Effects of probiotic bacteria on the bioaccessibility of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A using an in vitro digestion model under fed conditions

Abstract

In the present study, we aimed at determining the release of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) from different food products in the gastro-intestinal tract in the absence and presence of probiotics, a possible adsorbent. The average bioaccessibility of AFB1 and OTA without probiotics was about 90%, and 30%, respectively, depending on several factors, such as food product, contamination level, compound and type of contamination (spiked versus naturally contaminated). The six probiotic bacteria showed varying binding capacity to AFB1 and OTA depending on the bacterial strain, toxin studied, type of food and contamination level. A reduction to a maximum of 37% and 73% as observed for the bioaccessibility of AFB1 and OTA in the presence of probiotic bacteria, respectively. This is the first report on the effect of probiotic bacteria on reducing the fraction of mycotoxins available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract from different food products.