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Since a sound detoxification method is needed for controlling aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), as one of the most harmful mycotoxins in animal production and food industry, this study was performed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This study was conducted to examine the ability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG to remove AFB₁ from liquid media. The binding of AFB₁ to Lb. rhamnosus GG was studied for viable, heat-killed and acid-killed bacteria. AFB₁ at concentrations (5, 10 and 20 μg/l) was added to the bacterial culture (109 cfu/ml) in MRS broth medium and incubated at 25°C for 4, 12 and 24 h. The aflatoxin-binding capacity of the strain was quantified by the amount of unbound AFB₁ using ELISA technique.

Results showed the AFB₁-binding capacity of viable, heat-killed and acid-killed bacteria was about 43, 49 and 50 percent, respectively. The percentage of AFB₁ removed was the highest amount in low (5 μg/l) and high (20 μg/l) concentrations, and there was no significant difference between them (p=0.05). These findings suggest that lactic acid bacteria can be exploited as an approach to detoxification of aflatoxins from foods.

This method is safe because non-viable bacteria have more ability to remove toxin than viable bacteria, and also it is an effective method with 50 percent approximately toxin removal.

Since there has been no research on the ability of this strain on the removal of AFB₁, the authors assessed the ability of the strain in high levels of AFB₁.