Application of Pulsed Electric Field During Malting: Impact on Species Growth and Mycotoxin Production

Overview

Journal Toxins (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Toxicology

Date 2024 Dec 27

PMID 39728795

Authors

Nela Prusova

Marcel Karabin

Lukas Jelinek

Jana Chrpova

Jaroslava Ovesna

Pavel Svoboda

Tereza Dolezalova

Adam Behner

Jana Hajslova

Milena Stranska

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The increasing contamination of cereals by micromycetes and mycotoxins during malting still poses an unresolved food safety problem. This study characterises the potential of the novel, rapidly developing food production technology of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) to reduce the viability of fungi and the production of mycotoxins during malting. Barley, artificially inoculated with four species, was treated by PEF with two different intensities and then malted using a standard Pilsner-type technology. Concentrations of fungi were quantified by RT-PCR, expression of fungal growth-related genes was assessed using mRNA sequencing, and mycotoxin levels were analysed by U-HPLC-HRMS/MS. Despite the different trends for micromycetes and mycotoxins after application of variously intense PEF conditions, significant reductions were generally observed. The greatest decrease was for and , where up to six fold lower levels were achieved for malts produced from the PEF-treated barley when compared to the control. For and , up to a two-fold reduction in the PEF-generated malts was observed. These reductions mostly correlated with a decrease in relevant mycotoxins, specifically type A trichothecenes.

Citing Articles

What Happens Inside the Germinating Grain After Microbial Decontamination by Pulsed Electric Field? Data-Driven Multi-Omics Helps Find the Answer.

Stranska M, Behner A, Ovesna J, Svoboda P, Hajslova J Molecules. 2025; 30(4).

PMID: 40005235 PMC: 11858265. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30040924.

Pulsed Electric Field Induces Significant Changes in the Metabolome of Species and Decreases Their Viability and Toxigenicity.

Behner A, Palicova J, Tobolkova A, Prusova N, Stranska M Toxins (Basel). 2025; 17(1.

PMID: 39852986 PMC: 11769547. DOI: 10.3390/toxins17010033.

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