Stability study of ptaquiloside biotoxin from P. esculentum var. Arachnoideum in bovine milk and artisanal dairy-food products

[Display omitted] •Bracken fern contains dangerous substances harmful to both animals and humans, including the carcinogen PTA.•Milk contaminated with PTA maintains a health risk even after its artisanal process.•Yogurt production does not affect the stability and prevalence of PTA originally found in contaminated milk.•Cheeses with lower salt content retains more PTA-biotoxins. The potential health risk of consuming dairy products made from milk processed in an artisanal manner was investigated due to possible contamination with Ptaquiloside (PTA), a carcinogenic compound found in the food chain of the bracken fern. The study aimed to assess the occurrence and stability of PTA across various processing stages, including pasteurization, cheese production, and yogurt production. Results indicated that pasteurization effectively converted all PTA to Pterosin (PTB), with PTB levels decreasing during refrigerated storage for up to two weeks. The stability and occurrence of initial PTA contamination remained unchanged in yogurt production. Biotoxin concentrations in soft cheeses decreased over time, independent of ionic strength; cheeses with low salt concentrations showed lower retention of the biotoxin within the cheese protein network. These findings offer valuable insights into the stability and occurrence of PTA, facilitating the monitoring and identification of potential adverse health effects.