Biography
Biography: Hsueh lui Ho
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: One of the major challenges in food sustainability is the spoilage and contamination of crops from secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, produced by fungi. Mycotoxins pose a significant danger to the health and performance of farm livestock and cause a variety of different symptoms including decreased feed intake, poor reproductive performance, reduced milk production and even death. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Saccharomyces cerevisiae could degrade mycotoxins. Methodology[RB1] : 100mg of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (R404) was inoculated in 50ml of nutrient broth with or without 1µg/ml Zearalenone. Samples were incubated at 37oC, at 200rpm for 48 hours. Samples were taken at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, and 48 hours for mycotoxin analysis. Samples were analyzed using a Waters Acquity UPLC and a Waters Xevo TQ Mass Spectrometer for the presence of Zearalenone and its metabolites. Findings: S. cerevisiae was able to degrade Zearalenone (ZON) to its metabolites α- and β-Zearalenol (ZOL) within 1 hour. The presence of β-ZOL is observed within 1 hour, while the more toxic α-ZOL is detected after 3 hours[RB2] . The less toxic metabolite β-ZOL was produced at a higher concentration than the more toxic α- ZOL. Conclusion & Significance: S. cerevisiae is known to have a probiotic effect in animals and humans and helps to maintain the integrity of the intestinal epithelial lining. In this study, we have shown that S. cerevisiae primarily degrades ZON to its less toxic daughter metabolite β-ZOL. This suggests that S. cerevisiae can be used as a probiotic and mycotoxin remediator in the treatment of animals poisoned with ZON.