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Toxins
Special Issues
Advanced Detoxification Technologies for Mycotoxins
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Advanced Detoxification Technologies for Mycotoxins

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2531

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiulan Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Interests: mycotoxins; biotoxin control and prevention; food safety; molecular immunology; biosensor; metabolomics; toxin biodegradation; combined toxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fuguo Xing

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Science and Technology CAAS, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: mycotoxins prevention and control; detoxification and removal of mycotoxins in agro-products; safety evaluation of transgenic agro-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lina Sheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Interests: mycotoxins; food safety; food microbiology; nonthermal technologies; natural antimicrobials; nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Mycotoxins—toxic metabolites produced by fungi—contaminate up to 25% of global food and feed crops, posing severe health threats to humans and livestock. As conventional detoxification methods face limitations in efficacy, safety, and scalability, cutting-edge solutions are urgently needed. This Special Issue, "Advanced Detoxification Technologies for Mycotoxins," calls for pioneering research on next-generation strategies to neutralize these toxins efficiently and sustainably. We invite contributions exploring innovative approaches, including

  • Biological methods (e.g., enzymatic degradation, microbial consortia);
  • Nanomaterial-based solutions (e.g., nano-adsorbents, photocatalytic degradation);
  • Green chemistry techniques (e.g., cold plasma, ozonation, natural inhibitors);
  • Hybrid systems combining physical, chemical, and biological processes;
  • Digital tools for real-time monitoring and AI-driven optimization.

Emphasis will be placed on mechanisms of action, scalability, environmental impact, and safety validation. Submissions may cover in vitro/in vivo studies, technological innovations, or computational models. This Issue aims to bridge laboratory breakthroughs with practical applications, fostering a multidisciplinary dialogue to advance food safety and reduce economic losses in agriculture.

Dr. Xiulan Sun
Dr. Fuguo Xing
Dr. Lina Sheng
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-blind 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 detoxification
  • biological degradation
  • nanotechnology
  • adsorption technologies
  • green decontamination
  • toxin monitoring systems
  • sustainable agriculture

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3283 KB  
Article
Detoxification of Ochratoxin a by Weizmannia coagulans CGMCC 9951: Characterization, Mechanism, and Application in Cornus officinalis Pulp
by Cuiping Shao, Yalin Li, Ying Wu, Lina Zhao, Pingping Tian and Shaobin Gu
Toxins 2026, 18(5), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18050194 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 446
Abstract
This study investigates the degradation characteristics, pathways, and mechanisms of ochratoxin A (OTA) by Weizmannia coagulans CGMCC 9951 (W. coagulans CGMCC 9951), as well as its detoxification effect on Cornus officinalis pulp through fermentation. The strain efficiently degraded 300 ng/mL of OTA [...] Read more.
This study investigates the degradation characteristics, pathways, and mechanisms of ochratoxin A (OTA) by Weizmannia coagulans CGMCC 9951 (W. coagulans CGMCC 9951), as well as its detoxification effect on Cornus officinalis pulp through fermentation. The strain efficiently degraded 300 ng/mL of OTA within 72 h (98% degradation) under optimal conditions of 37 °C, pH 5.0, and 180 rpm. Active degradation substances were primarily localized in the cell-free supernatant (CF). The degradation activity was significantly inhibited by heat treatment, proteinase K, EDTA, Cu2+, and organic reagents, suggesting an enzymatic mechanism. UHPLC-MS and MS/MS analysis indicated that OTA appears to be degraded to a product consistent with ochratoxin α (OTα). Based on homology to known OTA-degrading carboxypeptidases, the gene encoding WGU28473.1 was selected, expressed in E. coli, and confirmed to possess OTA-degrading activity. Molecular docking suggested potential interactions between the enzyme and OTA. Under optimal conditions, co-fermentation with Cornus officinalis pulp contaminated with 300 ng/mL OTA for 96 h resulted in a 74% degradation of OTA. The fermentation process increased the pulp’s sugar content and ABTS+ free radical scavenging capacity, reduced acidity, and improved the safety of the pulp. These findings demonstrate that W. coagulans CGMCC 9951 efficiently degrades OTA and improves pulp quality, highlighting its potential as a starter culture for detoxifying OTA-contaminated food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Detoxification Technologies for Mycotoxins)
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16 pages, 1490 KB  
Article
Thermostable Oxidoreductases CotA and Prx Enable Synergistic and Peroxide-Enhanced Degradation of Aflatoxin B1
by Xinyue Zhang, Yufan Yang, Yongping Jiang, Lingfang Shi, Haolan Du, Antonio Francesco Logrieco, Antonio Moretti, Susu Han and Fuguo Xing
Toxins 2026, 18(5), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18050193 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 553
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a highly stable mycotoxin that can persist during conventional food processing and therefore poses a serious risk to food and feed safety. In this study, two enzymes (CotA and Prx) were heterologously expressed in Bacillus subtilis [...] Read more.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a highly stable mycotoxin that can persist during conventional food processing and therefore poses a serious risk to food and feed safety. In this study, two enzymes (CotA and Prx) were heterologously expressed in Bacillus subtilis, purified by Ni–NTA affinity chromatography, and evaluated for their ability to degrade AFB1. Both enzymes exhibited remarkable thermostability and distinct catalytic optima. CotA exhibited its highest activity at 80 °C with an AFB1 removal of 38.4%, whereas Prx showed its highest activity at 90 °C with a removal of 82.6%. The optimal pH values were near neutral, with CotA performing best at pH 7.0 and Prx at pH 7.5, and both reactions approached maximal conversion within approximately 10 h. When the two enzymes were combined, a clear cooperative effect was observed. The mixed system achieved 91.0% AFB1 removal at 80 °C after 10 h, with the best degradation activity occurring at a CotA to Prx ratio of 1:3. At 50 °C, neither enzyme alone caused appreciable AFB1 degradation, but the addition of hydrogen peroxide markedly enhanced catalytic activity. Both enzymes also retained substantial activity after boiling and autoclaving. In a maize flour model, the mixed-enzyme system showed strong AFB1 degradation capacity, and peroxide-assisted treatment further improved activity. These results establish a thermostable and peroxide-responsive enzymatic platform for AFB1 degradation and support future development of enzyme-based detoxification strategies for food and feed applications. Product identification and toxicological validation will be needed to confirm the safety of the treated products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Detoxification Technologies for Mycotoxins)
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18 pages, 5515 KB  
Article
Interaction Between Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma citrinoviride: Synergistic Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin B1 Production
by Guidong Li, Xianfeng Ren, Changying Guo, Baocheng Xu and Xinjing Dou
Toxins 2026, 18(3), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18030119 - 26 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1074
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and its potent carcinogenic metabolite, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), pose severe threats to food safety and public health. This study explored the biocontrol potential of Bacillus and Trichoderma strains and their interactions. Through dual-culture assays, [...] Read more.
Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and its potent carcinogenic metabolite, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), pose severe threats to food safety and public health. This study explored the biocontrol potential of Bacillus and Trichoderma strains and their interactions. Through dual-culture assays, Bacillus subtilis Bs92 and Trichoderma citrinoviride GC-T20 were identified as the most inhibitory among 15 isolates each, with their culture filtrates inhibiting A. flavus growth by 48.61% and 74%, respectively. Investigation of the inter-genus interaction revealed strong mutual inhibition: Trichoderma filtrate suppressed Bacillus growth by >90%, while Bacillus filtrate inhibited Trichoderma mycelial growth by 40–90%. To circumvent this antagonism and enhance efficacy, the culture filtrates of Bs92 and GC-T20 were combined. The combined treatment demonstrated superior performance, inhibiting A. flavus radial growth by 69.59% and AFB1 production by 98.69%, significantly outperforming individual applications. These results indicate that the antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic metabolites produced by Bs92 and GC-T20 are complementary. Their combined use presents a promising synergistic strategy for the biocontrol of A. flavus and AFB1 contamination in food and agricultural products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Detoxification Technologies for Mycotoxins)
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