Peroxidase-mediated degradation of deoxynivalenol in bread made from wheat flour spiked with the mycotoxin

Wheat and wheat-derived products are frequently contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene mycotoxin that poses significant risks to human and animal health. Traditional food processing methods often fail to eliminate DON due to its thermal stability. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of soybean bran peroxidase (SBP), an agricultural by-product, in reducing deoxynivalenol (DON) in bread prepared with contaminated wheat flour. Dough was formulated with flour naturally contaminated with DON, and half of the samples were spiked with additional DON (0.4 µg/g). SBP (1.2 U/mg) was applied to both spiked and unspiked samples to assess the effects of the peroxidase across all treatment combinations. SBP treatment reduced detectable DON concentrations to below the analytical detection limit in bread produced from spiked flour. In addition to reducing DON levels, SBP treatment improved bread volume and crumb characteristics compared with untreated DON-spiked samples. These findings indicate that SBP treatment has potential as a downstream strategy for reducing DON contamination while maintaining desirable bread quality attributes, warranting further investigation of its applicability in cereal-based products.