Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa

Mycotoxin contamination is a global threat to food safety and human health, especially in regions facing food insecurity, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. This intervention study evaluates the effectiveness of nixtamalization, a traditional alkaline cooking method, in reducing mycotoxin levels in maize a...

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Autores: Njobeh, Patrick B., De Saeger, Sarah, Maris, Elias, Ndlangamandla, Palesa, Adelusi, Oluwasola A., Akinmoladun, Oluwakamisi F., Odukoya, Julianah O., Fagbohun, Richard T., Oyeyinka, Samson A., Sekhejane, Palesa, Peró Gascón, Roger, De Boevre, Marthe, Croubels, Siska
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/224204
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/224204
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Seguretat alimentària
Micotoxines
Àfrica subsahariana
Food security
Mycotoxins
Sub-Saharan Africa
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spelling Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South AfricaNjobeh, Patrick B.De Saeger, SarahMaris, EliasNdlangamandla, PalesaAdelusi, Oluwasola A.Akinmoladun, Oluwakamisi F.Odukoya, Julianah O.Fagbohun, Richard T.Oyeyinka, Samson A.Sekhejane, PalesaPeró Gascón, RogerDe Boevre, MartheCroubels, SiskaSeguretat alimentàriaMicotoxinesÀfrica subsaharianaFood securityMycotoxinsSub-Saharan AfricaMycotoxin contamination is a global threat to food safety and human health, especially in regions facing food insecurity, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. This intervention study evaluates the effectiveness of nixtamalization, a traditional alkaline cooking method, in reducing mycotoxin levels in maize and corresponding urinary biomarkers of exposure. Forty adult healthy volunteers from an informal settlement in Kliptown, Soweto (South Africa), were randomly assigned to consume control maize or visibly moldy maize subjected to nixtamalization. Nixtamalization achieved a reduction of fumonisin B3 and deoxynivalenol (DON) to unquantifiable or undetectable levels in maize, while reducing fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2, and zearalenone (ZEN) by 95%, 95%, and 89%, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 was unquantifiable before and eliminated after treatment. Biomarker analysis revealed that after consumption of either control or nixtamalized maize, urinary levels of FB1, ZEN, and its metabolites α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZEL) did not show significant differences between groups (p>0.05). DON and tenuazonic acid levels were not affected by the intervention (p>0.05), with urinary detection frequencies remaining above 90%. These results demonstrate nixtamalization effectively lowers mycotoxin levels in maize, resulting in exposure levels comparable to control maize, and highlight human biomonitoring as a sensitive tool for evaluating food safety interventions.MDPI2025202520252025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion20 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/224204Articles publicats en revistes (Enginyeria Química i Química Analítica)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17110527Toxins, 2025, vol. 17, num.527https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17110527cc-by (c) Maris, Elias et al., 2025http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/2242042026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
title Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
spellingShingle Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
Njobeh, Patrick B.
Seguretat alimentària
Micotoxines
Àfrica subsahariana
Food security
Mycotoxins
Sub-Saharan Africa
title_short Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
title_full Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
title_fullStr Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
title_sort Nixtamalization of maize to reduce mycotoxin exposure: a human biomonitoring intervention study in Soweto, South Africa
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Njobeh, Patrick B.
De Saeger, Sarah
Maris, Elias
Ndlangamandla, Palesa
Adelusi, Oluwasola A.
Akinmoladun, Oluwakamisi F.
Odukoya, Julianah O.
Fagbohun, Richard T.
Oyeyinka, Samson A.
Sekhejane, Palesa
Peró Gascón, Roger
De Boevre, Marthe
Croubels, Siska
author Njobeh, Patrick B.
author_facet Njobeh, Patrick B.
De Saeger, Sarah
Maris, Elias
Ndlangamandla, Palesa
Adelusi, Oluwasola A.
Akinmoladun, Oluwakamisi F.
Odukoya, Julianah O.
Fagbohun, Richard T.
Oyeyinka, Samson A.
Sekhejane, Palesa
Peró Gascón, Roger
De Boevre, Marthe
Croubels, Siska
author_role author
author2 De Saeger, Sarah
Maris, Elias
Ndlangamandla, Palesa
Adelusi, Oluwasola A.
Akinmoladun, Oluwakamisi F.
Odukoya, Julianah O.
Fagbohun, Richard T.
Oyeyinka, Samson A.
Sekhejane, Palesa
Peró Gascón, Roger
De Boevre, Marthe
Croubels, Siska
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Seguretat alimentària
Micotoxines
Àfrica subsahariana
Food security
Mycotoxins
Sub-Saharan Africa
topic Seguretat alimentària
Micotoxines
Àfrica subsahariana
Food security
Mycotoxins
Sub-Saharan Africa
description Mycotoxin contamination is a global threat to food safety and human health, especially in regions facing food insecurity, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. This intervention study evaluates the effectiveness of nixtamalization, a traditional alkaline cooking method, in reducing mycotoxin levels in maize and corresponding urinary biomarkers of exposure. Forty adult healthy volunteers from an informal settlement in Kliptown, Soweto (South Africa), were randomly assigned to consume control maize or visibly moldy maize subjected to nixtamalization. Nixtamalization achieved a reduction of fumonisin B3 and deoxynivalenol (DON) to unquantifiable or undetectable levels in maize, while reducing fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2, and zearalenone (ZEN) by 95%, 95%, and 89%, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 was unquantifiable before and eliminated after treatment. Biomarker analysis revealed that after consumption of either control or nixtamalized maize, urinary levels of FB1, ZEN, and its metabolites α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZEL) did not show significant differences between groups (p>0.05). DON and tenuazonic acid levels were not affected by the intervention (p>0.05), with urinary detection frequencies remaining above 90%. These results demonstrate nixtamalization effectively lowers mycotoxin levels in maize, resulting in exposure levels comparable to control maize, and highlight human biomonitoring as a sensitive tool for evaluating food safety interventions.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025
2025
2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/224204
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/224204
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17110527
Toxins, 2025, vol. 17, num.527
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17110527
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by (c) Maris, Elias et al., 2025
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by (c) Maris, Elias et al., 2025
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 20 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Enginyeria Química i Química Analítica)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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