A Comprehensive Review: Current Strategies for Detoxification of Deoxynivalenol in Feedstuffs for Pigs

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, primarily contaminating wheat, corn, and their derivatives. Although less toxic than some other mycotoxins, DON is significant due to its abundance, particularly in wheat, and its resistance to in vitro detoxification. Compared to other livestock, pigs are the most susceptible animals to DON's presence due to its interaction with wheat-heavy diets. The best way to attenuate the effects of DON is to prevent its presence on cultivated land; however, given that it is difficult to prevent the occurrence of DON in freshly harvested cereals completely, other strategies must be applied. For pigs, chronic consumption of feed with DON concentrations below even the regulated limits can still negatively impact growth. Thus, DON-detoxifying agents including antidotes, DON binding agents, and exogenous in vivo enzyme additives, have been added to feed in an attempt to detoxify DON. This comprehensive review highlights the most recently developed DON-detoxification techniques and assesses each treatment's viability and efficacy, with an emphasis on chemical and biochemical techniques and the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Herein we explore the unmet needs and future directions of current technologies while discussing promising strategies that can advance the DON-detoxification field.