Influences of Electron Beam Irradiation on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Zearalenone- and Ochratoxin A-Contaminated Corn and In Vivo Toxicity Assessment

Abstract

Electron beam irradiation (EBI) has high energy, no induced radioactivity, and strong degradation capacity toward mycotoxins, such as zearalenone (ZEN) and ochratoxin A (OTA). In this study, we determined EBI’s influence on the physical and chemical properties of corn contaminated with ZEN and OTA. Moreover, the toxicity of corn after EBI was assessed through a mouse experiment. Amylose content and starch crystallinity in corn decreased significantly (p < 0.05) at an irradiation dose higher than 20 kGy. Scanning electron microscopy results revealed that the starch particles of corn began to be crushed at 10 kGy. Essential and total amino acid contents in corn decreased significantly with increasing irradiation dose of EBI (p < 0.05). Feeding EBI-treated corn fodders to mice could significantly improve blood biochemical indexes. The EBI-treated group was not significantly different from the normal corn group and did not display histopathological changes of the liver. EBI treatment can influence the quality of corn to some extent and effectively lower the toxicity of ZEN and OTA in contaminated corn. The results provide a theoretical and practical basis for the processing of EBI-treated corn and its safety.

Exploration on the Enhancement of Detoxification Ability of Zearalenone and Its Degradation Products of Aspergillus niger FS10 under Directional Stress of Zearalenone

“…ZEN degradation methods are classified as have been identified: physical, chemical, and biological methods. Physical methods mainly include ultraviolet radiation, heat treatment, and X-ray treatment [11], but these physical techniques have not been widely used because of their low degradation rate and possible damage to food. Commonly used chemical methods include ozone treatment [12], reducing agents, and alkali treatment.…”

Occurrence, Impact on Agriculture, Human Health, and Management Strategies of Zearalenone in Food and Feed: A Review

“…In addition, extrusion cooking reduced ZEN by 83% in corn-based products [12]. Besides these, food irradiation has been investigated in corn kernel and flour where degradation of ZEN increased with increased doses of irradiation [162,163]. Gamma radiation resulted in a significant reduction in ZEN and the degradation increased with an increase in the moisture content of the product [164].…”

Degradation of Zearalenone by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma and Its Effect on Maize Quality

“…The ingestion of foods contaminated by zearalenone can raise the levels of estrogen in humans, posing a serious health risk [ 4 ]. In vivo, zearalenone can participate directly in and interfere with the reproductive process, leading to cell and DNA damage [ 5 ]. Of particular concern is the fact that zearalenone can accumulate after entering the food chain, where it has received much attention for its threat to food safety.…”

“…These approaches have been investigated in several studies, and each has achieved some degree of success in terms of its efficiency in degrading zearalenone, but most of them have some drawbacks, including poor efficiency, reduced nutritional value, and less palatability of the feed [ 7 , 8 ]. Traditional physical methods have been used to degrade mycotoxins, but most of them have unstable effects and require large-scale, expensive equipment [ 5 ]. Chemical methods may decrease the nutritional quality of food and lead to chemical residues [ 9 ].…”