Zearalenone Removal Research Articles

Novel lactobacillus consortium for effective zearalenone adsorption and biodegradation

The Lactobacillus consortium LBC-4 was evaluated for its ability to mitigate zearalenone (ZEN) contamination, addressing a critical food and health security issue. This study highlights the potential of LBC-4 in mycotoxin detoxification through comprehensive morphological and genotypic analyses. The LBC-4 consortium, confirmed by PCR to encompass various Lactobacillus strains, efficiently adsorbed 88.7% and 89% of ZEN within 1 and 24 h at 37 °C, respectively, demonstrating a dynamic relationship between bacterial growth and mycotoxin sequestration. Optimal ZEN removal was achieved at 37 °C and pH 7.0 to 8.0. The mechanisms of ZEN removal were elucidated, revealing the roles of cell wall, viable cells, and culture supernatants. Heat-treated LBC-4 showed enhanced ZEN adsorption, supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis, which indicated significant structural changes. Additionally, LBC-4 degraded ZEN into less toxic derivatives, including 6, 8, 10-trihydroxy zearalenol-14-sulfate, 6, 8, 10-trihydroxy zearalenol, 6, 8-dihydroxy zearalenol, and 6, 8, 10-trihydroxy zearalenol, underscoring the consortium's multifaceted mechanisms and its potential for effective microbial ZEN removal.

Zearalenone removal using inactivated yeast embedded in porous modified yam starch aerogels and its application in corn silk tea

Zearalenone contaminates food and poses a threat to human health. It is vital to develop cost-effective and environmentally-friendly adsorbents for its removal. By screening Sporobolomyces pararoseus (SZ4) and modified yam starch (adsorption capacity (qe) of 1.33 and 0.94 mg/g, respectively), this study prepared a novel composite aerogel adsorbent (P-YSA@SZ410). The compressive strength of P-YSA@SZ410 was 1.35-fold higher than unloaded yeast. It contained several functional groups and three-dimensional interconnected channels, achieving a 0° contact angle within 0.18 s, thereby demonstrating excellent water-absorbent properties. With a qe of 2.96 mg/g at 308 K, the adsorption process of P-YSA@SZ410 was spontaneous, endothermic, and matched pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models. The composite adsorbed zearalenone via electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding, maintaining a qe of 2.24 mg/g after five cycles. P-YSA@SZ410 was found to remove zearalenone effectively under various conditions and could be applied to corn silk tea, indicating its great potential as an adsorbent material.

A Hydrolase Produced by Rhodococcus erythropolis HQ Is Responsible for the Detoxification of Zearalenone.

Zearalenone (ZEN), an estrogenic mycotoxin, is one of the prevalent contaminants found in food and feed, posing risks to human and animal health. In this study, we isolated a ZEN-degrading strain from soil and identified it as Rhodococcus erythropolis HQ. Analysis of degradation products clarified the mechanism by which R. erythropolis HQ degrades ZEN. The gene zenR responsible for degrading ZEN was identified from strain HQ, in which zenR is the key gene for R. erythropolis HQ to degrade ZEN, and its expression product is a hydrolase named ZenR. ZenR shared 58% sequence identity with the hydrolase ZenH from Aeromicrobium sp. HA, but their enzymatic properties were significantly different. ZenR exhibited maximal enzymatic activity at pH 8.0-9.0 and 55 °C, with a Michaelis constant of 21.14 μM, and its enzymatic activity is 2.8 times that of ZenH. The catalytic triad was identified as S132-D157-H307 via molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis. Furthermore, the fermentation broth of recombinant Bacillus containing ZenR can be effectively applied to liquefied corn samples, with the residual amount of ZEN decreased to 0.21 μg/g, resulting in a remarkable ZEN removal rate of 93%. Thus, ZenR may serve as a new template for the modification of ZEN hydrolases and a new resource for the industrial application of biological detoxification. Consequently, ZenR could potentially be regarded as a novel blueprint for modifying ZEN hydrolases and as a fresh resource for the industrial implementation of biological detoxification.

Adsorption behaviors of zearalenone in corn oil by montmorillonite modified with quaternary ammonium salts

The aim of this study was to explore the detoxification effect and mechanism of montmorillonite (MMT) modified with quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) on zearalenone (ZEN) in corn oil. Therefore, the characteristics and adsorption behavior of MMT before and after QAS modification were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that hexadecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride modified MMT (H-MMT) was an excellent adsorbent for removing ZEN from corn oil and the maximum adsorption amount of H-MMT (0.469 mg/g) for ZEN was 21.9 times that of MMT. This might be attributed to the numerous amounts of intercalation between MMT layers caused by QAS, which changed the appearance of MMT, increased the hydrophobicity, adsorption site, contact number and interaction energy of MMT with ZEN in corn oil. Adsorption experiments indicated that adsorption process of QAS modified MMT on ZEN was mainly chemical adsorption. Notably, H-MMT could not only remove pigment and ZEN in corn oil, but also improve oil quality by decreasing peroxide value and acid value. Therefore, H-MMT could be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of ZEN from vegetable oil.

Flexible preparation of nanoporous SiO2 aerogel as novel adsorbent for efficient adsorption of Zearalenone

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a form of mycotoxin in the animal feed that is a carcinogen causing pathological changes after entering animal and human body. In the paper, SiO2 aerogels were prepared using sol-gel method adopting atmospheric pressure drying, vacuum drying and combustion drying. The aerogels were characterized and subjected to assess the sorption potential of ZEN. It was found that the atmospheric pressure drying aerogel (ADSA) had the highest surface area and micropore content, while the vacuum drying aerogel (VDSA) was completely mesoporous with the smallest surface area. The combustion drying aerogel (CDSA) was also dominantly mesoporous with fractional micropores. The ZEN equilibrium adsorption capacity for ADSA was the highest while its adsorption rate was the lowest. The adsorption rate of VDSA was the highest, while its equilibrium adsorption capacity was significantly lower than ADSA. The adsorption capacities of VDSA and CDSA were of comparable magnitude owing to the similarity in pore structure. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics were modeled with semiempirical theoretical models. The ZEN adsorption process of all the aerogels was governed by both physisorption and chemisorption. Experimental result suggested a flexible option of SiO2 aerogels as promising low cost absorbent for ZEN removal.

Removal of Zearalenone from Degummed Corn Oil by Hydrolase on a Batch-Refining Unit.

The removal of zearalenone (ZEN) from degummed corn oil (DCO) using hydrolase on a batch-refining unit was studied. According to single-factor and response surface experiments, the optimum technological conditions for reaching the maximum degradation rate were a temperature of 39.01 °C, a pH of 8.08, a time of 3.9 h, and an enzyme dosage of 44.7 mg/kg, whereby the rate of ZEN degradation can reach 94.66%. Different effects on the removal of ZEN were observed at different initial ZEN contents under the optimal technological conditions, of which the decrease was rapid for high ZEN content and slow for low ZEN content.

Isolation and Characterization of Lactobacillus paracasei 85 and Lactobacillus buchneri 93 to Absorb and Biotransform Zearalenone.

As one of the most prevalent estrogenic mycotoxins in cereals and animal feed, zearalenone (ZEN) can cause serious reproductive disorders. ZEN control in food and feed commodities has been an imperative area of research. In this study, 87 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from pickles and their ZEN (5 mg/L) removal abilities ranged from 0% to 68.4%. Then, five strains with potent ZEN removal ability (>50%) were identified: Lactobacillus plantarum 22, L. plantarum 37, L. plantarum 47, L. paracasei 85, and L. buchneri 93. Under optimization conditions (48 h, pH 4.0, 37 °C, and 5 mg/L), the highest ZEN removal abilities of L. paracasei 85 and L. buchneri 93 reached 77.7% and 72.8%, respectively. Moreover, the two lactic acid bacteria decreased the toxicity of ZEN, because the levels of β-zearalenol (β-ZOL) transformed from ZEN were more than two-fold higher than α-zearalenol (α-ZOL). Additionally, cell free supernatant and pellet biotransformation of ZEN to α-ZOL and β-ZOL in LAB were detected for the first time. Furthermore, chemical and enzymatical treatments combined with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that exopolysaccharides, proteins, and lipids on the cell wall could bond to ZEN through hydrophobic interactions. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that cell structure damage occurred during the ZEN clearance to L. buchneri 93, but it did not with L. paracasei 85. In addition, various organic acids, alcohols, and esters of the two LAB participated in ZEN removal. Hence, L. paracasei 85 and L. buchneri 93 can be considered as potential detoxification agents for ZEN removal for food and feedstuff.

The Efficiency of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae as an Antifungal and Antimycotoxigenic Agent

Aflatoxins (AFs) and zearalenone (ZEN) are the most predominant mycotoxins in various food and feed. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the antifungal activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and to study their ability to remove aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN) in vitro. Data revealed that S. cerevisiae NRLL Y-12633 showed higher antifungal activity compared to S. cerevisiae NRRL Y-1089. On the other hand, S. cerevisiae suspension exhibited higher antifungal activity than S. cerevisiae supernatant. Concerning the removal of AFB1, results indicated that after 30 min. S. cerevisiae NRRL Y-1089 displayed a higher ability to remove AFB1 at a concentration of 5.0 µg/mL with a percentage of reduction reaching 87.20% than S. cerevisiae NRRL Y-12633, which removed 21.00%. As for the removal of ZEN, results showed that after 30 min. S. cerevisiae NRRL Y-12633 successfully removed ZEN at a concentration of 5.0 µg/mL by 94.80%, whereas S. cerevisiae NRRL Y-1089 removed ZEN by 91.80%. Results also indicated that the removal of AFB1 increased by increasing the incubation time, whereas the removal of ZEN decreased by increasing the incubation time. Therefore, it could be concluded that S. cerevisiae strains could be applied as an additive to decrease the concentration of mycotoxins in food and feed.

Isolation and characterization of novel soil bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae strain GS7-1 for the degradation of zearalenone in major cereals

Zearalenone (ZEN) is one of the major agricultural feed contaminants causing serious health hazards worldwide and its degradation by beneficial microbial agents is now being widely examined. In this study we investigated the degradation ability of Klebsiella pneumoniae strain GS7-1 isolated from corn field in Shandong province in China on ZEN. The effects of temperature, incubation time and pH were studied. Furthermore, it was examined if the washed cell pellet and the supernatant of fermented culture (SFC) of the bacterial cell components could detoxify ZEN. ZEN removal increased with increase in pH from 61.3% at pH 5–100% at pH 8. The minimum and maximum temperatures at which K. pneumoniae strain GS7-1 degraded ZEN were 28 °C and 60 °C, respectively. Increase in incubation time increased the degradation effect as ZEN was completely degraded at 96 h. The SFC of strain GS7-1 reduced the ZEN content by 100%, while the first and second washed of the cell pellets in PBS reduced the ZEN content by 30% and 25%, respectively. The rate of SFC degradation significantly decreased after treatment with proteinase K, SDS and the combination of proteinase K and SDS. There exists a significant correlation between temperature, incubation time and pH regarding ZEN degradation by strain GS7-1. The results also suggest that enzymes present in the supernatant of Klebsiella pneumoniae GS7-1 were involved in ZEN degradation. The biodegradation of ZEN is a very feasible method for food and feed purification as physical and chemical methods may not only eliminate mycotoxins, but also nutrients and sensory-related compounds.

In Vitro Mechanism Assessment of Zearalenone Removal by Plant-Derived Lactobacillus plantarum BCC 47723

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a harmful secondary fungal metabolite, produced primarily by plant pathogenic fungi mostly belonging to the genus Fusarium. It is involved in reproductive disorders in animals since its structure is similar to the estrogen hormone. This induces precocious pubertal changes, fertility problems, and hyper estrogenic disorders. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the ZEA removal capacity of plant-derived lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and to investigate the possible components and mechanisms involved in the removal of ZEA by physically and chemically treated plant-derived LAB. The bacterial cells were characterized using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the analysis of zeta potential, and hydrophobic index. Results revealed that 17 out of 33 plant-derived LAB exhibited ZEA removal from liquid medium. The percentage of removal ranged from 0.5–23% and Lactobacillus plantarum BCC 47723, isolated from wild spider flower pickle (Pag-sian-dorng), exhibited the highest removal. The alteration of proteins on L. plantarum BCC 47723 structure by Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) treatment was positively affected on ZEA removal, whereas that of lipids on ZEA removal was negatively observed. Heat treatment influenced the higher ZEA adsorption. SEM images showed that the morphologies of modified bacterial cells were distinctly deformed and damaged when compared with untreated control. FTIR analysis indicated that the original functional groups, which included amide (C=O, C-N), carboxyl (C=O, C-O, O-H), methylene (C=C), and alcohol (O-H) groups, were not changed after ZEA adsorption. The zeta potential indicated that electrostatic interaction was not involved in the ZEA removal, while hydrophobicity was the main force to interact with ZEA. These findings can conclude that adsorption by hydrophobicity is the main mechanism for ZEA removal of plant-derived L. plantarum BCC 47723. The alteration of bacterial cell structure by heat treatment enhanced the efficiency of L. plantarum BCC 47723 for ZEA reduction. Its activity can be protected by the freeze-drying technique. Hence, plant-derived L. plantarum BCC 47723 can be considered as an organic adsorbent for ZEA reduction in food and feedstuff.

Mycotoxin Removal by Lactobacillus spp. and Their Application in Animal Liquid Feed.

The removal of mycotoxins from contaminated feed using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been proposed as an inexpensive, safe, and promising mycotoxin decontamination strategy. In this study, viable and heat-inactivated L. acidophilus CIP 76.13T and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CIP 101027T cells were investigated for their ability to remove aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), and deoxynivalenol (DON) from MRS medium and PBS buffer over a 24 h period at 37 °C. LAB decontamination activity was also assessed in a ZEA-contaminated liquid feed (LF). Residual mycotoxin concentrations were determined by UHPLC-FLD/DAD analysis. In PBS, viable L. acidophilus CIP 76.13T and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CIP 101027T cells removed up to 57% and 30% of ZEA and DON, respectively, while AFB1 and OTA reductions were lower than 15%. In MRS, 28% and 33% of ZEA and AFB1 were removed, respectively; OTA and DON reductions were small (≤15%). Regardless of the medium, heat-inactivated cells produced significantly lower mycotoxin reductions than those obtained with viable cells. An adsorption mechanism was suggested to explain the reductions in AFB1 and OTA, while biodegradation could be responsible for the removal of ZEA and DON. Both viable LAB strains reduced ZEA by 23% in contaminated LF after 48 h of incubation. These findings suggest that LAB strains of L. acidophilus CIP 76.13T and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CIP 101027T may be applied in the feed industry to reduce mycotoxin contamination.

Zearalenone Removal by Using Banana Peel as an Adsorbent

Zearalenone (ZEA) is the most occurring Fusarium toxin in animal feed causing reproductive disorders and results in severe economical losses. A renewable bio adsorbent sourced from banana peel was tested for in vitro removal of ZEA from liquid mediums at different pH values. Efficacy of banana peel to sequester ZEA was evaluated by varying its pH, adsorbent dosage, equilibration time and quantified by using UHPLC-MS/MS. Adsorption was found to be efficient and completed in fifteen minutes with highest adsorption at alkaline pH (9). The adsorption and desorption studies have demonstrated the adsorption was strong enough to sustain the pH changes (3-9). Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to characterize the surface of bio sorbent to explain the mechanism of adsorption. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm was found to be best fitted model with maximum monolayer capacity (Q0) 8 ng/mg. The results of this study suggested that dried banana peel may be an effective low cost decontamination method to be incorporated in animal feed.

Zearalenone Removal from Corn Oil by an Enzymatic Strategy.

The estrogen-like mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) is one of the most widely distributed contaminants especially in maize and its commodities, such as corn oil. ZEN degrading enzymes possess the potential for counteracting the negative effect of ZEN and its associated high safety risk in corn oil. Herein, we targeted enhancing the secretion of ZEN degrading enzyme by Pichia pastoris through constructing an expression plasmid containing three optimized expression cassettes of zlhy-6 codon and signal peptides. Further, we explored various parameters of enzymatic detoxification in neutralized oil and analyzed tocopherols and sterols losses in the corn oil. In addition, the distribution of degraded products was demonstrated as well by Agilent 6510 Quadrupole Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry. P. pastoris GSZ with the glucoamylase signal was observed with the highest ZLHY-6 secretion yield of 0.39 mg/mL. During the refining of corn oil, ZEN in the crude oil was reduced from 1257.3 to 13 µg/kg (3.69% residual) after neutralization and enzymatic detoxification. Compared with the neutralized oil, no significant difference in the total tocopherols and sterols contents was detected after enzymatic detoxification. Finally, the degraded products were found to be entirely eliminated by washing. This study presents an enzymatic strategy for efficient and safe ZEN removal with relatively low nutrient loss, which provides an important basis for further application of enzymatic ZEN elimination in the industrial process of corn oil production.

Microbial Degradation of Zearalenone by a Novel Microbial Consortium, NZDC-6, and Its Application on Contaminated Corncob by Semisolid Fermentation.

A novel microbial consortium (NZDC-6) was screened and characterized to detoxify the estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA), which commonly contaminates maize and is a major threat to food and health security. We found NZDC-6 to be thermophilic and highly effective, with a 90.3% ZEA degradation ratio at an optimum temperature of 60 °C. NZDC-6 was also effective at degrading the more estrogenic ZEA cognates, α-zearalenol (α-ZAL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZAL), with >90% degradation ratios. To evaluate a practical application, ZEA-contaminated corncobs were treated with NZDC-6 via semisolid fermentation. Measurements of physicochemical parameters and 16S microbial diversity and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that ZEA removal was most efficient at a low corncob solid content (< 5%), as a high solid content overwhelmed the microbial metabolic load, leading to increased dissolved oxygen and lowered pH. Our results demonstrate that the control of environmental variables is crucial for effective ZEA microbial removal in practical applications.

A Novel Adsorbent Albite Modified with Cetylpyridinium Chloride for Efficient Removal of Zearalenone.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin and constitutes a potential health threat to humans and livestock. This study aimed to explore the potential of albite modified by the cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as ZEN adsorbent. The organoalbite (OA) was characterized by SEM analysis, XRD analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and BET gas sorption measurement. In vitro adsorption of ZEN by OA was carried out by simulating the pH conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The characterization results showed that the surface of OA changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic after modification. Adsorption kinetic studies showed that ZEN adsorption behavior of OA occurred by chemisorption. The equilibrium adsorption data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm, indicating that the adsorption process of ZEN by OA was monolayer. The maximum adsorption capacity (qm) values of OA for ZEN were 10.580 and 9.287 mg/g at pH 7 and pH 3, respectively. In addition, OA had a low desorption rate (about 2%), and co-existing amino acids (i.e., Lys and Met), vitamins (i.e., VB1 and VE), and minerals (i.e., Fe2+ and Ca2+) did not affect the removal of ZEN. These results demonstrate that OA could be a promising mycotoxin adsorbent for removing the hydrophobic, weakly polar ZEN.

Probiotic characteristics and zearalenone-removal ability of a Bacillus licheniformis strain.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, which is one of the main animal feed contaminants causing reproductive disorders in livestock. The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic characteristics and ZEN removal ability of a Bacillus licheniformis strain CK1. The probiotic properties, including acidic tolerance, bile salt tolerance, adherence capability, and anti-pathogenic activities of CK1 were evaluated. CK1 survived after incubation at pH 2.0 or 3.0 for 3 h, grew well in LB broth containing 0.3% oxgall, possessed adherence capability to Caco-2 cells, and inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The ZEN removal ability of CK1 was compared with a mineral mycotoxin-adsorbing agent, hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), and a well-characterized biological mycotoxin-adsorbing agent, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). At 37°C in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.0) containing 5 μg mL-1 of ZEN, the ZEN removal percentage of CK1 was 73.0%, which was significantly higher than that of HSCAS and LGG (45.9% and 48.4%, respectively). In the pH range of 2.5–8.0, CK1 removed up to 65% of ZEN. At temperatures between 4 and 42°C, CK1 removed more than 75% of ZEN. In the adsorption stability analysis, the amounts of ZEN removed by CK1 was over 30% even after five consecutive rounds of washing procedures. These findings demonstrated that CK1 displayed probiotic characteristics and removed ZEN effectively. Therefore, CK1 has a great potential for the development of feed additive to remove ZEN.

The application of digestive tract lactic acid bacteria with high esterase activity for zearalenone detoxification.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by several Fusarium species and frequently contaminates cereals used for food or animal feed. This study attempted to select lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with high esterase activity from the digestive tract, with the goal of using these bacteria for ZEA detoxification. No ZEA activity-related biotransformation products were observed in three isolates (B1, B2 and D10) during incubation in the presence of ZEA. All three LAB strains were Lactobacillus plantarum, but the API 50 CHL results suggested that the three isolates were different strains. Increased esterase activity was associated with an increase in cell growth, and the ZEA-detoxifying capabilities of isolates rely on the concentration of bacteria in the culture medium. The lipolytic activity and ZEA removal assay indicated that ZEA degradation by the supernatant fraction was dependent on esterase activity; the supernatant of B2 strain showed the highest ZEA degradation ability and did not release the binding ZEA back into the medium. The D10 strain showed fast ZEA binding ability during the late log phase but began to release the bound ZEA back into the medium after the early stationary phase. All isolates showed good acid and bile salt tolerance ability but all strains showed low adhesion ability to epithelial cells. Based on the ZEA removal characterization and ability of the isolates, it is suggested that the isolates could be applied to ZEA detoxification of contaminated feed, but the with the requirement of high cell number for ZEA binding and limited degradation time before absorption of ZEA in the digestive tract. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Isolation and characterization of a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain with zearalenone removal ability and its probiotic potential.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, which has been shown to be associated with reproductive disorders in livestock, and to a lesser extent with hyperoestrogenic syndromes in humans. The aim of this study was to characterize a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain with ZEN removal ability. A pure culture of a strain designated LN isolated from moldy corn samples showed a high ZEN removal capability. Based on microscopic observations, biochemical characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, LN was identified as B. amyloliquefaciens. After incubation of B. amyloliquefaciens LN in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium containing 3.5 ppm of ZEN, the ZEN concentration fell below the detection limit within 24 h. In ZEN-contaminated corn meal medium, B. amyloliquefaciens LN decreased ZEN concentration by 92% after 36 h of incubation. In phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing 5 ppm of ZEN, B. amyloliquefaciens LN reduced the ZEN concentration from 5 ppm to 3.28 ppm immediately after coming into contact with ZEN, and further reduced the ZEN concentration to 0.36 ppm after 4 h of incubation. The amounts of ZEN adsorbed by the cells of B. amyloliquefaciens LN did not increase with the extension of incubation time, indicating that B. amyloliquefaciens LN not only possessed ZEN adsorption ability, but also exhibited the ability to degrade ZEN. In addition, B. amyloliquefaciens LN was non-hemolytic, non-enterotoxin producing, and displayed probiotic characteristics including acidic tolerance, bile salt tolerance, and anti-pathogenic activities. These findings suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens LN has a potential to be used as a feed additive to reduce the concentrations of ZEN in feedstuffs.

Detoxification of zearalenone from corn oil by adsorption of functionalized GO systems

Graphene oxide (GO) and its functionalized systems have very unique structural advantages as excellent adsorbent or substrate material in the removal of organic contaminants. Herein, we reported a strategy to establish functionalized GO system (FGO) using amphiphilic molecules didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) as a modifier for the detoxification of zearalenone (ZEN) from corn oil. The adsorption property for the removal of ZEN from edible corn oils under different experimental conditions such as pH, amphiphilic molecules, time and temperature was investigated in detail. The morphology structure, adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics and the recyclability of FGO systems have also been researched, systematically. The FGO systems exhibit a higher adsorption efficiency, recyclability and thermostability in comparison with the traditional adsorbent materials. It provides an insight into the detoxification of mycotoxin from edible oils by graphene-based new materials.

Isolation and characterization of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ZDS-1: Exploring the degradation of Zearalenone by Bacillus spp.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by various Fusarium species which occur naturally in many crops worldwide. ZEN causes reproductive disorders and hyperestrogenic syndromes in animals and humans. This study aimed to isolate ZEN-degrading bacteria to develop strategies for detoxifying ZEN contamination in cereal crops. We screened approximately 1000 colonies for degrading ability and found four strains were capable of degrading ZEN. We selected one strain ZDS-1 for further study because it showed the high ZEN-degrading ability. On the basis of morphological, physiological and phylogenetic analysis of its 16SrRNA, gyrA gene sequences, strain ZDS-1 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The optimal conditions for the biodegradation of ZEN by ZDS-1 were temperature; 30 °C, pH; 6.0–7.0, and cell concentration; 5 × 108 cfu/mL. ZDS-1 could degrade ZEN efficiently with the concentration from 1 mg/L to 100 mg/L. ZDS-1 not only could remove ZEN in the culture medium, but also could degrade ZEN in wheat. The ZEN removal by ZDS-1 was not due to binding or absorption, and during the process of ZEN degradation, no ZEN derivatives of ZEN were produced. These results suggested that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ZDS-1 would be explored further for its ability to degrade ZEN in field trials.