Effects of temperature and time on deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) content in corn

Abstract

Fumonisins are Fusarium mycotoxins that occur in corn and corn-based foods and they have been implicated in several animal and human diseases. Their effect on human health is unclear, however, fumonisins are considered to be risk factors for cancer. Baking, frying, and extrusion cooking of corn at high temperatures (190?C) reduce fumonisin concentrations in foods, with the amount of reduction achieved depending on cooking time, temperature, recipe, and other factors. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of temperature (200 and 220 ?C) and time (15 and 20 min) on the detoxification of corn flour deliberately contaminated with DON and ZON. After processing at 200?C for 15 min, an average of 12% and after 20 min an average of 15% of DON was lost. At 200?C ZON content was reduced by 22% (after 15 min) and by 27% (after 20 min). Higher temperature (220?C) did not significantly affect further reduction of DON or ZON content. The process was only partially effective in both cases.