Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a highly toxic mycotoxin produced by aspergillus species under specific conditions as secondary metabolites. In this study, types of PCL (Polycaprolactone) membranes anchored (or not) to g-C₃N₄/CQDs composites were prepared using electrospinning technology with (or without) the following surface modification treatment to remove AFB₁. These membranes and g-C₃N₄/CQDs composites were characterized by SEM, TEM, UV-vis, XRD, XPS and FTIR to analyze their physical and chemical properties. Among them, the modified PCL-g-C₃N₄/CQDs electrospun membranes exhibited an excellent ability to degrade AFB₁ via synergistic effects of adsorption and photocatalysis, and the degradation rate of 0.5 μg/mL AFB₁ solution was observed to be up to 96.88% in 30 min under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the modified PCL-g-C₃N₄/CQDs electrospun membranes could be removed directly after the reaction process without centrifugal or magnetic separation, and the regeneration was a green approach synchronized with the reaction under visible light avoiding physical or chemical treatment. The mechanism of adsorption by electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding interaction was revealed and the mechanism of photodegradation of AFB₁ was also proposed based on active species trapping experiments. This study illuminated the highly synergic adsorption and photocatalytic AFB₁ removal efficiency without side effects from the modified PCL-g-C₃N₄/CQDs electrospun membranes, thereby offering a continual and green solution to AFB₁ removal in practical application.

The degradation of aflatoxin (AF) is a topic that always exists along with the food and feed industry. Photocatalytic degradation as an advanced oxidation technology has many benefits, including complete inorganic degradation, no secondary contamination, ease of activity under moderate conditions, and low cost compared with traditional physical, chemical, and biological strategies. However, photocatalysts are usually dispersed during photocatalytic reactions, resulting in energy and time consumption in the separation process. There is even a potential secondary pollution problem from the perspective of food safety. In this regard, three electrospun membranes anchored with g-C₃N₄/MoS₂ composites were prepared for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) under visible light. These photocatalytic membranes were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and XPS. The factors influencing the degradation efficiency of AFB₁, including pH values and initial concentrations, were also probed. The three kinds of photocatalytic membranes all exhibited excellent ability to degrade AFB₁. Among them, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the photocatalytic membranes prepared by the coaxial methods reached 96.8%. The experiment is with an initial concentration of 0.5 μg/mL (500 PPb) after 60 min under visible light irradiation. The mechanism of degradation of AFB₁ was also proposed based on active species trapping experiments. Moreover, the prepared photocatalytic membranes exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity even after five-fold use in the degradation of AFB₁. These studies showed that electrospun membranes anchored with g-C₃N₄/MoS₂ composites have a high photocatalytic ability which is easily removed from the reacted medium for reuse. Thereby, our study offers a highly effective, economical, and green solution for AFB₁ degradation in the foodstuff for practical application.

The consumption of agricultural products contaminated with mycotoxins poses a significant threat to the health of both humans and animals. Maize frequently becomes contaminated with toxic fungi while it is still growing in the field. Therefore, more proactive measures should be implemented to reduce mycotoxin levels during the storage and processing of maize after harvest. This article analyzes the prevalent mycotoxins found in maize, specifically aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenone. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence of mycotoxins in maize during storage, as well as fate analysis of them during processing. It summarizes the impacts of storage time, environmental conditions, storage methods, and agricultural practices on mycotoxin occurrence during storage in the post-harvest period. Furthermore, the different distribution of mycotoxins across various fractions during both dry- and wet-milling processes in the post-harvest processing period is analyzed. Additionally, the strategies to control mycotoxins in maize are also proposed during the post-harvest period. This review offers valuable insights for future research on mycotoxin contamination in maize during the post-harvest period.

The use of microorganisms to manage aflatoxin contamination is a gentle and effective approach. The aim of this study was to test the removal of AFB₁ from AFB₁-contaminated peanut meal by a strain of Meyerozyma guilliermondii AF01 screened by the authors and to optimize the conditions of the biocontrol. A regression model with the removal ratio of AFB₁ as the response value was established by means of single-factor and response surface experiments. It was determined that the optimal conditions for the removal of AFB₁ from peanut meal by AF01 were 75 h at 29 °C under the natural pH, with an inoculum of 5.5%; the removal ratio of AFB₁ reached 69.31%. The results of simulating solid-state fermentation in production using shallow pans and fermentation bags showed that the removal ratio of AFB₁ was 68.85% and 70.31% in the scaled-up experiments, respectively. This indicated that AF01 had strong adaptability to the environment with facultative anaerobic fermentation detoxification ability. The removal ratio of AFB₁ showed a positive correlation with the growth of AF01, and there were no significant changes in the appearance and quality of the peanut meal after fermentation. This indicated that AF01 had the potential to be used in practical production.