In-vitro screening of Saccharomyces strains for ochratoxin A removal from liquid medium

The aptitude of twenty Saccharomyces sensu stricto strains to remove ochratoxin A from a synthetic medium containing 1.1 ng/mL, about half of the European Community limit, was evaluated using four to six mg of biomass (wet weight)/mL. Seven strains show high levels of ochratoxin A removal, 0.72-1.10 ng/mL, equivalent to 66-100% of the available toxin, and unitary removing activity of 14.31-27.24 pg/mg of biomass. Further research will be carried out to study the mechanism of OTA removal and to confirm the ability of the most efficacious strains of Saccharomyces sensu stricto to remove OTA from contaminated wort and grape must during alcoholic fermentation.