Identification and safety evaluation of a product from the biodegradation of ochratoxin A by an Aspergillus strain

BACKGROUNDOchratoxin A (OTA) poses a serious health hazard throughout the world and is often reported in food commodities. At present, biological approaches to detoxifying OTA are now widely considered to be the most promising methods. RESULTSIn this study, a strain that was identified as Aspergillus niger was isolated, and it has a strong ability to detoxify OTA. The degradation product (compound 1) of OTA was treated with crude enzyme. The product has been isolated and identified as C11H9O5Cl (ochratoxin ), which is a weak lipophilic molecule, in contrast to fat-soluble OTA. The cytotoxic response of compound 1 was revealed to be different to that of OTA. Compound 1 does not induce cellular oxidative damage in comparison with OTA, which may cause lipid peroxidation (MDA), reduce SOD activity and induce DNA damage. CONCLUSIONThis study indicates that A. niger has the ability to detoxify OTA. The OTA degradation product, ochratoxin , does not exert cytotoxic effects on cell metabolism. A. niger has prospective uses for the OTA decontamination of food and agricultural fields. (c) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry