Recent advances on emerging nanomaterials for controlling the mycotoxin contamination: From detection to elimination

Abstract

Mycotoxins, a toxic secondary metabolite, unpredictably, and unavoidably occur in foods and feeds, leading to adverse health impacts and enormous economic losses in the agriculture industry. Moreover, mycotoxin contamination has been a great threat for the public health and agriculture economy development worldwide. Therefore, the control of the mycotoxin contamination is of great importance and has caused rising concern worldwide. Recently, emerging nanomaterials have been promisingly applied in the control of mycotoxin contamination and have obtained many achievements. In this review, first of all, the type, occurrence, and toxicity of mycotoxins are simply discussed. Then, attentions are focused on the applications of emerging nanomaterials to controlling the mycotoxin contamination, including mycotoxin assay, the inhibition of mycotoxin production, the adsorption of mycotoxins, and mycotoxin elimination. In the end, the future opportunities and challenges on the toxicity, occurrence, and control of mycotoxins are tentatively put forward.

Incidence of Fusarium Mycotoxins in Wheat and Maize from Albania

“…Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites with low molecular weight produced by filamentous fungi, or more specifically, moulds [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. They contaminate cereals and other foods like nuts, spices, fruits, and their by-products [ 3 , 7 ].…”

“…They contaminate cereals and other foods like nuts, spices, fruits, and their by-products [ 3 , 7 ]. In crops, they can be formed before harvesting, during harvest, drying, and storage in non-appropriate conditions [ 3 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. They are mainly produced by the species Aspergillus , Penicillium , Alternaria , Claviceps , and Fusarium [ 3 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

“…Mycotoxins are relatively stable, and prevention methods to prevent mycotoxin contamination on the field before harvest, during harvesting, or storage have been developed, while their complete elimination from the contaminated material is difficult if not impossible [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 ]. However, sorting, cleaning, debranning, and thermal processing can significantly reduce mycotoxin concentrations in cereal products, whereas milling processes result in the repartitioning of mycotoxins in different milling fractions leading to a reduction in mycotoxin burden in the fractions used for human consumption [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Integrated Mycotoxin Management System in the Feed Supply Chain: Innovative Approaches

“…The evolution demanded from the market and the reduction in resource consumption have allowed for nanotechnologies to spread against mycotoxins in livestock production as well [ 160 ] ( Table 5 ).…”

“…The evolution demanded from the market and the reduction in resource consumption have allowed for nanotechnologies to spread against mycotoxins in livestock production as well [160] (Table 5). Table 5 shows a first attempt at classifying nanotechnologies used for the prevention of livestock contamination against mycotoxins and includes both organic and inorganic compounds.…”