Adsorption of Deoxynivalenol (DON) from Corn Steep Liquor (CSL) by the Microsphere Adsorbent SA/CMC Loaded with Calcium

Deoxynivalenol and pigs: review of harmful effect of Mycotoxin on swine health

Mycotoxins are compounds produced by certain types of fungi, and the mycotoxin one of the most most frequently found in the tested cereal samples is deoxynivalenol (DON), naturally-occurring mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp. An animal sensitive to the effects of this mycotoxin is the pig due to the diet containing primarily cereals and the structure of a digestive system, which causes DON to be quickly absorbed unchanged into the bloodstream and partially metabolized in the liver. An important aspect when considering the toxicity of DON is the occurrence of its modified forms, which can be transformed into DON in the digestive system. The toxic effect of DON can also be caused by other mycotoxins which co-occur in cereals. The toxic effect of DON on the body of pigs was observed mainly in the digestive, immune, and reproductive systems. The noticeable of DON's toxic effects depends on the exposure time, route of administration and mycotoxin concentration. The changes are mainly caused by impaired gene expression, inhibiting protein synthesis or the effect of DON on pathways in pigs' bodies. The negative impact of DON on the health of pigs may lead to reduced weight gain, poor health, and increased susceptibility to infections and reproductive disorders. There have also been many methods of DON elimination from cereals, but their efficiency is insufficient.

Double-crosslinked hydrogels and hydrogel beads formed by garlic protein hydrolysates for bioactive encapsulation and gastrointestinal delivery

BACKGROUND

Garlic protein is one of the main components of garlic. It has several beneficial characteristics. This study aimed to characterize a double crosslinked hydrogel formed with alginate, calcium ions (Ca2+), and garlic protein hydrolysates (GPH), and to develop hydrogel beads for targeted delivery of bioactive constituents to the gastrointestinal tract.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the degree of GPH hydrolysis was approximately 3% following trypsin treatment. The inner structure of the double crosslinked hydrogel showed a honeycomb pattern, with solid-like gel rheology and improved texture properties at a 4% (w/v) GPH concentration. The GPH-based hydrogel beads demonstrated pH sensitivity, swelling in near-neutral and alkaline environments, and the encapsulated paclitaxel (PTX) exhibited an amorphous phase with preferential release in intestinal conditions. The GPH group also achieved greater drug encapsulation efficiency than a soy protein hydrolysate (SPH) group, and proteomic analysis suggested that lower molecular weight and peptide charge favored the formation of peptide-integrated double crosslinking hydrogels.

CONCLUSION

This work indicated that GPH was helpful and could inspire the development of drug delivery systems involving GPH with the required mechanical strength and target-release properties. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Application and efficacy of beidellite clay for the adsorption and detoxification of deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)

The incidence of mycotoxin occurrence throughout the entire lifespan of some agricultural products could be due to climatic conditions and environmental factors (including high temperature, drought, and heavy rainfall) that enhance growth of fungi. Deoxynivalenol (DON) which is also referred to as vomitoxin is a mycotoxin produced from many Fusarium species. DON ranks high among the prominent mycotoxins in cereal products and is a ubiquitous toxin in livestock feeds. DON's adverse effects present major health challenges in both livestock and humans. The use of natural sorbents including smectite clays, is an economically feasible strategy to mitigate mycotoxin toxicities. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of edible clays as protective components of human food and animal feed to alleviate toxicity associated with short-term exposure to mycotoxins including DON. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the sorption mechanisms of DON onto the binding surfaces of beidellite clay, assessing essential binding parameters such as enthalpy, free energy, binding capacity, affinity, and plateau surface density. These markers were used to predict availability of DON under the experimental conditions. Furthermore, the protection of beidellite clay against DON-induced toxicity was carried out using living organisms susceptible to DON toxicity, including Hydra vulgaris and Lemna minor. These studies investigated the dose-dependent detoxification of DON by 0.05-2 % inclusion of beidellite. Beidellite exhibited more than 75 % protection in Lemna minor and 53 % in Hydra vulgaris validating that this clay is effective in detoxifying DON. During emergencies, or after disasters, inclusion of edible clay like beidellite in food, water or capsules could reduce bioavailability of DON and halt potential exposures to humans and animals.

Non-destructive monitoring and prediction of fouling by organic matters and residual anionic coagulant during membrane process

Physical fouling characteristics on silicon carbide (SiC) membranes induced by various organic matter compounds vary depending on the presence of calcium ions (Ca2+). Both destructive techniques (morphological surface analysis) and non-destructive techniques (fouling properties monitoring) were used to determine the fouling mechanisms and behavior during the membrane filtration systems. Destructive analysis and a modified Hermia model were employed to assess the fouling mechanisms. Fouling behavior was also analyzed through non-destructive monitoring techniques including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and three-dimensional laser scanning confocal microscopy (3D-LSM). At concentrations of 10, 30, and 100 mg/L without Ca2+, the flux decreased by 57-95% for humic acid (HA) and anionic polyacrylamide (APAM). APAM exhibited a notable removal rate of up to 56% without Ca2+. At concentration of 10, 30, and 100 mg/L in the absence of Ca2+, the flux decreased by 6-8% for sodium alginate (SA). However, the addition of Ca2+ led to a reduction in the flux for SA by up to 91% and resulted in a removal rate of 40%. Furthermore, addition of Ca2+ led to an alteration of the fouling characteristics of HA and SA. In the case of HA, higher concentrations resulted in elevated thickness and roughness with correlation coefficients of 0.991 and 0.992, respectively. For SA, increased SA concentration led to a thicker (correlation coefficient of 0.999) but smoother surfaces (correlation coefficients of 0.502). Monitoring of these physical characteristics of the fouling layer through non-destructive analysis is crucial for effective fouling management, optimization of the system performance and extending the lifespan of the membrane. By continuously assessing the fouling layer thickness and surface roughness, we expect to be able to provide insights on the fouling behavior, identify trends, that can help scientists and engineers to make informed decisions regarding fouling control strategies in future.

Impact of deoxynivalenol on rumen function, production, and health of dairy cows: Insights from metabolomics and microbiota analysis

Deoxynivalenol contamination in feed and food, pervasive from growth, storage, and processing, poses a significant risk to dairy cows, particularly when exposed to a high-starch diet; however, whether a high-starch diet exacerbates these negative effects remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the combined impact of deoxynivalenol and dietary starch on the production performance, rumen function, and health of dairy cows using metabolomics and 16 S rRNA sequencing. Our findings suggested that both high- and low-starch diets contaminated with deoxynivalenol significantly reduced the concentration of propionate, isobutyrate, valerate, total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), and microbial crude protein (MCP) concentrations, accompanied by a noteworthy increase in NH3-N concentration in vitro and in vivo (P < 0.05). Deoxynivalenol altered the abundance of microbial communities in vivo, notably affecting Oscillospiraceae, Lachnospiraceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Selenomonadaceae. Additionally, it significantly downregulated lecithin, arachidonic acid, valine, leucine, isoleucine, arginine, and proline metabolism (P < 0.05). Furthermore, deoxynivalenol triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and dysregulation in immune system linkage, ultimately compromising the overall health of dairy cows. Collectively, both high- and low-starch diets contaminated with deoxynivalenol could have detrimental effects on rumen function, posing a potential threat to production performance and the overall health of cows. Notably, the negative effects of deoxynivalenol are more pronounced with a high-starch diet than a low-starch diet.

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.

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.

Proof of Concept of Biopolymer Based Hydrogels as Biomimetic Oviposition Substrate to Develop Tiger Mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) Cost-Effective Lure and Kill Ovitraps

Pest management is looking for green and cost-effective innovative solutions to control tiger mosquitoes and other pests. By using biomimetic principles and biocompatible/biodegradable biopolymers, it could be possible to develop a new approach based on substrates that selectively attract insects by reproducing specific natural environmental conditions and then kill them by hosting and delivering a natural biopesticide or through mechanical action (biomimetic lure and kill approach, BL&K). Such an approach can be theoretically specialized against tiger mosquitoes (BL&K-TM) by designing hydrogels to imitate the natural oviposition site’s conditions to employ them inside a lure and kill ovitraps as a biomimetic oviposition substrate. In this work, the hydrogels have been prepared to prove the concept. The study compares lab/on-field oviposition between standard substrates (absorbing paper/masonite) and a physical and chemically crosslinked hydrogel composition panel. Then the best performing is characterized to evaluate a correlation between the hydrogel’s properties and oviposition. Tests identify a 2-Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)-based physical hydrogel preparation as five times more attractive than the control in a lab oviposition assay. When employed on the field in a low-cost cardboard trap, the same substrate is seven times more capturing than a standard masonite ovitrap, with a duration four times longer.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of deoxynivalenol on CuO-Cu2O/WO3 ternary film: Mechanism and reaction pathways

A ternary film of CuO-Cu₂O/WO₃ possessing high visible-light photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance was prepared for degradation of deoxynivalenol (DON). In such a ternary film, the introduction of CuO-Cu₂O significantly promoted the absorption of WO₃ in the visible region and reduced the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. As a result, the CuO-Cu₂O/WO₃ film exhibited high photoelectrochemical activity under visible light illumination. The PEC performance of CuO-Cu₂O/WO₃ film was evaluated by the decoloration of Rhodamine B. The result indicated that the CuO-Cu₂O/WO₃ film exhibited higher PEC activity than WO₃ or CuO-Cu₂O film. When the CuO-Cu₂O/WO₃ film was applied to study the removal of DON, the degradation efficiency reached 87.6% after 180-min PEC treatment. According to reactive oxygen species detected by electron spin resonance analysis, a Z-scheme and type-II PEC mechanism was proposed for this ternary film. Furthermore, the intermediates formed during the PEC degradation process of DON were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. On the basis of sixteen intermediate products identified, we proposed a degradation pathway for DON in such a PEC system.

Mechanisms of deoxynivalenol (DON) degradation during different treatments: a review

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the main trichothecenes, that causes health-related issues in humans and animals and imposes considerable financial loss to the food industry each year. Numerous treatments have been reported in the literature on the degradation of DON in food products. These treatments include thermal, chemical, biological/enzymatic, irradiation, light, ultrasound, ozone, and atmospheric cold plasma treatments. Each of these methods has different degradation efficacy and degrades DON by a distinct mechanism, which leads to various degradation byproducts with different toxicity. This manuscript focuses to review the degradation of DON by the aforementioned treatments, the chemical structure and toxicity of the byproducts, and the degradation pathway of DON. Based on the type of treatment, DON can be degraded to norDONs A-F, DON lactones, and ozonolysis products or transformed into de-epoxy deoxynivalenol, DON-3-glucoside, 3-acetyl-DON, 7-acetyl-DON, 15-acetyl-DON, 3-keto-DON, or 3-epi-DON. DON is a major problem for the grain industry and the studies focusing on DON degradation mechanisms could be helpful to select the best method and overcome the DON contamination in grains.