Reduction of ochratoxin A during the fermentation of Italian red wine Moscato

The interaction between ochratoxin A (OTA) and 16 yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation of the Italian wine Moscato was studied. Levels of OTA in the fermentation liquid, on the cell walls and on the internal part of the cells were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system with a fluorescence detector. Results showed that yeast cells adsorbed the mycotoxin on the external and internal part of the cells and also that OTA presence did not affect the alcoholic fermentation in any tested yeast. All the yeasts analyzed in this study showed a significant reduction in the OTA content during the fermentation process.