Several strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), frequently used in food fermentation and preservation, have been reported to bind different types of toxins in liquid media. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different concentrations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) to bind aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in liquid media. AFM1 binding was tested following repetitive washes or filtration procedures in combination with additional treatments such as heating, pipetting, and centrifugation. The mixture of L. rhamnosus GG and AFM1 was incubated for 18 h at 37 °C and the binding efficiency was determined by quantifying the unbound AFM1 using HPLC. The stability of the complexes viable bacteria-AFM1 and heat treated bacteria-AFM1 was tested. Depending on the bacterial concentration and procedure used, the percentages of bound AFM1 by L. rhamnosus GG varied from as low as undetectable to as high as 63%. The highest reduction in the level of unbound AFM1 was recorded for the five washes procedure that involved heating and pipetting. Results also showed that binding was partially reversible and AFM1 was released after repeated washes. These findings highlight the effect of different treatments on the binding of AFM1 to L. rhamnosus GG in liquid matrix.

This study aimed to develop a new method for detoxification of milk from aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) by using Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG biofilm. After inoculation of milk contaminated with AFM1 into L. rhamnosus GG biofilm, the unbound AFM1 was extracted and quantified by HPLC. The stability of the formed AFM1/biofilm complex using different AFM1 contamination levels of milk was also studied. We found that the percentages of bound AFM1 by L. rhamnosus GG biofilm reached up to 60.74%. While no significant difference in milk proteins content was observed after AFM1 binding, some changes in total dry matter and fat content were noticed.

Aflatoxins (AF) are carcinogenic metabolites produced by different species of Aspergillus which readily colonize crops. AFM1 is secreted in the milk of lactating mammals through the ingestion of feedstuffs contaminated by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Therefore, its presence in milk, even in small amounts, presents a real concern for dairy industries and consumers of dairy products. Different strategies can lead to the reduction of AFM1 contamination levels in milk. They include adopting good agricultural practices, decreasing the AFB1 contamination of animal feeds, or using diverse types of adsorbent materials. One of the most effective types of adsorbents used for AFM1 decontamination are those of microbial origin. This review discusses current issues about AFM1 decontamination methods. These methods are based on the use of different bio-adsorbent agents such as bacteria and yeasts to complex AFM1 in milk. Moreover, this review answers some of the raised concerns about the binding stability of the formed AFM1-microbial complex. Thus, the efficiency of the decontamination methods was addressed, and plausible experimental variants were discussed.

This study aimed to investigate the ability of chitin and heat-treated shrimp shells to bind aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in liquid matrix. Several concentrations of chitin or shrimp shells (grinded and ungrinded) were incubated in AFM1-contaminated phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at different incubation times. The stability of the formed adsorbent-AFM1 complex was also tested in milk at different incubation times and temperatures. The unbound AFM1 was quantified by HPLC. Thereby, the percentages of the initial bounded AFM1 varied between 14.29 and 94.74%. Interestingly, in milk, an increase in incubation time coupled with a decrease in temperature affected positively the amount of bounded AFM1 to chitin and negatively those bounded to ungrinded shells. Results also revealed a partial reversibility in the binding of AFM1 to these adsorbents. These findings provided strong evidence on ability of chitin or shrimp shells by-product to bind AFM1 in milk and in PBS.

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Mycotoxins in solid foods and feeds jeopardize the public health of humans and animals and cause food security issues. The inefficacy of most preventive measures to control the production of fungi in foods and feeds during the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages incited interest in the mitigation of these mycotoxins that can be conducted by the application of various chemical, physical, and/or biological treatments. These treatments are implemented separately or through a combination of two or more treatments simultaneously or subsequently. The reduction rates of the methods differ greatly, as do their effect on the organoleptic attributes, nutritional quality, and the environment. This critical review aims at summarizing the latest studies related to the mitigation of mycotoxins in solid foods and feeds. It discusses and evaluates the single and combined mycotoxin reduction treatments, compares their efficiency, elaborates on their advantages and disadvantages, and sheds light on the treated foods or feeds, as well as on their environmental impact.

The aim of this work is to develop and simulate a novel process based on sterilizing natural air by heating at high temperatures followed by a rapid cooling. Thus, it can be used in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in hospitals to produce safe air, free of pathogenic airborne microbes including bacteria and viruses such as tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). A crown fixed on the head of the medical staff may be connected to the HVAC system to produce a constant flow of clean laminar air. Hence, this crown is capable of keeping airborne microorganisms at a safe distance from Health Care Workers (HCWs), avoiding any potential microbial infection. Accordingly, HCWs will be able to work in a more suitable and safe conditions, especially in high infection risk areas. Depending on its need, the newly developed process may be implemented in different other locations such as laboratories, malls, buildings and other crowded spaces. Further applications of this method may arise including its usage in the sterilization of biosafety cabinets recirculated air and the development of a portable air sterilizing unit.

Aspergilluss sp. is a fungi that attack crops on the field or during storage. Generally, those fungi are most frequent in tropical and subtropical regions where environmental factors characterized by high humidity and temperatures are favorable for their production. Aflatoxins are produced as their secondary metabolites including aflatoxin B1. Aflatoxins have been classified as carcinogenic to human by the International Agency for Research on Cancer due to their profound health effects, mainly, hepatocarcinogenicity. Hence, they contaminate a large share of the global food chain. Traditionally, aflatoxin contamination was not frequent in temperate regions such as the Mediterranean, however, with climate change patterns including elevated temperatures, increased humidity, and increased droughts, a shift in fungal attack patterns is expected in such areas in a way that favors Aspergillus sp. infestation and aflatoxin contamination. Therefore, with increased global warming more aflatoxin contamination is expected in the Mediterranean basin, specifically, the Sothern European countries.