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Toxins
Special Issues
Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination
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Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 20411

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sabrina Sarrocco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: plant pathogenic fungi; mycotoxigenic fungi; biocontrol fungi; fungal ecology; fungal secondary metabolites; fungal genome editing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The contamination of cereals and other food commodities by pathogenic fungi results not only in yield losses but also represents a significant hazard to consumer health caused by mycotoxins. Due to the toxicity of these fungal secondary metabolites, food safety is constantly receiving increasing attention from authorities and legislators.

Mycotoxigenic plant pathogenic fungi may develop during any stage of the production and storage process; thus, preventive aspects must be emphasized in the cultivation, harvesting, handling, storage, and processing of those commodities that are particularly sensitive to mycotoxin contamination. 

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect the most recent research on this topic, as well as reviews showing the state of art and directions for growth with respect to innovative strategies aimed to prevent mycotoxin contamination in the post-harvest stage. Innovative strategies include, but are not limited to, innovative physical, chemical, and agronomic approaches; the use of beneficial organisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and yeasts); and indicators of suitable conditions for rapid mycotoxin accumulation (e.g., water relations, predictive modeling) for their potentiality in reducing the economic damage caused by toxigenic fungi in agriculture and to increase food safety constantly under the threat of mycotoxin contamination during all stages, from field production to the market.

Dr. Sabrina Sarrocco
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mycotoxin contamination
  • post-harvest
  • mycotoxigenic fungi
  • biocontrol strategy
  • detoxification technologies
  • innovative packaging and storage approaches
  • predicting fungal growth
  • pre-harvest strategies
  • prevention and control approaches

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 5226 KiB  
Article
A Theoretical Study of the Adsorption Process of B-aflatoxins Using Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder Biomasses
by Abraham Méndez-Albores, René Escobedo-González, Juan Manuel Aceves-Hernández, Perla García-Casillas, María Inés Nicolás-Vázquez and René Miranda-Ruvalcaba
Toxins 2020, 12(5), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12050283 - 28 Apr 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2548
Abstract
Employing theoretical calculations with density functional theory (DFT) using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) functional and basis set, the interaction of the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) molecule and the functional groups present in the Pyracantha koidzumii biosorbent was investigated. Dissociation free energy and acidity [...] Read more.
Employing theoretical calculations with density functional theory (DFT) using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) functional and basis set, the interaction of the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) molecule and the functional groups present in the Pyracantha koidzumii biosorbent was investigated. Dissociation free energy and acidity equilibrium constant values were obtained theoretically both in solution (water) and gas phases. Additionally, the molecular electrostatic potential for the protonated molecules was calculated to verify the reactivity. Thus, methanol (hydroxyl group), methylammonium ion (amino group), acetate ion (carboxyl group), and acetone (carbonyl group), were used as representatives of the substrates present in the biomass; these references were considered using the corresponding protonated or unprotonated forms at a pH value of 5. The experimental infrared spectrophotometric data suggested the participation of these functional groups in the AFB1 biosorption process, indicating that the mechanism was dominated by electrostatic interactions between the charged functional groups and the positively charged AFB1 molecule. The theoretical determination indicated that the carboxylate ion provided the highest interaction energy with the AFB1 molecule. Consequently, an enriched biosorbent with compounds containing carboxyl groups could improve the yield of the AFB1 adsorption when using in vitro and in vivo trials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination)
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16 pages, 4812 KiB  
Article
Adsorption of Deoxynivalenol (DON) from Corn Steep Liquor (CSL) by the Microsphere Adsorbent SA/CMC Loaded with Calcium
by Ahmed Shalapy, Shuangqing Zhao, Chenxi Zhang, Yifei Li, Hairong Geng, Sana Ullah, Gang Wang, Shujian Huang and Yang Liu
Toxins 2020, 12(4), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12040208 - 25 Mar 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3089
Abstract
The occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) in animal feed is a serious issue for the livestock industry. Approaches using mycotoxin adsorbents are key to decreasing mycotoxin carryover from contaminated feed to animals. In this paper, a novel functional microsphere adsorbent comprising an alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose [...] Read more.
The occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) in animal feed is a serious issue for the livestock industry. Approaches using mycotoxin adsorbents are key to decreasing mycotoxin carryover from contaminated feed to animals. In this paper, a novel functional microsphere adsorbent comprising an alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose sodium composite loaded with calcium (SA/CMC-Ca) was prepared by an emulsification process to adsorb DON from polluted corn steep liquor (CSL) containing DON at a concentration of 3.60 μg/mL. Batch experiments were conducted under different experimental conditions: CSL volumes, reaction times, desorption times, and microsphere recyclability. Results showed that 5 g of microspheres reacted with 5 mL of DON-polluted CSL for 5 min, the microspheres can be recycled 155 times, and the maximum DON adsorption for the microspheres was 2.34 μg/mL. During recycling, microspheres were regenerated by deionized water every time; after the microspheres were cleaned, DON in the deionized water was degraded by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 70 °C for 1 h at pH 12. The mechanism for physical adsorption and hydrogen bonding was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that the microsphere adsorbent SA/CMC-Ca adsorbs DON. Therefore, we suggest that using microsphere absorbents would be a possible way to address DON-contaminated CSL issues in animal feed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination)
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16 pages, 2174 KiB  
Article
Identification of Two Novel Peanut Genotypes Resistant to Aflatoxin Production and Their SNP Markers Associated with Resistance
by Bolun Yu, Huifang Jiang, Manish K. Pandey, Li Huang, Dongxin Huai, Xiaojing Zhou, Yanping Kang, Rajeev K. Varshney, Hari K. Sudini, Xiaoping Ren, Huaiyong Luo, Nian Liu, Weigang Chen, Jianbin Guo, Weitao Li, Yingbin Ding, Yifei Jiang, Yong Lei and Boshou Liao
Toxins 2020, 12(3), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12030156 - 01 Mar 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3998
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) are the most common aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus in peanuts, with high carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. Identification of DNA markers associated with resistance to aflatoxin production is likely to offer [...] Read more.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) are the most common aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus in peanuts, with high carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. Identification of DNA markers associated with resistance to aflatoxin production is likely to offer breeders efficient tools to develop resistant cultivars through molecular breeding. In this study, seeds of 99 accessions of a Chinese peanut mini-mini core collection were investigated for their reaction to aflatoxin production by a laboratory kernel inoculation assay. Two resistant accessions (Zh.h0551 and Zh.h2150) were identified, with their aflatoxin content being 8.11%–18.90% of the susceptible control. The 99 peanut accessions were also genotyped by restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) for a genome-wide association study (GWAS). A total of 60 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) markers associated with aflatoxin production were detected, and they explained 16.87%–31.70% of phenotypic variation (PVE), with SNP02686 and SNP19994 possessing 31.70% and 28.91% PVE, respectively. Aflatoxin contents of accessions with “AG” (existed in Zh.h0551 and Zh.h2150) and “GG” genotypes of either SNP19994 or SNP02686 were significantly lower than that of “AA” genotypes in the mean value of a three-year assay. The resistant accessions and molecular markers identified in this study are likely to be helpful for deployment in aflatoxin resistance breeding in peanuts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination)
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14 pages, 3095 KiB  
Article
Dual Function of a Novel Bacterium, Slackia sp. D-G6: Detoxifying Deoxynivalenol and Producing the Natural Estrogen Analogue, Equol
by Xiaojuan Gao, Peiqiang Mu, Xunhua Zhu, Xiaoxuan Chen, Shulin Tang, Yuting Wu, Xiang Miao, Xiaohan Wang, Jikai Wen and Yiqun Deng
Toxins 2020, 12(2), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12020085 - 26 Jan 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 3389
Abstract
Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a highly abundant mycotoxin that exerts many adverse effects on humans and animals. Much effort has been made to control DON in the past, and bio-transformation has emerged as the most promising method. However, useful and effective application of bacterial [...] Read more.
Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a highly abundant mycotoxin that exerts many adverse effects on humans and animals. Much effort has been made to control DON in the past, and bio-transformation has emerged as the most promising method. However, useful and effective application of bacterial bio-transformation for the purpose of inhibiting DON remains urgently needed. The current study isolated a novel DON detoxifying bacterium, Slackia sp. D-G6 (D-G6), from chicken intestines. D-G6 is a Gram-positive, non-sporulating bacterium, which ranges in size from 0.2–0.4 μm × 0.6–1.0 μm. D-G6 de-epoxidizes DON into a non-toxic form called DOM-1. Optimum conditions required for degradation of DON are 37–47 °C and a pH of 6–10 in WCA medium containing 50% chicken intestinal extract. Besides DON detoxification, D-G6 also produces equol (EQL) from daidzein (DZN), which shows high estrogenic activity, and prevents estrogen-dependent and age-related diseases effectively. Furthermore, the genome of D-G6 was sequenced and characterized. Thirteen genes that show potential for DON de-epoxidation were identified via comparative genomics. In conclusion, a novel bacterium that exhibits the dual function of detoxifying DON and producing the beneficial natural estrogen analogue, EQL, was identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination)
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Review

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19 pages, 1225 KiB  
Review
Mycotoxins in Feed and Food and the Role of Ozone in Their Detoxification and Degradation: An Update
by Giuseppe Conte, Marco Fontanelli, Francesca Galli, Lorenzo Cotrozzi, Lorenzo Pagni and Elisa Pellegrini
Toxins 2020, 12(8), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12080486 - 30 Jul 2020
Cited by 63 | Viewed by 6814
Abstract
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some filamentous fungi, which can cause toxicity in animal species, including humans. Because of their high toxicological impacts, mycotoxins have received significant consideration, leading to the definition of strict legislative thresholds and limits in many areas of [...] Read more.
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some filamentous fungi, which can cause toxicity in animal species, including humans. Because of their high toxicological impacts, mycotoxins have received significant consideration, leading to the definition of strict legislative thresholds and limits in many areas of the world. Mycotoxins can reduce farm profits not only through reduced crop quality and product refusal, but also through a reduction in animal productivity and health. This paper briefly addresses the impacts of mycotoxin contamination of feed and food on animal and human health, and describes the main pre- and post-harvest systems to control their levels, including genetic, agronomic, biological, chemical, and physical methods. It so highlights (i) the lack of effective and straightforward solutions to control mycotoxin contamination in the field, at pre-harvest, as well as later post-harvest; and (ii) the increasing demand for novel methods to control mycotoxin infections, intoxications, and diseases, without leaving toxic chemical residues in the food and feed chain. Thus, the broad objective of the present study was to review the literature on the use of ozone for mycotoxin decontamination, proposing this gaseous air pollutant as a powerful tool to detoxify mycotoxins from feed and food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Strategy to Prevent Post-Harvest Mycotoxin Contamination)
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