The inhibitory effects of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sourdough on the mycotoxigenic fungi growth and mycotoxins from wheat bread

Bread is a food stable for human nutrition. Its nutritional profile not only meets the nutritional and metabolic needs of humans but also is a suitable substrate for the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi. Chemical preservatives are often used as food preservatives to control the contamination of bread by potentially mycotoxigenic fungi. However, their long-term consumption may increase the risk of chronic diseases. With the growing consumer demand for healthy foods with minimal use of chemical preservatives, the use of biological preservatives, including lactic acid bacteria (LAB), has gained renewed interest in recent years. LABs have been used for centuries in the preparation and preservation of bread and are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). The aim of this study is to yield knowledge about lactic acid fermentation and the activity of lactic acid bacteria against mycotoxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins. A search was conducted on a range of databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences), over the period from 1979 to 2021 using keywords related to the capacity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sourdough to control the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi and detoxify their mycotoxins. In addition to improving the organoleptic and nutritional quality of wheat bread, the use of LAB in sourdough ensures the microbiological safety by acting as potential natural preservatives against contamination with mycotoxigenic fungi. Their action mechanisms involve the production of antagonistic compounds that inhibit the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi (organic acids, reuterin, fatty acids, hydrogen peroxyde, and cyclic dipeptides compounds), and parietal adsorption and biotransformation into non-toxic by-products to detoxify the wheat bread from mycotoxins. The promising effects of LAB against mycotoxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins will lead to many applications in the agrifood sector that meet health and environmental concerns. The pathways and mechanism of action of lactic acid bacteria as detoxifying could be also investigated by clinicians-toxicologists for targeted food poisoning therapy by clinicians associated with toxicology. Overall, the use of LAB as a biological alternative to chemical preservatives for reducing mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins contamination has the potential to transform the agri-food sector while improving human health and environmental outcomes.