Assessment of probiotic strains ability to reduce the bioaccessibility of aflatoxin M1 in artificially contaminated milk using an in vitro digestive model

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a highly toxic compound, stable during milk processing, cheese ripening and storage. Hence, it may be found as contaminant in milk and dairy products with hazardous effects for human beings. Different efforts have been made to detoxify toxin-contaminated food, or to decrease its absorption at intestinal level. In this regard, several in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the potential of probiotic bacteria to remove aflatoxins from model systems. Therefore, the aims of this study were to assess the ability of five probiotic strains to bind AFM1 in PBS, and to reduce its bioaccessibility in artificially contaminated milk using an in vitro digestive model. All assessed strains exhibited different degrees of aflatoxin binding in PBS, ranging from 19.95 to 25.43%. Moreover, AFM1's bioaccessibility in the in vitro digestive model was reduced from 22.72 to 45.17%, depending on assessed probiotic strain. The results of this work suggest that the probiotic strains tested could help to reduce harmful effects of AFM1 to humans exposed to the aflatoxin through consumption of contaminated milk and/or dairy products.

► Probiotic bacteria reduce the concentration of aflatoxin M1 in model systems. ► Relative bioaccessibility of aflatoxin M1 in milk decreased up to 45% when probiotic bacteria were present. ► Aflatoxin M1-binding ability of probiotic bacteria was strain dependent.