Abstract

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent mycotoxin found in foods and feeds, posing a health risk to animals and humans. Biological detoxification of OTA is considered a promising method, and some bacteria and fungi which can degrade OTA are isolated. However, research on safety and alleviating toxic effects are scarce. This study aims to isolate OTA-detoxification probiotics from natural samples and evaluate their safety and protective effects in mice. Here, a new OTA-detoxification strain named Pediococcus acidilactici NJB421 ( P. acidilactici NJB421 ) was isolated from cow manure, which exhibited a removal rate of OTA at 48.53% for 48 h. P. acidilactici NJB421 exhibited high temperature resistance, acid tolerance, 0.3% bile salt and 1.4% trypsin resistance. The safety evaluation showed that P. acidilactici NJB421 at 2 × 10 8  CFU/per mouse had no abnormalities in body weight, organ indices, ALT, AST and ALP activities, BUN, CRE and TP contents. And P. acidilactici NJB421 alleviated the decreases in body weight, organ indices and small intestinal length, and alleviated intestinal injury , liver injury and kidney injury . These results suggest P. acidilactici NJB421 is safe and has protection against OTA poisoning, which provides a new OTA-detoxification strain for livestock and food industries.