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Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2027 | Viewed by 7012

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Dr. Peng Li

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Guest Editor

College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Interests: heavy metal; mycotoxin; sample pretreatment; food safety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins and heavy metals are two significant classes of contaminants in the food supply chain, posing severe risks to public health and global food security. Mycotoxins, produced by certain fungal species under favorable conditions, contaminate a wide range of crops such as cereals, nuts, and fruits and are highly resistant to processing methods, making their mitigation particularly challenging. On the other hand, heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury can enter the food chain through soil contamination, irrigation water, industrial emissions, and the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. These toxic substances, introduced through natural processes or anthropogenic activities, can accumulate in crops, animal products, and processed foods, endangering consumers and challenging food safety regulations worldwide. Their persistence and bioaccumulation further complicate control strategies, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative detection, prevention, and remediation approaches to safeguard public health.

This Special Issue seeks to address critical aspects of mycotoxins and heavy metals in food, encompassing advanced detection methods, innovative mitigation strategies, toxicological evaluations, and risk assessment frameworks. Submissions are welcome to address, but not limited to, the following topics:

Instrumental analysis and rapid detection methods;
Prevention and mitigation strategies;
Toxicology and health impacts;
Food safety and risk management.

For this Special Issue, we invite the submission of original research papers, opinion papers, and review articles that contribute to the scientific understanding of these contaminants and provide practical solutions to reduce their impact.

Dr. Peng Li
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 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

food safety
mycotoxins
heavy metals
instrumental analysis
rapid detection
food control
toxicology

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

26 pages, 5819 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanistic and Structural Analysis of Aflatoxin B1 Degradation by Bacillus safensis Multicopper Oxidase

by Dongwei Xiong, Jiayi Yang, Peng Li, Shuhua Yang and Miao Long

Foods 2026, 15(8), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081451 - 21 Apr 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 403

Abstract

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent mycotoxin threatening food and feed safety. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a Bacillus safensis-derived multicopper oxidase (BsaMCO) capable of efficient AFB1 detoxification. Recombinant BsaMCO exhibited robust in vitro activity, achieving >78% degradation of AFB1 under 24 h incubation at 37 °C. Optimization experiments revealed that enzyme concentration, pH, temperature, metal ions, and electron acceptors significantly influenced degradation efficiency, defining an operational window suitable for practical applications. LC–MS profiling suggested the presence of transformation products tentatively consistent with oxidative demethylation to aflatoxin P1 (AFP1) and with the formation of AFG2a-like products through subsequent hydration- and oxidation-related transformations. Molecular docking and 100 ns all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated stable binding of AFB1 in the T1 copper pocket. Van der Waals and electrostatic interactions, together with a persistent hydrogen bond at Gly323, facilitated single-electron transfer through the intramolecular T2/T3 copper cluster. Principal component and Gibbs free energy analyses confirmed a low-energy, stable conformational ensemble. HepG2 cell assays indicated that BsaMCO-degraded products substantially reduced cytotoxicity and apoptosis compared with native AFB1. Simulated feed experiments further validated enzymatic AFB1 degradation, with approximately 53% reduction after 24 h. Collectively, these findings establish BsaMCO as a safe and effective biocatalyst for AFB1 detoxification, providing mechanistic, structural, and cellular evidence supporting its application in food and feed safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food)

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13 pages, 742 KB

Open AccessArticle

Arsenic in Chinese Crayfish: Speciation Analysis, Cooking-Induced Stability, Bioaccessibility, and Dietary Risk Assessment

by Xiaoyi Jiang, Kai Peng and Peng Li

Foods 2026, 15(6), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15061068 - 18 Mar 2026

Viewed by 758

Abstract

Arsenic (As) contamination in aquatic products is a significant public health concern. This study presents a holistic investigation into the speciation, processing stability, bioaccessibility, and health risks of arsenic in crayfish from the Yangtze River basin. The analysis of 60 samples revealed total arsenic (tAs) concentrations ranging from 53.6 to 419.9 μg/kg, with a mean of 109.3 μg/kg. Arsenic occurred predominantly as low-toxicity organic species, with arsenobetaine accounting for 41.3% of tAs on average, while inorganic arsenic (iAs) constituted only 11.6% (mean 12.5 μg/kg). Evaluation of common cooking methods demonstrated that arsenic speciation remained largely stable, with no increase in toxic iAs forms. Notably, boiling in saline water led to significant leaching, reducing iAs content by 28.2%. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion revealed a markedly high bioaccessibility of iAs (81.0–99.3% in the intestinal phase), far exceeding that of tAs (50.4–74.6%). Health risk assessment based on the latest U.S. EPA parameters indicated negligible non-carcinogenic risk across all exposure scenarios. However, the estimated carcinogenic risk for high-intake consumers of high-iAs samples exceeded the acceptable threshold of concern. These findings are expected to provide essential data for understanding the health risks posed by arsenic in crayfish and to support accurate food safety evaluations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food)

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12 pages, 1738 KB

Open AccessArticle

Laccase-Mimicking Cu-Tannic Acid Nanozyme for Zearalenone Detoxification: Mechanism and Application in Corn Oil

by Hongfei Li, Zhiyong Rao, Minglu Guo, Xingke Zhang, Zhixiang Wang, Wei Zhang and Yongpeng Guo

Foods 2026, 15(5), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15050828 - 2 Mar 2026

Viewed by 463

Abstract

Zearalenone (ZEN), a prevalent estrogenic mycotoxin found in grains and oils, poses significant health risks due to its endocrine-disrupting properties. This study elucidates the application of a laccase-mimicking copper-tannic acid (CuTA) nanozyme as an effective catalyst for the degradation of ZEN. The CuTA nanozyme was capable of directly catalyzing the oxidation of ZEN, with optimal reaction conditions observed at a pH of 7.0 and temperatures ranging from 37 to 57 °C. The degradation products of ZEN were identified as 13-hydroxy-zearalenone (13-OH-ZEN) and 15-hydroxy-zearalenone (15-OH-ZEN). Furthermore, cytotoxicity assessments demonstrated that the CuTA nanozyme-mediated degradation of ZEN effectively reduced the hepatotoxicity of this mycotoxin. The E-screen bioassay revealed a 43.7-fold reduction in the estrogenic activity of ZEN after CuTA-mediated degradation. In corn oil, the CuTA nanozyme achieved 82% ZEN removal within 12 h and maintained 58% efficiency after four reuse cycles. These results highlight the potential use of the CuTA nanozyme to detoxify ZEN in corn oil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food)

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22 pages, 547 KB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling the Combined Effects of Oxalic Acid, Water Activity, and pH on the Growth and Mycotoxin Production of Aspergillus spp. in a Dried Fig System

by Cristina Hidalgo, Alicia Rodríguez, Manuel J. Serradilla, Alberto Martín and Santiago Ruiz-Moyano

Foods 2025, 14(22), 3854; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14223854 - 11 Nov 2025

Viewed by 938

Abstract

This study aimed to model the effects of a_w, pH, and OA, a compound commonly used as a plant elicitor, on the growth and mycotoxin production of Aspergillus welwitschiae and Aspergillus flavus on a fig-based model substrate. Using RSM with a BBD, the combined impact of a_w (0.92–0.99), pH (5.6–6.3), and OA (1–2 mM) on growth and mycotoxin production was evaluated under fixed temperature cycle simulating field conditions. HPLC-FLD quantified OTA and AFs. The results revealed that a_w was the most influential factor governing fungal behaviour. The driest a_w (0.92) significantly delayed growth and completely inhibited the production of OTA and AFB₁. Conversely, high a_w (0.99) was a prerequisite for significant mycotoxin accumulation. While OA at the tested elicitor concentrations did not prove to be a potent independent inhibitor of mycotoxins, its interactions with aw and pH did significantly delay fungal growth. The high R² values (>96%) for growth models indicated a strong goodness-of-fit for comparing the relative impact of the factors. The models for mycotoxins had more moderate R² values, a common finding reflecting the complexity of secondary metabolism. Consequently, these models should be regarded as semi-quantitative tools for identifying high-risk trends rather than for precise prediction. Following internal validation, all developed models proved to be valuable semi-quantitative tools for identifying high-risk conditions, including those with more modest R² values like the OTA model (R² = 56.5%, validation R > 0.945). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food)

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16 pages, 1294 KB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Fluxapyroxad and Mefentrifluconazole on Microbial Succession and Metabolic Regulation in Rice Under Field Conditions

by Changpeng Zhang, Nan Fang, Chizhou Liang, Xiangyun Wang, Yanjie Li, Hongmei He, Xueping Zhao, Yuqin Luo and Jinhua Jiang

Foods 2025, 14(11), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14111904 - 27 May 2025

Viewed by 1120

Abstract

This study systematically evaluated the residual behavior of fluxapyroxad (FXP) and mefentrifluconazole (MFZ) in rice–soil systems, alongside their soil and metabolic impacts. Analytical methods validated via linear regression (0.0001–0.05 mg/L) complied with EU guidelines, demonstrating recoveries of 71.97–114.96%, RSDs ≤ 12.12%, and effective mitigation of matrix effects (−85.08% to −76.97%) using matrix-matched calibration. Residual dissipation followed first-order kinetics, with half-lives (T_1/2) spanning 10.83–21.00 d (FXP) and 23.10–57.76 d (MFZ). Notably, MFZ exhibited prolonged persistence in brown rice (T_1/2 = 57.76 d), though final residues (0.031 ± 0.001 μg/g FXP; 0.011 ± 0.0003 μg/g MFZ) remained below regulatory limits (China: 1 mg/kg; CAC: 5 mg/kg). Microbial analysis revealed transient diversity loss in rhizosphere communities (Chao1 index, p < 0.05), recovering by 21 d, while endophytes displayed resilience linked to plant metabolites. Enrichment of degraders (e.g., Sphingomonas) contrasted with suppression of nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium, indicating functional trade-offs. Metabolomic profiling identified 3512 metabolites, with 332 and 173 differentially expressed metabolites at 7 d (S) and 21 d (T), dominated by lipids, benzenoids, and phenylpropanoids. Key metabolic shifts included a 2.11-fold increase in coumarin and elevated L-aspartic acid, highlighting adaptive responses via phenylalanine and TCA cycle pathways. Correlation analyses linked stress-tolerant endophytes (Azorhizobium) to defense-related metabolites (e.g., coumarin), suggesting microbial modulation of plant resilience. These findings emphasize the need for integrated strategies combining residue monitoring, microbial management, and metabolic insights to mitigate agrochemical risks in sustainable agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food)

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Review

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42 pages, 3339 KB

Open AccessReview

Bimetallic Gold--Platinum (AuPt) Nanozymes: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Applications for Food Safety Monitoring

by Shipeng Gao, Xinhao Xu, Xueyun Zheng, Yang Zhang and Xinai Zhang

Foods 2025, 14(18), 3229; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183229 - 17 Sep 2025

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2374

Abstract

The growing global demand for rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective food safety monitoring has driven the development of nanozyme-based biosensors as alternatives to natural enzyme-based methods. Among various nanozymes, bimetallic gold–platinum (AuPt) nanozymes show superior catalytic performance compared to monometallic and other Au-based bimetallic hybrids. This is due to their synergistic colorimetric, catalytic, geometric, and ensemble properties. This review systematically evaluates AuPt nanozymes in food safety applications, focusing on their synthesis, structural design, and practical uses. Various structural types are highlighted, including plain, magnetic, porous nanomaterial-labeled, and flexible nanomaterial-loaded AuPt hybrids. Key synthesis methods such as seed-mediated growth and one-pot procedures with different reducing agents are summarized. Detection modes covered include colorimetric, electrochemical, and multimodal sensing, demonstrating efficient detection of important food contaminants. Key innovations include core–shell designs for enhanced catalytic activity, new synthesis strategies for improved structural control, and combined detection modes to increase reliability and reduce false positives. Challenges and future opportunities are discussed, such as standardizing synthesis protocols, scaling up production, and integration with advanced sensing platforms. This review aims to accelerate the translation of AuPt nanozyme technology into practical food safety monitoring solutions that improve food security and public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Food)

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