Curcumin-mediated Photodynamic Inhibition of ZEN Mycotoxin Production by Fusarium graminearum
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Abstract:
Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin that commonly contaminates crops like maize, wheat, and rice, and is mainly produced by Fusarium graminearum. In this study, a photodynamic inactivation (PDI) technique was developed using curcumin as a photoactivator, and the effects of curcumin concentration, illumination energy, and solution pH on the PDI of F. graminearum growth and ZEN production in maize were investigated. Additionally, the mechanism by which PDI inhibits ZEN production by F. graminearum was analyzed in terms of ZEN levels and F. graminearum inactivation. The results demonstrated that 50.00 μmol/L of curcumin and 43.0 J/cm2 of illumination energy reduced ZEN levels in maize from 1.15 mg/kg in the control to 0.58 mg/kg in the treatment group (a decrease of 49.56%). Furthermore, ZEN production can be completely inhibited by increasing the curcumin concentration. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that PDI inhibits ZEN production in maize by inactivating F. graminearum. Notably, curcumin concentrations of ≥70.00 μmol/L with an illumination energy of 43.0 J/cm2 were sufficient to fully inactivate F. graminearum. By demonstrating that PDI is an effective method for F. graminearum inactivation and the inhibition of ZEN production, this work has provided a new method for quality and safety assurance in agricultural products.
