Destruction and Detoxification of Aflatoxins with Ozone

Abstract

ABSTRACT The destruction and detoxification of aflatoxins B 1 , G 1 , B 2 and G 2 (50 μg/mL in 4% dimethyl sulfoxide) with ozone were confirmed by thin‐layer chromatography and chicken embryo assay. Aflatoxins B) and G, were sensitive to ozone and easily degraded with 1.1 mg/L of ozone within 5 min at room temperature. The result of Ames test showed the inactivation of the mutagenic activities of the toxins by ozone. Also, the deleterious acute effect of ozone‐treated aflatoxin B 2 was not detected in the rat. On the other hand, aflatoxins B 2 and G 2 were rather resistant to ozone, requiring 50–60 min to degrade them completely with 34.3 mg/L of ozone.