Gluten-starch separation: An industrially feasible strategy for detoxifying Deoxynivalenol-contaminated wheat

Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in wheat presents critical challenges to food safety and agricultural economics. This study systematically evaluated four detoxification approaches, ultraviolet irradiation, ultrasound treatment, dough fermentation, and gluten-starch separation for their efficacy in DON reduction in naturally DON-contaminated wheat or flour samples. Gluten-starch separation emerged as the most effective method, achieving complete DON removal from starch fractions. Also, the process reduced DON levels in gluten by 55.56 %, 67.31 %, and 80.46 % for lower, medium, and higher DON-contamination groups, respectively. After gluten-starch separation detoxification strategy, the detoxified starch retained an intact A-type crystalline polymorph, with physicochemical and rheological properties mirroring commercial-grade starch, albeit with marginally reduced amylose and residual protein content. Nutritional profiling demonstrated preserved mineral composition and in vitro digestibility, meeting food safety standards. These findings establish gluten-starch separation as a scalable, industrially viable strategy for valorizing DON-contaminated wheat, offering dual benefits of toxin mitigation and resource recovery.