Advances in zearalenone-degrading enzymes research: characteristics, mining, improvement, and application

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin that extensively contaminates feed and feed ingredients, posing a significant threat to animal health and food safety. Enzymatic degradation of ZEN is regarded as a promising strategy due to its high efficiency and safety. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in ZEN-degrading enzymes from a novel perspective, encompassing the types and catalytic mechanisms for characterizing ZEN-degrading enzymes, the methods for mining ZEN-degrading enzymes, the strategies for improving ZEN-degrading enzymes, and the applications of ZEN-degrading enzymes. The objective of this review is to offer a reliable reference framework for the enzymatic detoxification of ZEN in feed and feed ingredients, as well as to provide insights for mining other mycotoxin degrading enzyme in the future.