Biodegradation and Biodetoxification of Mycotoxins

A Special Issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651) belonging to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1382

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: feed formulation; mycotoxin detoxifying agents; feed technology; food contaminants; mycotoxins chemistry; high-performance liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; health risk
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: mycotoxins; fungal metabolites; analytical chemistry; development and validation of analytical methods; development and determination of in vitro/in vivo efficacy of feed additives for mycotoxin removal; physical, chemical and biological strategies to reduce mycotoxins in food and feed; development and validation of mycotoxin biomarkers; toxicokinetic studies with farm and lab animals; bacterial pathogens; antimicrobials substances; bacterial toxins; nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: feed formulation; mycotoxin detoxifying agents; feed technology; food contaminants; mycotoxins chemistry; high-performance liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; health risk
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins are structurally diverse fungal secondary metabolites that contaminate food and feed commodities and exert acute and chronic toxic effects in humans and animals. Due to their chemical stability and resistance to conventional decontamination methods, effective mitigation remains a major challenge. In this context, biodegradation and biodetoxification strategies have emerged as promising alternatives to physical and chemical approaches, offering specificity, sustainability, and compatibility with food and feed systems.

This Special Issue addresses recent advances in the biological detoxification of major mycotoxins, with emphasis on microbial metabolism, enzymatic transformation, and binding mechanisms that reduce bioavailability or toxicity. In addition, it examines detoxification pathways at the molecular and biochemical levels, including enzymatic hydrolysis, oxidation–reduction reactions, and structural modification of mycotoxin functional groups. Particular emphasis will be placed on the identification and characterization of degradation products, supported by advanced analytical techniques, to ensure their reduced toxicity and safety, as well as on the evaluation of biological detoxification processes in complex food and feed matrices. Overall, this Special Issue provides an integrated overview of current research trends, methodological approaches, and critical challenges in mycotoxin biodegradation, contributing to the development of biologically based strategies for mitigating mycotoxin contamination and thus enhancing food and feed safety.

Dr. Donato Greco
Dr. Giuseppina Avantaggiato
Dr. Vito D'Ascanio
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 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

  • mycotoxin biodegradation
  • mycotoxin biodetoxification
  • mycotoxin binding
  • mycotoxin bioavailability
  • mycotoxin toxicity
  • food safety
  • feed safety

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

Jump to: Other

28 pages, 4293 KB  
Review
The Internal Disintegration Effect in Microbial Aflatoxin Control Systems: From Detoxification to Suppression of Aflatoxin Biosynthesis in Toxigenic Fungi
by Xue Zhang, Esa Abiso Godana, Kaili Wang, Hongyin Zhang and Qiya Yang
Toxins 2026, 18(9), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18090374 - 30 Aug 2026
Viewed by 183
Abstract
Aflatoxins (AFs) are highly carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by toxigenic fungi, posing serious threats to food safety, animal production, and human health. Microbial aflatoxin control has recently emerged as a promising, sustainable, and environmentally friendly strategy for reducing aflatoxin contamination. However, growing evidence suggests [...] Read more.
Aflatoxins (AFs) are highly carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by toxigenic fungi, posing serious threats to food safety, animal production, and human health. Microbial aflatoxin control has recently emerged as a promising, sustainable, and environmentally friendly strategy for reducing aflatoxin contamination. However, growing evidence suggests that reductions in AF levels within microbial treatment systems may arise not only from direct toxin degradation, but also from inhibition of fungal growth, adsorption or sequestration processes, and suppression of AF biosynthesis. In microbial co-culture systems involving viable toxigenic fungi, exogenous microorganisms and their metabolites can establish persistent ecological stress through nutrient competition, oxidative stress, and interspecies signaling. These stresses activate fungal cell wall integrity pathways, MAPK signaling cascades, and transcriptional regulatory networks, leading to membrane remodeling, alterations in lipid and energy metabolism, and redistribution of cellular resources. As a consequence, fungal physiology progressively shifts from a growth- and toxin-production-oriented state toward a survival- and defense-oriented state, resulting in impaired growth and reduced AF biosynthesis. This review proposes the internal disintegration framework, which conceptualizes AF suppression as a progressive loss of toxin-producing capacity caused by sustained microbial-induced physiological remodeling rather than solely by fungal growth inhibition or toxin degradation. It will provide new perspectives for developing precise, efficient, and eco-friendly dual-target control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradation and Biodetoxification of Mycotoxins)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Other

Jump to: Review

27 pages, 1167 KB  
Systematic Review
Biological Detoxification of Aflatoxin B1: A Systematic Review of Microbial and Enzymatic Strategies, Mechanisms, and Applications in Food and Feed Systems
by Sarra Rafai, Lara Manyes, Ana Moreno, Alessandra Cimbalo, Giuseppe Meca and Victor Dopazo
Toxins 2026, 18(7), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18070313 - 18 Jul 2026
Viewed by 800
Abstract
Contamination of food and feed by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) remains a major global concern due to its toxicity, carcinogenicity, and persistence in the food chain. Environmental and climatic pressures continue to favor aflatoxigenic fungal contamination, highlighting the need for effective and sustainable detoxification [...] Read more.
Contamination of food and feed by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) remains a major global concern due to its toxicity, carcinogenicity, and persistence in the food chain. Environmental and climatic pressures continue to favor aflatoxigenic fungal contamination, highlighting the need for effective and sustainable detoxification strategies. Biological detoxification has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional physical and chemical treatments. This systematic review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, summarizes microbial and enzymatic approaches for AFB1 detoxification, focusing on bacteria, yeasts, and microbial enzymes. The literature shows a predominance of bacterial systems, especially lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus species, mainly acting through adsorption, fungal growth inhibition, and suppression of aflatoxin biosynthesis. Yeasts, although less represented, also showed promising detoxification capacities through adsorption and biodegradation-related mechanisms. Enzymatic systems achieved the highest efficiencies, particularly oxidative enzymes such as laccases and dye-decolorizing peroxidases, often exceeding 90% detoxification under optimized conditions. However, industrial application remains limited by laboratory-scale validation, variability among protocols, incomplete toxicological assessment of degradation products, and limited evidence in complex food and feed matrices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradation and Biodetoxification of Mycotoxins)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop