Detoxification of deoxynivalenol byBacillus subtilisASAG 216 and characterization the degradation process

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a widely distributed mycotoxin that frequently occurs in various foodstuffs, and poses a health risk to human and animals. Biodegradation of DON to less- or non-toxic substances using naturally existing microorganisms is considered the best approach for DON detoxification. Although various microorganisms capable of detoxifying DON have been reported; however, such studies on probiotic strains are scarce. In this study, a bacterial strain (ASAG 216) showed to possess the capability of detoxifying 100 mu g/mL DON by 81.1% within 8 h was isolated from the intestine of a donkey. After morphological observation and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the strain was identified asBacillus subtilis.The DON-degradation potential ofB. subtilisASAG 216 was predominantly attributed to the culture supernatant, which turned to be sensitive to heat, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and proteinase K treatment, indicating the possible presence of extracellular proteins or enzymes in the supernatant which were responsible for DON degradation. Moreover,B. subtilisASAG 216 has a broad temperature (35-50 degrees C) and pH (6.5-9.0) tolerance on DON degradation, apart from its ability to withstand conditions which generally prevail during the intestinal transit. In addition, the tested strain showed antimicrobial activity againstEscherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureusandSalmonella typhimurium. These results provide satisfactory grounds for the potential use ofB. subtilisASAG 216 as a new feed additive to address DON contamination.

Automated summary

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin with health risks, and a strain of Bacillus subtilis showed potential for degrading DON and had antimicrobial activity against specific bacteria.