Effects of extrusion process on Fusarium and Alternaria mycotoxins in whole grain triticale flour

Effects of extrusion processing parameters of co-rotating twin-screw extruder – screw speed (SS = 500, 650, 800 rpm), feed rate (FR = 22, 26, 30 kg/h), and moisture content of the material (MC = 20, 25, 30 g/100 g), on the reduction rate of deoxynivalenol (DON), 3- and 15- acetyldeoxynivalenol (3- and 15-AcDON), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), tentoxin (TEN) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), in whole grain triticale flour were investigated, together with the physico-chemical characterization of obtained products. The die temperature of the extruder ranged between 113 and 151 °C, the pressure at the die was from 2.7 to 7.9 MPa, the mean retention time of material in the barrel was between 4 and 11 s, torque ranged between 39.6 and 59.4 Nm, while the specific mechanical energy ranged from 66.9 to 125 kWh/t. Optimal parameters for lowering the concentration of each investigated mycotoxins were: SS = 650 rpm, FR = 30 kg/h, MC = 20 g/100 g, with a reduction of 9.5, 27.8, 28.4, 60.5, 12.3 and 85.7% for DON, 3-AcDON, 15-AcDON, HT-2, TEN and AME, respectively. Present study is the first report for the fate of mycotoxins (3-AcDON, 15-AcDON, HT-2, TEN and AME) studied less during extrusion process of naturally contaminated whole grain triticale flour. [Display omitted] •Reduction of mycotoxins by extrusion processing of triticale flour was investigated.•Fusarium and Alternaria toxins were analyzed by the validated LC-ESI-MS/MS method.•PCA, RSM and standard score were used to evaluate the effect of process parameters.•Optimal reduction rate of DON, 3-AcDON, 15-AcDON, HT-2, TEN and AME was determined.