Reduction of Patulin in Aqueous Solution by Lactic Acid Bacteria

This study aims to investigate the ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to remove patulin (PAT) from aqueous solution with respect to the bacterial viability, initial PAT concentration, incubation time, temperature, and pH. The removal of PAT determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with UV detector. The maximum PAT uptake was achieved by Bifidobacterium bifidum 6071 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus 6149 strains (52.9% and 51.1%) for viable and (54.1% and 52.0%) for nonviable cells after 24 h incubation. The highest removal of PAT was at pH 4.0 and 37 °C and increased with decreasing of toxin levels. The removal ability of selected strains could represent new strategies for a possible application in contaminated food products and animal feed.