Research progress on the toxicological characteristics and biodegradation of deoxynivalenol and its derivatives.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives are widely distributed contaminants that seriously threaten food security and animal husbandry production. Biodegradation has become a core research direction for detoxification owing to its high efficiency and specificity. Although numerous studies have reported the toxicity, metabolism and degradation of DON and its derivatives, systematic reviews that integrate toxic mechanisms, species differences, degrading strains and key enzymes remain scarce. This paper comprehensively reviews the toxicological mechanisms and toxicokinetic characteristics of DON and its typical derivatives, and illustrates the physiological basis for species sensitivity differences. It mainly summarizes various degrading bacteria, fungi and core enzymatic catalytic pathways, and analyzes the potential risks of masked mycotoxins as well as the application bottlenecks of current biological detoxification technologies. Future research directions are also prospected. This review can serve as a reference for the research, development and industrial application of efficient and safe microbial detoxification strategies.