2.3.2. Sterigmatocystin Binding Capacities of Lactobacilli

ST binding abilities of 14 *Lactobacillus* strains from our collection and 25 strains ordered from BCCM were studied. Based on our experiments, *L. plantarum* TV1, AT1, AT3, AT5, *L. paracasei* MA8, and *L. pentosus* TV3 proved to be the strains with the best adsorption abilities, able to bind more than 20% of ST under the studied parameters (Figure 7). Similar to aflatoxin binding, it can be seen in Figure 8 that there is a close phylogenetic relationship among these strains as well, furthermore, good AFB1 and ST binding ability seems to be related (Figures 6 and 8). So far, no results have been published in the literature that address the ST-binding ability of lactobacilli.

**Figure 7.** Sterigmatocystin binding capacities (%) of *Lactobacillus* strains at 0.2 µg/mL mycotoxin concentration in MRS broth.

**Figure 8.** Phylogenetic relationship of the best sterigmatocystin binding *Lactobacillus* strains.
