The Use of Selected Strains of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria to Eliminate Aflatoxin M1 From Brined White Cheese.

This study aimed to investigate the ability of selected strains of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to remove aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) from brined white cheese (BWC) immersed in a 7.5% brine solution. AFM1 was added to the milk used to prepare the cheese. The final concentration of AFM1 was ca. 125.0 ng/kg. Thereafter, potential probiotics LAB (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus gasseri) were delivered into BWC, by inoculating each of the bacteria individually into the brine at levels that ranged between ca. 8.0 and 9.0 log CFU/g. The detoxification activity of the probiotics was monitored after 0, 24, and 72 h of incubation at 4°C, 10°C, or 24°C. The pH, water activity (aw), and salt concentrations of inoculated BWC were examined initially and after 72 h. The probiotic LAB survived in BWC, at the various storage temperatures, where the counts remained at levels > 7.0 log CFU/g after 72 h. The detoxification of AFM1 by probiotics was temperature, time, and probiotic strain dependent. L. paracasei subsp. paracasei exerted the most effective detoxification activity at 24°C after 72 h of incubation, where it resulted in reducing AFM1 by almost six times (from the initial level of ca. 125.0 ng/kg to 22.2 ng/kg). At 10°C, L. paracasei followed by L. reuteri resulted in significantly lower (p < 0.05) AFM1 concentrations than the other probiotics. Potential probiotic LAB such as L. paracasei subsp. paracasei and L. reuteri (SS730, S3608, CF2) could be used effectively to eliminate considerable amounts of AFM1 contamination n BWC.