Research Publications (Food Safety)

Alternariol monomethyl-ether (AME), together with altenuene and alternariol, belongs to the Alternaria mycotoxins group, which can contaminate different substrates, including cereals.

Food-producing animals are exposed to mycotoxins through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact with contaminated materials. This exposure can lead to serious consequences for animal health, affects the cost and quality of livestock production, and can even impact human health through foods of animal origin. Therefore, controlling mycotoxin exposure in animals is of utmost importance.

Abstract There is still considerable controversy about the relative risk of mycotoxin exposure associated with the consumption of organic and conventional cereals. Using validated protocols, we carried out a systematic literature review and meta‐analyses of data on the incidence and concentrations of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium, Claviceps, Penicillium, and Aspergillus species in organic and conventional cereal grains/products.

Fifty-four maize grain samples freshly harvested from subsistence farmers’ fields in southwestern Ethiopia were analyzed for multiple mycotoxins using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method following extraction by acetonitrile/water/acetic acid on a rotary shaker. The grain samples were contaminated with a total of 164 metabolites, of which Fusarium and Penicillium metabolites were the most prevalent accounting for 27 and 30%, respectively.

This study was designed to assess the impacts of a mixture of deoxynivalenol (DON) and ergot alkaloids (EAs) on growth performance, rumen function, blood parameters, and carcass traits of feedlot cattle.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most widespread mycotoxin contaminant hazardous to human and animal health globally. It acts as a crucial virulence factor to stimulate the spread of pathogenic Fusarium within wheat plants. Control of DON and Fusarium disease contributes enormously to food safety, which relies on chemical fungicides.

Mycotoxin contamination in pig feed is a recurring problem leading to chronic exposure of the animals, even when mycotoxin levels are below official guidance (FDA, EFSA). Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivates are among the main mycotoxins impacting pig production in the United States.

Poultry feed is often contaminated with several mycotoxins that can impair animal health and performance, even at levels below the official guidance. The incorporation of mycotoxin decontaminants in the feed can limit these adverse effects. It is necessary to test the efficacy of these supplementations in vivo, but this requires specific experimental setups.

Various types and levels of mycotoxins are present in feed ingredients, thus negatively impacting swine health and productivity. Appropriate sampling and frequent testing of feed ingredients are recommended to assess the risk of mycotoxins in feed and to determine mitigation strategies for mycotoxin control. However, monitoring plans do not guarantee feed will be free of mycotoxins, so in-feed mitigation strategies are implemented to minimize production losses.

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites which may affect animal health, reproduction, and performance. These naturally occurring toxic metabolites are found in a variety of feedstuffs worldwide. Classic signs of mycotoxicosis in livestock can include reduced feed intake, diarrhea, and vomiting.

by Zhili Yuan, Pengfei Li, Xin Yang, Xiaowei Cai, Luoyu Wu, Feifei Zhao, Weidong Wen, Mingguo Zhou, Yiping Hou Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum species complexes (FGSG), is an epidemic disease in wheat and poses a serious threat to wheat production and security worldwide. Profilins are a class of actin-binding proteins that participate in actin depolymerization. However, the roles of profilins in plant fungal pathogens remain largely unexplored.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin commonly found in various food products, which poses potential health risks to humans and animals. Recently, more attention has been directed towards its potential neurodegenerative effects. However, there are currently no fully validated HPLC analytical methods established for its quantification in mice, the primary animal model in this field, that include pivotal tissues in this area of research, such as the intestine and brain.

DON and ZEN residues in the blood and urine of dairy cows can be used to predict the outer exposure to DON and ZEN expressed per kilogram diet for a risk evaluation based on comparisons to critical dietary concentrations. This method was used to evaluate the exposure of dairy cows from 12 farms located in Brandenburg, Germany, fed rations with unknown DON and ZEN concentrations (N = 244).

The aims of this study were (i) to determine the effect of an algoclay-based decontaminant on the oral availability of three mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol; DON, ochratoxin A; OTA, and aflatoxin B1; AFB1) using an oral bolus model and (ii) to determine the effect of this decontaminant on the performance, intestinal morphology, liver oxidative stress, and metabolism, in broiler chickens fed a diet naturally contaminated with DON.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON) are mycotoxins whose exposure is associated with various adverse health effects, including cancer and renal disorders, estrogenic effects, and immunosuppressive and gastrointestinal disorders, respectively.

Breakfast cereals play a crucial role in children’s diets, providing essential nutrients that are vital for their growth and development. Children are known to be more susceptible than adults to the harmful effects of food contaminants, with mycotoxins being a common concern in cereals. This study specifically investigated aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), enniatin B (ENNB), and sterigmatocystin (STG), three well-characterized mycotoxins found in cereals.

With the aim of reintroducing wheat grains naturally contaminated with mycotoxins into the food value chain, a decontamination strategy was developed in this study. For this purpose, in a first step, the whole wheat kernels were pre-treated using cold needle perforation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) control the toxic effects of aflatoxins, which are not yet fully understood. Radiolabeled aflatoxin B1 (AFB13H) was administered by gavage to Wistar rats fed with aflatoxin (AflDiet) and aflatoxin supplemented with active dehydrated yeast Y904 (AflDiet + Yeast). The distribution of AFB13H and its metabolites were analyzed at 24, 48 and 72 h by tracking back of the radioactivity.

An LED UV curing system (wavelength: 278 nm) was used to effectively reduce AFB1, AFB2 and AFG1. Meanwhile, possible UV degradation mechanisms of AFB2 and AFG1 were further clarified. More importantly, the LED UV curing system had a good aflatoxins detoxification effect in crops. Summary Aflatoxins (AFs) are highly toxic and cancer‐causing compounds, which could be commonly found in agricultural products and feeds.

A nano photocatalyst rGO/TiO2 was modified by sol–gel‐irradiation method and used to degrade the deoxynivalenol in liquid. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of rGO/TiO2 was also researched. Summary The rGO/TiO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesised using the sol–gel‐irradiation way to efficiently remove deoxynivalenol (DON) for the grains product's safety and quality.

Mycotoxins enter the cheese chain through unwanted mould growth, either directly in the cheese or indirectly in the milk through feed contamination. Exposure to mycotoxins can have serious consequences for human health. Our analysis of recent studies showed that cheese retains a significant percentage of AFM1 and OTA found in cow's milk, as well as two major mycotoxins, ROQ‐C and MPA, during the cheese ripening phase.

The cytotoxic mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) reportedly has adverse effects on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in pigs. Recently, the interplay between cell apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has garnered increasing attention in embryogenesis.

This study presents a novel approach toward the one-pot green synthesis of ZIF-8/IgG composite, focusing on its precise orientation and protection of the anti-aflatoxins antibody. The antibody orientation is achieved through the specific binding of IgG to the Fc region of the antibody, while the antibody protection is accomplished by the structural change restriction of ZIF-8 framework to the antibody.