoxins in both tested strains. These findings support the antifungal activity of lemon balm extracts against F. proliferatum and F. culmorum. However, more research on other Fusarium species is needed, as well as in vivo applications, before considering lemon balm extracts as a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides.