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Toxins
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Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control
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Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 13885

Editor

Prof. Dr. Jean-Denis Bailly

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratoire de Chimie Agro-Industrielle, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
Interests: impact of climate changes on fungal biodiversity; fungi and indoors; modulation of mycotoxin synthesis by natural compoundsimpact of climate changes on fungal biodiversity; modulation of mycotoxin synthesis by natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aflatoxins are considered as being critically important mycotoxins from a public health point of view, particularly due to their carcinogenic properties in humans. These toxins are frequent contaminants of diverse crops in regions that are favorable regarding the development of aflatoxigenic species; however, they are also considered emerging threats in areas that have been considered safe until now, being directly linked to global climate changes. Their spreading and increasing importance justifies the need to

  • Generate data on contamination in order to better evaluate the risks for both human and animals;
  • Develop new analytical methods capable of overcoming existing constraints, such as time, sample denaturation, and heterogeneity of a contamination by being usable online;
  • Define alternative strategies able to limit food contamination and/or deleterious effects of these toxins.

The aim of this Special Issue will be to investigate the aforementioned three objectives in our fight against these harmful food contaminants and provide new insights into food safety and public health.

Prof. Dr. Jean-Denis Bailly
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 double-anonymized 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

  • mitigation
  • detection
  • food contamination
  • detoxification
  • analytical methods
  • biocontrol

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 2223 KB  
Article
Peanut and Peanut-Based Foods Contamination by Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins: Potential Risks for Beninese Consumers
by Christin Sogbossi Gbétokpanou, Camille Jonard, Ornella Anaïs Mehinto, Sébastien Gofflot, Mawougnon Jaurès Martial Adjéniya, Ogouyôm Herbert Iko Afe, Dona Gildas Anihouvi, Samiha Boutaleb, Claude Bragard, Paulin Azokpota, Jacques Mahillon, Marianne Sindic, Marie-Louise Scippo, Yann Eméric Madodé and Caroline Douny
Toxins 2025, 17(11), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17110532 - 29 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3250
Abstract
This study assessed mycotoxin contamination in roasted peanut snacks and kluiklui (fried pressed peanut cake), and consumer exposure in southern Benin. Roasted peanut snacks and kluiklui were sampled from markets across six municipalities, and their production follow-up was conducted on two sites using [...] Read more.
This study assessed mycotoxin contamination in roasted peanut snacks and kluiklui (fried pressed peanut cake), and consumer exposure in southern Benin. Roasted peanut snacks and kluiklui were sampled from markets across six municipalities, and their production follow-up was conducted on two sites using different processing methods. Mycotoxins were quantified using UPLC-MS/MS, while fungal species were identified via culture-based methods. Exposure to aflatoxin B1, total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A was estimated. Aflatoxin B1 predominated, reaching 169 µg/kg in roasted peanut snacks and 2144.64 µg/kg in marketed kluiklui. In contrast, just-produced kluiklui contained much lower levels (11.73–37.78 µg/kg). Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger predominated in kluiklui from the first processing site, while Aspergillus chevalieri dominated in kluiklui from the second processing site. The grinding step (using public grinder) was identified as the main contamination point. The significative higher mycotoxin levels in kluiklui sampled on markets compared to just-produced kluiklui are probably due to poor storage conditions. Dietary exposure estimates revealed that margins of exposure for aflatoxins were far below the safety threshold of 10,000, and liver cancer risk estimates were particularly high for kluiklui consumers. Kluiklui consumption poses a significant health risk in Benin. Improved hygiene in public grinders and better storage practices are urgently needed to reduce contamination and protect consumers’ health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control)
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22 pages, 4076 KB  
Article
Protective Effect of Ethoxyquin and N-acetylcysteine on Biochemical and Pathological Changes Induced by Chronic Exposure to Aflatoxins in Laying Hens
by María Carolina de-Luna-López, Arturo Gerardo Valdivia-Flores, Teódulo Quezada-Tristán, Raúl Ortiz-Martínez, Erika Janet Rangel-Muñoz, Emmanuel Hernández-Valdivia, Esther Albarrán-Rodríguez and Elizabeth de Santiago-Díaz
Toxins 2025, 17(10), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17100514 - 20 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1285
Abstract
Aflatoxins (AFs) represent a major threat to poultry health and food safety due to their hepatotoxic, immunosuppressive, and carcinogenic effects. This study evaluated the chemoprotective potential of ethoxyquin (EQ) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in laying hens (80.8 and 33.3 mg/kg BW/d) exposed to chronic [...] Read more.
Aflatoxins (AFs) represent a major threat to poultry health and food safety due to their hepatotoxic, immunosuppressive, and carcinogenic effects. This study evaluated the chemoprotective potential of ethoxyquin (EQ) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in laying hens (80.8 and 33.3 mg/kg BW/d) exposed to chronic dietary AFs contamination (0.0–1.5 mg/kg). A total of 360 Hy-Line W36 Leghorn hens were monitored over 72 weeks using biochemical and histopathological analyses of liver and kidney tissues. NAC significantly (p < 0.01) increased hepatic and renal levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and stimulated glutathione S-transferases (GST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity, enhancing detoxification. Both agents significantly (p < 0.05) reduced plasma ALT and AST levels, preserved total protein concentrations, and attenuated liver and kidney hypertrophy. EQ demonstrated antioxidant effects, stabilizing enzymatic responses and limiting tissue damage. Histopathological analysis revealed fewer structural alterations and cellular degeneration, especially in the NAC-treated group (p < 0.01). These results suggest that NAC and EQ activate endogenous detoxification mechanisms, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic, effectively mitigating chronic aflatoxin toxicity. Their dietary supplementation offers a safe and sustainable chemoprotection strategy to support poultry health and productivity, particularly in regions facing high mycotoxin exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control)
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16 pages, 574 KB  
Article
In Vitro Evaluation of Aflatoxin B1 Detoxification by Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Bacillus Strains
by Sarra Rafai, Ana Moreno, Alessandra Cimbalo, Pilar Vila-Donat, Lara Manyes and Giuseppe Meca
Toxins 2025, 17(8), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17080403 - 11 Aug 2025
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2808
Abstract
Biologically based detoxification strategies are increasingly being explored as alternatives to conventional methods for the removal of toxic contaminants in food products. Among these, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most potent mycotoxins due to its high toxicity, genotoxicity, and persistence in [...] Read more.
Biologically based detoxification strategies are increasingly being explored as alternatives to conventional methods for the removal of toxic contaminants in food products. Among these, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most potent mycotoxins due to its high toxicity, genotoxicity, and persistence in the human body once ingested. In this study, the detoxification potential of bacterial strains belonging to the genera Lactobacillus/Pediococcus (n = 10) and Bacillus (n = 10) was evaluated using extracts from naturally contaminated corn flour. Detoxification was assessed after incubation for 12, 24, and 48 h in specific culture media. AFB1 quantification and metabolite profiling were performed at each time point using Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). The highest detoxification rates were observed with Lactobacillus curvatus 14 (L. curvatus 14) (41.1 ± 19.3%) and Pediococcus pentosaceus 4 (P. pentosaceus 4) (25.4 ± 11.3%) after 48 h, and Bacillus firmus 6 (B. firmus 6) (25.1 ± 12.9%) after 24 h. An in vitro digestion model was also applied to assess detoxification under gastrointestinal conditions. Results showed substantial AFB1 reduction at the colonic stage, reaching 72.26 ± 7.54% for P. pentosaceus 4 and 69.67 ± 9.70% for L. curvatus 14. These findings underscore the potential application of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Bacillus strains in biological detoxification strategies to reduce dietary exposure to AFB1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control)
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15 pages, 4010 KB  
Article
Deep Learning-Based Detection of Aflatoxin B1 Contamination in Almonds Using Hyperspectral Imaging: A Focus on Optimized 3D Inception–ResNet Model
by Md. Ahasan Kabir, Ivan Lee and Sang-Heon Lee
Toxins 2025, 17(4), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17040156 - 22 Mar 2025
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3168
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1, a toxic carcinogen frequently contaminating almonds, nuts, and food products, poses significant health risks. Therefore, a rapid and non-destructive detection method is crucial to detect aflatoxin B1-contaminated almonds to ensure food safety. This study introduces a novel deep learning approach utilizing [...] Read more.
Aflatoxin B1, a toxic carcinogen frequently contaminating almonds, nuts, and food products, poses significant health risks. Therefore, a rapid and non-destructive detection method is crucial to detect aflatoxin B1-contaminated almonds to ensure food safety. This study introduces a novel deep learning approach utilizing 3D Inception–ResNet architecture with fine-tuning to classify aflatoxin B1-contaminated almonds using hyperspectral images. The proposed model achieved higher classification accuracy than traditional methods, such as support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA), and decision tree (DT), for classifying aflatoxin B1 contaminated almonds. A feature selection algorithm was employed to enhance processing efficiency and reduce spectral dimensionality while maintaining high classification accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed 3D Inception–ResNet (Lightweight) model achieves superior classification performance with a 90.81% validation accuracy, an F1-score of 0.899, and an area under the curve value of 0.964, outperforming traditional machine learning approaches. The Lightweight 3D Inception–ResNet model, with 381 layers, offers a computationally efficient alternative suitable for real-time industrial applications. These research findings highlight the potential of hyperspectral imaging combined with deep learning for aflatoxin B1 detection in almonds with higher accuracy. This approach supports the development of real-time automated screening systems for food safety, reducing contamination-related risks in almonds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control)
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14 pages, 692 KB  
Article
First Report of Safe Italian Peanut Production Regarding Aflatoxin
by Matteo Crosta, Michele Croci, Chiara Dall’Asta, Michele Pisante and Paola Battilani
Toxins 2025, 17(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17020090 - 14 Feb 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2156
Abstract
The growing interest in peanut production in Italy represents a significant opportunity from both an agronomic and economic standpoint. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination is a major concern with imported peanuts; developing an Italian peanut supply chain can ensure a well-managed local product, [...] Read more.
The growing interest in peanut production in Italy represents a significant opportunity from both an agronomic and economic standpoint. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination is a major concern with imported peanuts; developing an Italian peanut supply chain can ensure a well-managed local product, with special care for food safety. This study aimed to provide a first overview of Italian peanut production, focusing on the Aspergillus section Flavi and AFB1 occurrence in the raw product. During 2022 and 2023, 18 peanut fields were sampled at complete maturity across the Italian production areas, considering three varieties: Lotos, SIS-AR_01, and IPG914. The results showed the occurrence of Aspergillus sec. Flavi in peanut pods, even though AFB1 was always absent or in traces, well below the European legal limits. These findings confirmed the quality of Italian peanut production, even though further research is requested to confirm the positive results of this first report. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aflatoxins: Contamination, Analysis and Control)
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