Biological Strategies for Aflatoxin Mitigation in Food and Feed Chains in a Changing World

Abstract

Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus section Flavi,mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These species may infect foodand feed along entire agri-food chains, synthesizing the toxin when environmentalconditions are favorable. The scenario of climate change that the world will haveto face in the next decades is expected to increase the levels of AF contaminationin cereals, nuts, spices, and legumes, among other important crops around theworld. This situation will have a great impact on human and animal health, as wellas economic losses due to the rejection of contaminated products during commercialization. Several mitigation strategies have been implemented to counteractthis problem. Some of them are intended to prevent AF synthesis, while othersare designed to decontaminate the pre-formed toxin. In addition, several pre- andpost-harvest strategies have shown effectivity. Besides physical and chemical tools,biological control based on different microorganisms and the use of enzymes havebeen proposed as promissory approaches to mitigate the risk of AF contamination. Inthis chapter, detailed information about two developments is presented: biocontrolbased on prevention by a non-toxigenic A. flavus strain and the use of fungal laccasesto decontaminate AFs. The integration of these tools will enhance the quality of foodand feed, contributing to food safety in agri-food chains.