DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BIO-ORGANOCLAY FOR MYCOTOXIN DECONTAMINATION: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EVIDENCE

Bentonites adsorb preferably aflatoxins, with little adsorption efficacy towards other mycotoxins. To overcome this limitation a bio-organoclay, acting as a multimycotoxin adsorbent, was developed by functionalization of a Na-smectite with an organic, non-toxic modifier. The process was optimized at lab and industrial level. At low dosages (0.25-0.5% w/v), the bio-organoclay sequestered more than 95% of AFB1, FB1, OTA, and ZEA, in a large range of pH values (3-9). Mycotoxin adsorption occurred simultaneously with high capacity and affinity as determined by equilibrium isotherms. The efficacy of the bio-organoclay in reducing the systemic exposure to AFB1, FB1, OTA, and ZEA was further studied in rats and piglets, using the biomarker for exposure approach. Mycotoxins were administered by an intragastric oral bolus, singularly in rats and as a mixture in piglets. Control animals received the mycotoxins without the detoxifier, while treated animals received the mycotoxins with the bioorganoclay at 0.5% w/w of feed consumption. Samples of urine in rats and of blood in piglets were collected at different time points (4-72h), and then analysed for mycotoxin content by UPLC-FLD/PDA and UPLC-MS/MS methods, respectively. Toxicokinetic parameters, including area under the curve and maximal mycotoxin concentration, were calculated and used to compare control and treated groups. The bio-organoclay significantly reduced urinary excretion of AFM1, ZEA, FB1 and OTA in rats. In piglets, it was significantly effective in reducing systemic exposure to AFB1 and OTA, while the reduction of ZEA and FB1 exposure was not significant. In conclusion, the high efficacy of the bio-organoclay in sequestering AFB1, ZEA, OTA and FB1 measured by isothermal adsorption studies was fully and partially confirmed by rat and piglet studies, respectively.