Selected bio‐physical factors affecting the efficiency of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus to degrade aflatoxin M1 in artificially contaminated milk

Abstract This study investigated the ability of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus at concentrations of 108 and 109 cfu/ml to detoxify skim milk that was contaminated with 0.25 ng/ml, 0.5 mg/ml, and 0.75 mg/ml aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) at 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, and 24 hr, and at 4 and 37 °C. The maximum level of AFM1 binding to 1 × 108 cfu/ml of L. bulgaricus was 57.5 ± 5.2% at 37 °C. Both strains showed the degrading potential to reduce AFM1 concentrations and, thus, could be used as starter cultures to detoxify milk. Furthermore, the temperature, bacteria concentration, and vitality have more significant influence on AFM1 binding in contaminated milk than other indices. The results indicated that Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus bulgaricus could be used as beneficial probiotics to decrease the destructive properties of AFM1 to consumers exposed to AFM1‐contaminated milk. Practical applications The upcoming demands are to embrace probiotic strains that have documented beneficial health effects for the consumer. Bifidobacterium animalis lactis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus can be used as probiotic to bind selected dietary contaminants particularly AFM1 in milk by binding the toxin or enzymatic detoxification. The optimum results will be gained while the probiotic will be added to the milk at 4 °C and early stage of the exposure especially at 30 min.