From invisible to quantifiable: unmasking non-extractable HT2/T2 glycosides

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Fusarium mycotoxins exist in free and bound forms in cereals.
• Bound mycotoxins are often underestimated due to analytical challenges.
• Accurate quantification is vital for food safety and exposure assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize an enzymatic hydrolysis method for releasing matrix-associated T-2 and HT-2 toxins from cereal polysaccharides.
• To improve the detection of bound mycotoxins in cereal products.
• To provide a method for estimating the maximum potentially releasable fraction of bound mycotoxins.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic hydrolysis using glycosidase.
• Optimized protocol involving boiling pretreatment and a 44-hour temperature gradient hydrolysis.
• Application to malting barley and oat products.

Main Results:

• Substantial increases in total detectable T-2 and HT-2 toxin levels were observed.
• Median increases were 94% in barley and 168% in oats.
• Maximum increases reached 760% in barley and 466% in oats.

Conclusions:

• The developed method significantly enhances the detection of bound mycotoxins in cereals.
• This approach provides a worst-case release scenario for bound mycotoxin exposure assessment.
• The findings support further research into the bioavailability and toxicological impact of bound mycotoxins.