The efficacy of bacterial and yeasts strains and their combination to bind aflatoxin B1 and B2 in artificially contaminated infants food

What is it about?

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites with low molecular weight produced by different fungi among them: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus nomius, Aspergillus ochraceoroseus, Aspergillus pseudotamarii, Aspergillus bombycis, and Aspergillus tamari. Aflatoxin producing fungi grow in the storage food under suitable conditions of heat and humidity. The major aflatoxins concern is designated B1, B2, G1, and G2, also M1and M2 asmetabolic products of AFB. Aflatoxins affect human through consuming contaminated fruits, cereals, and milk; and it well known that aflatoxins B1 and B2 can be transformed into M1 and M2 aflatoxin in human and lactating animal secreted milk.

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Why is it important?

Aflatoxins could be detoxify by microbes to reduce their toxic effect in contaminated food. Cerelac is the common baby food in Egypt. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of both probiotics bacteria and yeasts on aflatoxins B1 and B2 dtoxification. Bacteria (heat acid inactivated); S. thermophilus TH-4, B. bifidum and yeasts; k. lactis, S. cerevisiae were used to detoxify these aflatoxins. In PBS each bacterial strain, reduced AFB1 and AFB2 by 28-29% and great reduction of 55% was achieved using both bacterial strains in combination. Similarly, yeast strains were able to reduce AFB1 and AFB2; 54% with S. cerevisiae and 42% with K. lactis, with higher reduction of 66.6% using both yeast strains in combination. Using the probiotic combination with Cerelac exhibited higher level of B1 and B2 reduction by 94.1%, 94.5%, respectively. Scanning Eectron Microscopy confirmed the ability of these probiotics to adsorb the toxins particles.

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