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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408718
Research Project: Innovative Approaches to Monitor, Predict, and Reduce Fungal Toxins

Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research

Title: In vitro evaluation of the adsorption efficacy of biochar materials on aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone

Author
item Appell, Michael
item Wegener, Evan
item Sharma, Brajendra - Bk
item Eller, Fred
item Evans, Kervin
item Compton, David - Dave

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/23/2023
Publication Date: 10/25/2023
Citation: Appell, M., Wegener, E.C., Sharma, B.K., Eller, F.J., Evans, K.O., Compton, D.L. 2023. In vitro evaluation of the adsorption efficacy of biochar materials on aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone. Animals. 13(21). Article 3311. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213311.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213311

Interpretive Summary: Harmful fungi that contaminate food and feed with mycotoxins can negatively impact human and animal health. ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, tested the ability of food-grade and feed-grade materials to remove several mycotoxins that frequently contaminate food and feed. Charcoal and biochar materials made from coconuts and pine tree wood were shown to be most effective at binding the three mycotoxins tested (aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone) under conditions that simulate digestion. These charcoal materials show promise as food and feed additive that can help reduce exposure to mycotoxins.

Technical Abstract: Mycotoxin sequestration materials are important tools to reduce mycotoxin illness and enable proper handling of mycotoxin-contaminated commodities. Three food-grade bentonite clays and five generally recognized as safe charcoal/biochar carbon materials that are marketed as feed additives and supplements were evaluated for their ability to sequester the mycotoxins aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone. The surface area of the clays varied by 60%, and the surface area of the carbon-based materials varied by 1020%. In vitro, gastric fluid studies indicated that certain pine biochars and activated coconut charcoal could sequester high amounts (85+%) of the mycotoxins at 1 ppm levels or below. However, certain biochars lacked binding capacity. These results demonstrate that certain carbon-based materials marketed as feed additives may have the additional benefit of sequestering toxins that occasionally contaminate feed.