Patulin removal in fruit-based products using probiotics and potential probiotics

Abstract

Patulin (PAT) is a prevalent mycotoxin frequently found in fruit and its derivatives, such as apple, pear, and juices. Despite worldwide attempts to diminish the levels of PAT at every stage of the fruit production process, its contamination rate remains high. This mycotoxin is worrisome due to its potential adverse impacts on human health. Eating PAT-contaminated fruit can lead to acute and chronic health issues. It is established, by the Joint FAO/WHO, a maximum tolerable daily intake for PAT at 0.4 µg/kg/day. Therefore, monitoring for PAT contamination is essential for the safe consumption of fruits and fruit-related products such as juices, purees, ciders, jams, marmalades, vinegar, and dried fruits. PAT has physiochemical properties that enable its survival in cold, hypoxic, acidic, or high-temperature conditions. Ideally, detoxification procedures should aim to reduce the level of toxins to safe levels whilst preserving the nutritional and palatable values of the treated commodity. There are several physical, chemical, and biological techniques available for PAT detoxification. However, while physical and chemical methods can remove PAT, they may also lower the nutrient quality and organoleptic properties of the food. Biological detoxification is an effective, environmentally friendly, easy, and cost-effective method, as established by existing research. It has proven efficacy in food safety research and regulatory compliance programs. Probiotics have been studied for their potential to reduce PAT in foods via different mechanisms (such as adsorption, degradation, and transformation), as well as all their health-beneficial effects. In this review, the reduction of PAT in fruit-based products using probiotics or potential probiotics is widely discussed.