Strategies and methodologies for developing microbial detoxifications to mitigate mycotoxins
Citation
Yan Zhu, Yousef I. Hassan, Dion Lepp, Suqin Shao, and Ting Zhou, 2017. Strategies and methodologies for developing microbial detoxifications to mitigate mycotoxins. Toxins. DOI: 10.3390/toxins9040130
Plain language summary
Fungal-toxins, detected mainly in agricultural commodities during production or post-harvest storage, raise serious concerns in regard to human health and animal productivity, and cause enormous losses to the global economy.
Environmentally sound, safe, and highly efficient approaches to mitigate such toxins and minimize the risks associated with their accidental consumption are on high pursuit. Among the most promising ways for fungal-toxins inactivation is using bacterial isolates that can degrade/metabolize such toxins. However, researchers in this field have been facing tremendous unexpected challenges, and are eager to find solutions.
This review summarizes and assesses the research strategies and methodologies reported in the past three decades providing an in-depth understanding and a handy tool box to navigate the novel research findings and experimental approaches reported within the fungal-toxins detoxification arena.
In addition, this comprehensive review highlights the recent advances within the genomics/bioinformatics/proteomics fields and establishes their supportive roles for optimizing any future empirical detoxification strategies. More importantly, this review sets the guidelines for elucidating the molecular mechanisms that stand behind such detoxification approaches.
Abstract
Abstract: Mycotoxins, the secondary metabolites of mycotoxigenic fungi, have been found in almost all agricultural commodities worldwide, causing enormous economic losses in livestock production and severe human health problems. Compared to traditional physical adsorption and chemical
reactions, interest in biological detoxification methods that are environmentally sound, safe and highly efficient has seen a significant increase in recent years. However, researchers in this field have been facing tremendous unexpected challenges and are eager to find solutions. This review summarizes and assesses the research strategies and methodologies in each phase of the development of microbiological solutions for mycotoxin mitigation. These include screening of
functional microbial consortia from natural samples, isolation and identification of single colonies with biotransformation activity, investigation of the physiological characteristics of isolated strains,
identification and assessment of the toxicities of biotransformation products, purification of functional enzymes and the application of mycotoxin decontamination to feed/food production. A full understanding and appropriate application of this tool box should be helpful towards the
development of novel microbiological solutions on mycotoxin detoxification.