Deoxynivalenol: Occurrence, toxicity, and degradation

Mycotoxins have attracted global attention because of their worldwide distribution and toxic risk. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a kind of type-B trichothecenes produced by Fusarium fungi and causes great concerns in different fields. The toxic effects of DON and its two acetylated forms of 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON) have been studied primarily including hepatotoxicity, intestinal toxicity, nephrotoxicity and reproduction toxicity. Adsorption is one of the widely applied physical methods for DON removal. Different adsorbents including active carbon, montmorillonite and yeast cells have been employed as the materials. Chemical methods involving oxidation and reduction of DON are always conducted by a combination of the ozonation and hydrothermal treatment. Recently, the biological degradation of DON has been intensively studied and found somewhat superior to physical and chemical solutions due to the environmentally friendly property and high specificity. Reported bacteria and the related enzymes that are able to metabolize DON is also comprehensively reviewed, such as the approved Coriobacteriaceae DMS 11798, the well-known Devosia mutans, the PQQ-depend dehydrogenase and the aldo-keto reductase family.