Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the effect of the extrusion-cooking process with the addition
of different acids concentration on the stability of B-aflatoxins in sorghum.
Methods and Results: Experimental units (EU) of sorghum flour contaminated
with B-aflatoxins (140 ppb) were extrusion cooked with aqueous lactic or citric
acid at six different concentrations. The effects of the two extrusion variables
(moisture content and acid concentration) were analysed as a completely randomized
factorial 3 · 6 design. Under some conditions, the aflatoxin reduction
is more effective when using aqueous citric acid (up to 92%), than when using
aqueous lactic acid (up to 67%).
Conclusions: With citric acid, some extrusion treatments produced higher aflatoxin
degradation rates, than those produced with lactic acid.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Aflatoxin contamination is a great risk
both for human as well as for animal health in underdeveloped countries; consequently,
practical and economical detoxification procedures are needed that
eliminate or at least minimize the aflatoxin risk, through lowering aflatoxin
concentrations in grains. Under these considerations, extrusion process can be
used for reduction in the aflatoxin content in contaminated grains.