Mold-fighting enzyme gets upgraded for reuse in food safety
Food Safety
The grain, nuts, and feed your garden harvest or local farm stand depends on can harbor invisible mold toxins like aflatoxin, and this enzyme technology is what could keep that contamination out of the food supply more cheaply and reliably.
Certain molds produce toxins that contaminate crops like corn and nuts, and a natural enzyme called laccase can break those toxins down. The problem is that laccase wears out fast when used alone, so researchers are gluing or trapping it onto materials like nanoparticles and specialty frameworks so it can be reused many times over, much like a reusable filter instead of a disposable one. This review rounds up the best methods so food and feed companies can use the enzyme at a larger scale.
Key Findings
Laccase is officially approved as a food enzyme in China and effectively breaks down mycotoxins like aflatoxin B1 and zearalenone under mild conditions
Four main immobilization strategies (adsorption, covalent binding, entrapment, and cross-linking) can anchor laccase onto supports to boost its stability and allow repeated reuse
Advanced support materials, including nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, and functionalized biochar, show strong promise but still face bottlenecks blocking industrial-scale adoption
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists are reviewing ways to lock a toxin-destroying enzyme called laccase onto solid supports so it can be reused over and over, making it practical to strip dangerous mold toxins out of food and animal feed on an industrial scale.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Research Progress in Laccase Immobilization Technology and Its Application in Mycotoxin Detoxification
Mycotoxin contamination poses a severe threat to global food security and public health. Owing to its broad substrate specificity, mild reaction conditions, and profound detoxification of degradati...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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