An overview of effective detoxification methods for aflatoxin-contaminated pistachio

Introduction: Aflatoxins are a group of fungal secondary metabolites generally produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. Parasiticus. The Aflatoxin contamination especially occurs during processing stages in dried fruits, after harvesting. Aflatoxin contamination of Iranian pistachios has caused an export reduction in the last years. Aflatoxins contribute to replacing thymidine with guanine at the codon 249 of P53 (tumor suppressor gene) in the human genome; this mutation in the DNA could cause liver cancer. Materials and Methods: Methods to manage the reduction of aflatoxin contamination has great importance; the most effective treatments, including chemical (ozone and citric acid) and physical (UV-C and gamma radiation), are reviewed in this paper Results: In ozone (O3) treatments in which the sensitivity of aflatoxin B1 and G1 is more than aflatoxin B2 and G2, under UV-C radiation, the degradation of aflatoxin B2 and G2 to is higher than aflatoxin B1 and G1. Acidic and alkaline substances also are utilized to eliminate aflatoxins in some products. Conclusion: Use of acids along with other detoxification methods such as ozone, UV- C radiation, and …, will be more effective to degrade aflatoxins in pistachio nuts.