AUTHOR=Møller Cleide Oliveira de Almeida , Freire Luisa , Rosim Roice Eliana , Margalho Larissa Pereira , Balthazar Celso Fasura , Franco Larissa Tuanny , Sant’Ana Anderson de Souza , Corassin Carlos Humberto , Rattray Fergal Patrick , Oliveira Carlos Augusto Fernandes de 

TITLE=Effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains on the Growth and Aflatoxin Production Potential of Aspergillus parasiticus, and Their Ability to Bind Aflatoxin B1, Ochratoxin A, and Zearalenone in vitro

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.655386

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.655386

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The increased consumption of plant-based foods has intensified the concern related to mycotoxin intoxication. This study aimed to investigate the effect of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains on the growth of <italic>Aspergillus parasiticus</italic> NRRL 2999 and its production of aflatoxin (AF). The ability of the heat-killed (100°C for 1 h) LAB strains to bind aflatoxin M<sub>1</sub> (AFM<sub>1</sub>) in milk and aflatoxin B<sub>1</sub> (AFB<sub>1</sub>), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEN) in potassium phosphate buffer (PPB) was also evaluated <italic>in vitro</italic>. Ten LAB strains were tested individually, by inoculating them simultaneously with the fungus or after incubation of the fungus for 24 or 48 h at 25°C. Double layer yeast extract sucrose (YES) agar, de Man Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar, and YES broth were incubated for 7 days at 25°C to follow the development of the fungus. <italic>Levilactobacillus</italic> spp. 3QB398 and <italic>Levilactobacillus brevis</italic> 2QB422 strains were able to delay the growth of <italic>A. parasiticus</italic> in YES broth, even when these strains were inoculated 24 h after the fungus. The inhibitory effect of these LAB strains was confirmed by the reduction of fungus colony size, suggesting dominance of LAB by competition (a Lotka-Voltera effect). The production of AFB<sub>1</sub> by <italic>A. parasiticus</italic> was inhibited when the fungus was inoculated simultaneously with <italic>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</italic> 3QB361 or <italic>L. plantarum</italic> 3QB350. No AFB<sub>1</sub> was found when <italic>Levilactobacillus</italic> spp. 2QB383 was present, even when the LAB was inoculated 48 h after the fungus. In binding studies, seven inactivated LAB strains were able to promote a reduction of at least 50% the level of AFB<sub>1</sub>, OTA, and ZEN. This reduction varied depending on the pH of the PPB. In milk, however, only two inactivated LAB strains were able to reduce AFM<sub>1</sub>, with a reduction of 33 and 45% for <italic>Levilactobacillus</italic> spp. 3QB398 (<italic>Levilactobacillus</italic> spp.) and <italic>L. brevis</italic> 2QB422, respectively. Nevertheless, these results clearly indicate the potential of using LAB for mycotoxin reduction.</p>