Detoxification of deoxynivalenol and its derivatives in Fusarium contaminated wheat through soaking and germination

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, is widely found in wheat and other cereals all around the world. In the present study, the effect of soaking and germination on reduction of DON and its derivatives, deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (D3G) and nivalenol (NIV), in Fusarium contaminated wheat (FCW) were studied. Besides, gene expression of enzymes related to DON formation (Tri5) and transformation (UDP-G1/UDP-G2) as well as microstructure and activities of related enzymes were also determined. The results showed a 3-h soaking decreased the content of DON in FCW by 70% but resulted in 50% increase of D3G content. Relative abundance of Fusarium had no significant change during soaking and germination. Relative gene expression of Tri5, UDP-G1 and UDP-G2 in FCW decreased significantly after soaking but increased during germination. Meanwhile, activities of xylanase and cellulase were increased and broke down the structure of wheat bran during germination. As a result, contents of both DON and D3G in the soaked FCW decreased by ca. 80% after a 4-day germination through dissolving in the dripping water. These results showed soaking combined with germination is an effective method for detoxification of DON and its derivatives in FCW.