Impact of in vitro digestion on the bioaccessibility, genotoxicity and mutagenicity of mycotoxins in a complex Alternaria extract

Human exposure to mycotoxins occurs predominantly through the ingestion of contaminated food. Despite this, potential interactions between mycotoxins and food matrix, as well as the influence of digestive processes, remain largely unexplored. In the present study, freshly prepared tomato purée was spiked with a complex Alternaria mycotoxin extract (1.2 mg/g) and subjected to a standardized in vitro digestion procedure. Changes in mycotoxin bioaccessibility throughout the consecutive digestive phases were comprehensively monitored by LC-MS/MS analysis. The COMET assay and AMES test were conducted to investigate differences in genotoxicity and mutagenicity between the undigested and digested extract, respectively. In vitro digestion altered the concentrations of most mycotoxins present in the bioaccessible fraction, thereby partially reducing the extract's genotoxic and mutagenic potential. These results emphasize the need to account for digestive processes and food matrices when assessing mycotoxin toxicity and provide a robust framework for more realistic future risk assessment strategies.