Microbial-mycotoxin interactions in food: A review of ecotoxicological implications and omics approaches for understanding detoxification mechanisms.

Abstract

Mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium, frequently contaminate food supplies, posing risks to human health, animal welfare, and ecosystem stability. Mycotoxins like aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, trichothecenes, and zearalenone disrupt microbial communities, food chains, and environmental matrices, with synergistic interactions amplifying their toxicity. This review explores microbial-mycotoxin interactions in food systems, focusing on ecotoxicological implications and omics approaches for elucidating detoxification mechanisms. Microbial detoxification, through adsorption by cell wall components (e.g., β-glucans) or enzymatic biodegradation (e.g., lactonases, oxidoreductases), offers a sustainable alternative to physical and chemical methods. However, challenges include variable detoxification efficiency, mechanistic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and the detection of masked mycotoxins in complex food matrices. Omics technologies such as metagenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and their integration provide comprehensive insights into microbial diversity, gene expression, enzyme activity, and metabolite transformations. In addition, omics integration enhances understanding of microbial-mycotoxin dynamics, supporting targeted biocontrol strategies. Future prospects include leveraging synthetic biology, CRISPR-based gene editing, and machine learning-assisted bioinformatics to optimize microbial strains and predict detoxification outcomes. By addressing these challenges, omics-driven approaches can mitigate mycotoxin contamination, ensure food safety, and reduce ecotoxicological impacts across global food systems.