Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Charcoal, <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i>, and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> as Aflatoxin Adsorbents in Chocolate
Gamal M. Hamad,
Amr Amer,
Baher El-Nogoumy,
Mohamed Ibrahim,
Sabria Hassan,
Shahida Anusha Siddiqui,
Ahmed M. EL-Gazzar,
Eman Khalifa,
Sabrien A. Omar,
Sarah Abd-Elmohsen Abou-Alella,
Salam A. Ibrahim,
Tuba Esatbeyoglu,
Taha Mehany
Affiliations
Gamal M. Hamad
Department of Food Technology, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El-Arab 21934, Egypt
Amr Amer
Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21544, Egypt
Baher El-Nogoumy
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh 33516, Egypt
Mohamed Ibrahim
Department of Food Toxicology and Contaminants, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
Sabria Hassan
Department of Food Technology, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El-Arab 21934, Egypt
Shahida Anusha Siddiqui
Technical University of Munich Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Essigberg 3, 94315 Straubing, Germany
Ahmed M. EL-Gazzar
Department of Veterinary Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21544, Egypt
Eman Khalifa
Department of Microbiology, Medicine/Alexandria University Branch, Matrouh University, Marsa Matruh 51511, Egypt
Sabrien A. Omar
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
Sarah Abd-Elmohsen Abou-Alella
Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21544, Egypt
Salam A. Ibrahim
Food and Nutritional Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, E. Market Street 1601, Greensboro, NC 24711, USA
Tuba Esatbeyoglu
Department of Food Development and Food Quality, Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Am Kleinen Felde 30, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Taha Mehany
Department of Food Technology, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El-Arab 21934, Egypt
The high incidence of aflatoxins (AFs) in chocolates suggests the necessity to create a practical and cost-effective processing strategy for eliminating mycotoxins. The present study aimed to assess the adsorption abilities of activated charcoal (A. charcoal), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus as AFs adsorbents in three forms—sole, di- and tri-mix—in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) through an in vitro approach, simulated to mimic the conditions present in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) based on pH, time and AFs concentration. In addition, the novel fortification of chocolate with A. charcoal, probiotic, and yeast (tri-mix adsorbents) was evaluated for its effects on the sensory properties. Using HPLC, 60 samples of dark, milk, bitter, couverture, powder, and wafer chocolates were examined for the presence of AFs. Results showed that all the examined samples contained AFs, with maximum concentrations of 2.32, 1.81, and 1.66 µg/kg for powder, milk, and dark chocolates, respectively. The combined treatment demonstrated the highest adsorption efficiency (96.8%) among all tested compounds. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed the tested adsorbents to be effective AF-binding agents. Moreover, the novel combination of tri-mix fortified chocolate had a minor cytotoxicity impact on the adsorptive abilities, with the highest binding at pH 6.8 for 4 h, in addition to inducing an insignificant effect on the sensory attributes of dark chocolate. Tri-mix is thus recommended in the manufacturing of dark chocolate in order to enhance the safety of the newly developed product.
