Possibility of Alternaria toxins reduction by extrusion processing of whole wheat flour

This study represents the first report about possibility of reduction of Alternaria toxins in wheat using the extrusion process. Effects of extrusion processing parameters - moisture content (w = 16, 20, 24 g/100 g), feeding rate (q = 15, 20, 25 kg/h), and screw speed (v = 300, 390, 480 rpm), on reduction rate of tenuazonic acid (TeA), alternariol (AOH) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), in whole wheat flour were investigated. Temperature ranged between 111.1 and 160.8 °C, while the absolute pressure was from 0.17 to 0.23 MPa. The simultaneous influence of w and v was the most important for TeA reduction (p < 0.05), while v and q were the most influential for AOH reduction (p < 0.01). Level of AME reduction was mostly influenced by w and v (p < 0.10). Optimal parameters for reduction of all three Alternaria toxins were as follows: w = 24 g/100 g, q = 25 kg/h, v = 390 rpm, with a reduction of 65.6% for TeA, 87.9% for AOH and 94.5% for AME.