Current review of biodegradation and detoxification strategies for zearalenone contaminated food and feed

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi that may cause serious health problems in humans and animals. Zearalenone is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species that leads to huge economic losses in the food industry and livestock husbandry. Contamination of food and feed with zearalenone has reproductive problems, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, and other cytotoxic effects. At present, microorganisms and enzymes derived from microbial strains have been widely used for the degradation of zearalenone in food and feed. Researchers have developed biodegradation of zearalenone by the use of microbial and their enzyme derivatives, which offers harmless products and is environmentally friendly. Development of recombinant enzymes improves enzymatic detoxification of zearalenone to a non-toxic product without damaging the nutritional content. This review summarizes biodegradation and detoxification strategies of zearalenone using microorganisms and enzyme derivatives to nontoxic products.