Abstract
Microbial detoxification has been proposed as a new alternative for removing toxins and pollutants. In this study, the biodetoxification activities of yeasts against aflatoxin B1 and zinc were evaluated by HPLC and voltammetric techniques. The strains with the best activity were also subjected to complementary assays, namely biocontrol capability and heavy-metal resistance. The results indicate that the detoxification capability is toxin- and strain-dependent and is not directly related to cell growth. Therefore, we can assume that there are some other mechanisms involved in the process, which must be studied in the future. Only 33 of the 213 strains studied were capable of removing over 50% of aflatoxin B1, Rhodotrorula mucilaginosa being the best-performing species detected. As for zinc, there were 39 strains that eliminated over 50% of the heavy metal, with Diutina rugosa showing the best results. Complementary experiments were carried out on the strains with the best detoxification activity. Biocontrol tests against mycotoxigenic moulds showed that almost 50% of strains had an inhibitory effect on growth. Additionally, 53% of the strains grew in the presence of 100 mg/L of zinc. It has been proven that yeasts can be useful tools for biodetoxification, although further experiments must be carried out in order to ascertain the mechanisms involved.
Highlights
Microbial detoxification has been proposed as a new alternative for removing toxins and pollutants
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by moulds— those of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium—that can remain in food products after processing
As estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 25% of the world’s crop could be affected by mycotoxins, which can be found both in human food and animal feed[11]
Summary
Microbial detoxification has been proposed as a new alternative for removing toxins and pollutants. Biodetoxification has become a new alternative for the removal of compounds such as microbial toxins, chemical pollutants, and industrial waste products. Microbial detoxification methods may prove useful as tools for providing new ways of eliminating heavy metals or biotoxins, contaminants that have become a growing global concern. Aquatic environments are generally contaminated with large amounts of Zn owing to industrial waste discharge, which can accumulate in soil sediments. This produces degradation of the ecosystem and biodiversity loss[5]. Aflatoxin contamination is a persistent problem worldwide, and Scientific Reports | (2020) 10:11265
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