Hydrophobic TMCS-modified MIL-101(Fe) for highly efficient and reusable detoxification of Ochratoxin a in edible oil and protein-rich meal.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination poses significant risks to food safety. In this study, TMCS-modified MIL-101(Fe) was synthesized as an efficient adsorbent for OTA removal. The material exhibited excellent structural stability and adsorption performance, achieving 96% OTA removal under optimized conditions (adsorbent dosage: 0.8 mg mL-1, pH 7.0, and 333 K), with an adsorption capacity of 10.917 mg g-1. Kinetic analysis revealed rapid adsorption equilibrium within 10 min, while thermodynamic studies indicated a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process. Molecular docking demonstrated that hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and electrostatic interactions contributed to OTA binding. Furthermore, TMCS-MIL-101(Fe) achieved OTA removal efficiencies of 87% and 72% in spiked rapeseed oil and peanut meal systems, respectively, highlighting its potential for mycotoxin detoxification in complex food matrices.