Achieving improved efficiency for removal of aflatoxin B1 by combination use of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma and plasma-activated water

Abstract

A novel approach was employed to remove aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a very toxic metabolite from Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus), by using cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAP) and plasma-activated water (PAW) in combination. The results showed that CAP could efficiently degrade AFB1, while the PAW produced by CAP could further remove AFB1 with a relatively long treatment time. During the CAP processing, hydroxyl radical (·OH) was one of the dominant reactive species, which caused the hydroxylation at furan ring of AFB1, while in PAW treatment, singlet oxygen (1O2) was the major reactive agent for AFB1 degradation, which caused the destruction of the methyl group on the benzene side chain and oxidized the double bond of the terminal furan ring in the AFB1 molecule. This study therefore provides new guidance for the application of plasma technology in the treatment of fungal mycotoxins for food safety.