Aflatoxin B1

Overview

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a highly toxic mycotoxin produced by certain fungi and is widely recognized as one of the most potent naturally occurring carcinogenic food contaminants. It is a small-molecule chemical of major concern in food safety because it can contaminate stored grains, herbs, and other agricultural products, creating risks through dietary exposure. In biomedical and toxicological contexts, AFB1 is studied primarily for its carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and its role as a target for detection, monitoring, and detoxification strategies.

Biologically, AFB1 is important because even trace-level contamination can be hazardous, and its presence in complex food matrices is difficult to measure accurately. As a result, recent research has focused on sensitive analytical platforms, rapid on-site detection systems, and biological or enzymatic approaches to suppress or degrade the toxin. These studies often intersect with related mycotoxins such as zearalenone, and with technologies including CRISPR-Cas12a, aptasensors, fluorescence-based readouts, and microbial biocontrol.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent publications have treated Aflatoxin B1 as both a food-safety target and an analytical benchmark for highly sensitive detection systems. In stored rice grain experiments, Bacillus subtilis RG01 was reported to suppress toxigenic fungi and reduce mycotoxin accumulation during simulated storage. The study specifically found that treatment with B. subtilis RG01 reduced AFB1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone, with maximum reduction rates of 56.35%, 41.02%, and 38.87%, respectively. This work suggests that microbial community interaction can be leveraged to limit AFB1 buildup in stored commodities.

Several studies focused on detecting AFB1 in food and herbal products. A survey of dry herbs used for tea preparation reported AFB1 among the detected analytes, with a detection frequency of 3.3%, alongside zearalenone, fumonisin B2, and ochratoxin A. This supports the continued relevance of AFB1 surveillance in plant-derived consumer products. In parallel, multiple analytical platforms were developed for on-site or trace-level detection. A smartphone-assisted ratiometric fluorescence sensing platform using a Europium(III)-doped metal-organic framework hydrogel scaffold based on DUT-52 showed that AFB1 enhanced DUT-52 fluorescence while Eu³⁺ emission remained essentially unchanged, enabling concentration-dependent color changes from pink to purple. This demonstrates a visual, portable sensing strategy for AFB1.

Other studies used CRISPR-Cas12a-based detection architectures. A portable paper-based electrochemical aptasensor built on Au@Ti3C2 MXene and CRISPR/Cas12-driven signal amplification was designed for AFB1 detection, emphasizing the toxin’s importance as a widely distributed and potent carcinogenic contaminant. Another study used rolling circle amplification coupled to CRISPR/Cas12a and a conformation-restricted depolarization reporter to create a rigidity-responsive fluorescence polarization assay for AFB1, addressing the challenge of trace-level determination in complex food matrices. A related MIRA-CRISPR/Cas12a approach was also among the methods used in this research area, reflecting the broader trend toward nucleic-acid-amplified biosensing for small-molecule toxin detection.

Immunochemical and bioluminescent approaches were also represented. Anti-FB1 monoclonal antibodies, lucCage and Luckey proteins, and a mimotope-driven lucCage-lucKey biosensor were used in related small-molecule sensing work, with reported specificity against AFB1 and other mycotoxins such as DON, OTA, and ZEN. Although one biosensor study focused on fumonisin B1, it explicitly noted no cross-reactivity to AFB1, underscoring the need for selectivity among structurally diverse mycotoxins.

Beyond detection, enzymatic degradation of AFB1 was investigated. A multicopper oxidase from Bacillus megaterium was engineered to improve thermostability and catalytic activity for degradation of AFB1 and zearalenone. This indicates active interest in biocatalytic detoxification strategies that may complement monitoring and prevention. In addition, computational and assay-based studies used AlphaFold3, Rosetta computational design, zebrafish and Ames assays, and triple-point mutant protein engineering in the broader mycotoxin research context, supporting structure-guided development and toxicity evaluation of candidate detoxification or sensing components.

Key Publications

• Jun Bacillus subtilis RG01 effectively suppresses toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in stored rice grains through microbial community interaction. (International journal of food microbiology, 2026, PMID 41950675): "Simulated storage experiments further confirmed that treatment with B. subtilis RG01 effectively suppressed the accumulation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEN), achieving maximum reduction rates of 56.35%, 41.02%, and 38.87%, respectively."
• May Mycotoxins occurrence in dry herbs used for tea preparation: method validation, analysis of bulk samples and dietary risk assessment. (Mycotoxin research, 2026, PMID 42176122): "Zearalenone (ZEN) was the most frequently detected analyte (13.2%), followed by fumonisin B2 (FB2, 4.4%), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, 3.3%), and ochratoxin A (OTA, 3.3%)."
• May Smartphone-assisted ratiometric fluorescence sensing platform using Eu/DUT-52 hydrogel for on-site detection of aflatoxin B1. (Mikrochimica acta, 2026, PMID 42168439): "Notably, we found that aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) enhances the fluorescence intensity of DUT-52, whereas the Eu³⁺ emission remains essentially unchanged, enabling ratiometric detection with a concentration-dependent color change from pink to purple."
• May CRISPR/Cas12-driven portable paper-based electrochemical aptasensor based on 0D/2D Au@Ti3C2 MXene for AFB1 detection. (Food chemistry, 2026, PMID 41825380): "Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a widely distributed and potent carcinogenic small-molecule toxic contaminant, posing significant risks to food safety."
• May Enhancing the Thermostability and Catalytic Activity of a Multicopper Oxidase from Bacillus megaterium for Aflatoxin B1 and Zearalenone Degradation. (Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2026, PMID 42047502): "degrading Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Zearalenone (ZEN)."
• May Mimotope-Driven lucCage-lucKey Homogeneous Bioluminescent Immunosensor for the Small Molecule Fumonisin B1. (Analytical chemistry, 2026, PMID 42048578): "Both sensors demonstrated specificity with no cross-reactivity to AFB1, DON, OTA, or ZEN."
• Apr Rigidity-Responsive Fluorescence Polarization Detection of Aflatoxin B1 via Programmable RCA-Coupled CRISPR/Cas12a and a Conformation-Restricted Depolarization Reporter. (Analytical chemistry, 2026, PMID 41993032): "Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins, and its trace-level determination in complex food matrices remains a major analytical challenge."