Mycotoxin reduction and metabolite profiles of ogi produced using traditional fermentation methods

Mycotoxins are widely present in maize, a favourite staple food in sub-Saharan Africa. Food processing methods, like fermentation, have been suggested as potential ways to reduce mycotoxin contamination levels in the grain and, as a result, limit the exposure of crop consumers to the harmful effects of the toxins. The influence of four traditional fermentation processes [cold (with changed steeping liquor (CSL) and unchanged steeping liquor (USL), Fon and Goun procedures] on the mycotoxin reduction and metabolites profile of ogi, a fermented maize product, was studied. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography linked to high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-HR-TOF-MS) were respectively employed for the mycotoxin and metabolite profiles analyses of the samples. Among the nine mycotoxins detected in the raw maize samples, aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) + fumonisin B₂ (FB₂) concentrations were found to exceed the European Union (EU) maximum limit. Both cold (containing USL and CSL) and Goun fermentation techniques were able to lower the AFB₁ concentration below this threshold. The metabolomics result revealed that ogi produced using the cold (USL) and Fon fermentation processes had the highest number of most of the detected important compounds, whereas the Goun fermentation process produced the fewest compounds in total. There was no statistically significant difference in the ability of the specified natural fermentation processes to lower FB₁, FB₂, FB₃, deoxynivalenol (DON), sterigmatocystin (STERIG), and zearalenone concentrations in maize (ZEN). In addition, the results demonstrated that the four natural fermentation processes evaluated had varying effects.