Optimization of Ozonation Method for Reduction of Aflatoxin B1 in Ground Corn and its Impact on other mycotoxins
Document Type : Original research
Authors
1 Department of Food, Halal and Agricultural Products, Food Technology and Agricultural Products Research Center, Standard Research Institute (SRI), Karaj, Iran.
2 Department of Biochemistry, Payame Noor University, Artesh Avenue, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Food and agricultural products can be contaminated by mycotoxins. Many emerging methods, including ozonation, have been used to reduce the level of these contaminants. This study aimed to assess the effects of different treatment times and doses of ozonation on the reduction of aflatoxins in contaminated corn samples. A central composite design (CCD) via response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the ozonation for maximum reduction of AFB1 contamination level. The variables used in this study were: AFB1 concentration (X1, 5–50 ng/ml), ozone dose (X2, 200–600 mg/kg), and ozonation time (X3, 100–400 min). Increasing the dose and time of ozonation showed significant effects on initial AFB1 content. The results have demonstrated that an ozonation dose of 600 mg/kg for 250 min, was sufficient to eliminate at least 96% of the AFB1 contamination level of corn samples. The obtained results have been validated and showed that ozonation under optimal conditions could be a promising method to reduce aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol contamination in corn.
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