Reduction of Mycotoxins during Fermentation of Whole Grain Sorghum to Whole Grain (a Southern African Food).

Mycotoxins are fungal secondary metabolites that pose health risks to exposed individuals, requiring necessary measures to reduce them. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), mycotoxins were quantified in whole grain sorghum and subsequently derived from two sorghum varieties (high and low tannin). The whole grain (WG) samples were obtained by fermenting sorghum with strains (FUA 3165 and FUA 3321). Naturally (spontaneously) fermented WG- under the same conditions were equally analysed. Among the mycotoxins investigated, fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), B₂ (FB₂), B₃ (FB₃), T-2 toxin (T-2), zearalenone (ZEA), alpha-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and beta-zearalenol (β-ZOL) were detected in sorghum. Results obtained showed that mycotoxin concentrations significantly ( ≤ 0.05) reduced after fermentation. In particular, FUA 3321 showed the capability to significantly ( ≤ 0.05) reduce all the mycotoxins by 98% for FB₁, 84% for T-2 and up to 82% for α-ZOL, compared to raw low tannin sorghum. Fermenting with the strains showed potential to effectively reduce mycotoxin contamination in whole grain . Thus, we recommended FUA 3321 in particular to be used as a potential starter culture in sorghum fermentation.