Evaluation of Anti-Aflatoxin M-1 effects of heat-killed cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Brazilian commercial yogurts

This study aimed to assess the aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) levels in 72 samples of yogurt from eight processing plants in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the ability of heat-killed cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (10(10) yeast cells/g) to reduce AFM(1) (0.5 mu g/kg) in experimental yogurts (n = 3). Analyses were conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Only seven samples (9.8%) had AFM(1) at a mean level of 0.071 +/- 0.08 mu g/kg. S. cerevisiae efficiently reduced (P < 0.05) the AFM(1) levels in spiked yogurts, with a maximum reduction of 46% after 30 days of storage. Further studies should investigate potential effects of S. cerevisiae on the sensory properties of yogurts.