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Microbial Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Food
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Microbial Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Food

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 March 2026) | Viewed by 2607

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Micaela Álvarez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: mycotoxins; biocontrol; proteomics; dry-cured meat products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. María J. Andrade

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: mycotoxins; emerging biopreservative techniques; meat and meat products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites produced by molds, are a significant hazard for both humans and animals due to their toxicity. To avoid their presence in various foodstuffs, the most common strategy is focused on preventing the growth of mold on food surfaces. However, this often involves the use of synthetic antifungals, which can compromise the sensory quality of certain foods, such as traditional cured meats and cheeses. To avoid synthetic antifungals, biocontrol agents are a promising alternative. The use of microorganisms against toxigenic molds could not only reduce mold growth but also the levels of mycotoxins through different modes of action such as microbial detoxification, the alteration of gene expression, etc. Microbial detoxification opens up new pathways for using bioactive compounds produced by microorganisms independent of the biocontrol agent’s presence. Recently, research has begun to explore strategies that can enhance the effectiveness of these biocontrol methods within the food matrix itself. This could lead to more sustainable and safer approaches to food preservation, ensuring food safety and quality.

Dr. Micaela Álvarez
Dr. María J. J. Andrade
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

  • biocontrol
  • detoxification
  • bioactive compounds
  • volatiles
  • food
  • mycotoxin degradation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 5620 KB  
Article
Detoxification of Ochratoxin A by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MM28: Whole-Genome Sequencing and Safety Evaluation of a Novel Probiotic Strain
by Yanyan Jia, Jing Guo, Yixin Shen, Chengshui Liao, Songbiao Chen, Ke Ding and Zuhua Yu
Foods 2026, 15(6), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15060976 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 516
Abstract
Ochratoxin A (OTA), a secondary metabolite produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus species, contaminates food and feed globally, posing serious threats to both livestock and human health. Among current detoxification strategies, probiotic-based degradation of OTA has emerged as a key research focus. This study [...] Read more.
Ochratoxin A (OTA), a secondary metabolite produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus species, contaminates food and feed globally, posing serious threats to both livestock and human health. Among current detoxification strategies, probiotic-based degradation of OTA has emerged as a key research focus. This study aimed to isolate safe probiotic strains with high OTA-detoxifying efficacy to support their potential application in feed and food industries. A total of 57 bacterial strains were isolated from environmental samples, including soil, moldy feed, and animal feces. Among these, a novel strain identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MM28 demonstrated strong OTA-degrading activity, removing 86.31% of OTA (0.4 µg/mL) within 48 h. Whole-genome analysis indicated that B. amyloliquefaciens MM28 harbors functional genes related to glucose metabolism, membrane transport, and properties associated with antibacterial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities, suggesting multiple beneficial traits. In a 28-day chronic exposure study, mice were administered B. amyloliquefaciens MM28 via gavage (1 × 108 CFU/mL). Results showed that both female and male mice in the MM28 group exhibited higher body weight and improved growth performance compared to the PBS control group. Furthermore, intestinal morphology was enhanced in the MM28 group, as indicated by greater villus length and villus-length-to-crypt-depth ratio. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines was also reduced in the treated animals. Moreover, analysis of gut microbiota composition revealed that MM28 supplementation led to an increased abundance of Bacteroides and Desulfovibrio, alongside a reduction in Lachnospira and Oscillospira. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MM28 is a safe and efficient strain capable of degrading OTA. These findings highlight its promising potential as a biological detoxifying agent in food and feed industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Food)
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21 pages, 1632 KB  
Article
Mycotoxin Removal and Transcriptional Response of Pichia fermentans KCB21_L2
by Carolina Gómez-Albarrán, Silvia Rodríguez-Pires, Alba Sáez-Matía, Carlos Luz, Belén Patiño and Jéssica Gil-Serna
Foods 2025, 14(24), 4181; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14244181 - 5 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 913
Abstract
The presence of mycotoxins in food poses a significant risk to food safety, and it is essential to develop effective and safe detoxification strategies. In this study, we demonstrate the strong ability of Pichia fermentans KCB21_L2, a yeast isolated from kefir, to eliminate [...] Read more.
The presence of mycotoxins in food poses a significant risk to food safety, and it is essential to develop effective and safe detoxification strategies. In this study, we demonstrate the strong ability of Pichia fermentans KCB21_L2, a yeast isolated from kefir, to eliminate aflatoxin B1, fumonisin B1 and ocratoxin A. Viable cells removed aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 more efficiently than heat-inactivated cells, particularly at pH values of 5.5 and 7.0, suggesting the involvement of an active removal process. Subsequently, we evaluated the capacity of P. fermentans KCB21_L2 to remove mycotoxins at high concentrations and investigated the underlying molecular and cellular responses. The yeast effectively eliminated high levels of all three mycotoxins. Transcriptional analysis revealed the activation of metabolic pathways related to amino acid catabolism and fatty acid metabolism, likely reflecting an adaptive stress response. However, no significant upregulation of specific genes related to mycotoxin-degrading enzymes was observed. In conclusion, the reduction process may involve multiple factors, including stress response pathways, possible production of organic acids, adsorption of mycotoxins into the cell wall, and constitutively expressed enzymes capable of degrading mycotoxins. In general, these findings highlight the multifactorial nature of yeast-mediated mycotoxin removal and establish P. fermentans KCB21_L2 as a promising candidate for safe biological decontamination in food systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Food)
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Review

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14 pages, 404 KB  
Review
Microbial Detoxification of Ochratoxin A in Food
by Elia Roncero, María J. Andrade and Micaela Álvarez
Foods 2026, 15(9), 1551; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15091551 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 402
Abstract
Food contamination by ochratoxin A (OTA) constitutes a significant threat to public health and global food safety and security, a challenge increasingly intensified by climate change. Due to the high thermal and chemical stability of OTA, traditional physical and chemical decontamination methods often [...] Read more.
Food contamination by ochratoxin A (OTA) constitutes a significant threat to public health and global food safety and security, a challenge increasingly intensified by climate change. Due to the high thermal and chemical stability of OTA, traditional physical and chemical decontamination methods often prove insufficient or detrimental to food quality. Consequently, microbial detoxification has emerged as a sustainable alternative. This review delves into the two primary biological mechanisms for OTA detoxification: physical adsorption—predominantly mediated by yeast and bacterial cell walls—and enzymatic biotransformation. Among the documented metabolic pathways, the hydrolysis of the amide bond by carboxypeptidases and amidohydrolases is recognised as the most reliable detoxification pathway. Conversely, alternative pathways, such as lactone ring opening, are hindered by their potential toxicity and chemical reversibility under acidic conditions. While various lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and filamentous mould species demonstrate high efficacy in OTA decontamination, their industrial implementation is currently limited by the complexity of food matrices and the lack of in vivo validation. The integration of multi-omics (proteomics and metabolomics), alongside CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, is essential for identifying novel biocontrol agents. These precision biotechnological tools are fundamental for translating laboratory findings into industrial-scale OTA detoxification strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Food)
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