## 1 Introduction  
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi produced mainly by genera _Aspergillus_, _Fusarium_, _Penicillium_, and _Claviceps_. The most common mycotoxins are aflat (AFB\({}_{1}\), AFB\({}_{2}\), AFG\({}_{1}\), AFG\({}_{2}\)), fumonisin B\({}_{1}\) (FB\({}_{1}\)), orthatoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), T-2 toxin (T-2), and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) [1, 2, 3]. The products that are most contaminated by mycotoxins are corn, wheat, sorghum, soy, coffee, wine and juice, fruits and vegetables, milk products, and animal feed, among others [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Animals that ingest contaminated feed may excrete mycotoxins in an unaltered form or as biotransformed products. Mycotoxins may also accumulate in meat, viscera, and eggs that may, later on, be ingested by humans [4]. Mycotoxin ingestion may lead to acute or chronic effects in humans and animals, depending on the amount ingested and the extent of exposure. Cases of acute intoxication may quickly lead to death, but they are less common, given the amount of mycotoxin that needs to be ingested [1, 9, 10]. Chronic cases occur when small amounts of mycotoxins--with their immunotoxic, neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, dermal toxicity, and teratogenic properties--are continuously ingested for long periods [1, 10]. Mycotoxins also have mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, with AFB\({}_{1}\), AFB\({}_{2}\), AFG\({}_{1}\), and AFG\({}_{2}\) classified as class 1 human carcinogens (definitely carcinogenic to humans), and OTA, FB\({}_{1}\), FB\({}_{2}\), and AFM\({}_{1}\) as class 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) [11]. Mycotoxins affect production animals. In pigs, FB\({}_{1}\) causes swine pulmonary edema, and DON and FB cause immunosuppression and lesions in liver and lungs [12]. In dairy cattle, AFB\({}_{1}\) ingestion leads to reduced milk yield, and in beef cattle, reduced feed intake and immunosuppression [1]. In broilers, feed contaminated with AFB\({}_{1}\) and FB\({}_{1}\) reduces weight gain and causes liver changes [13], and in laying hens, OTA reduces weight gain, feed intake, and egg yield, besides leading to liver and kidney changes. OTA residues may also be found in the eggs [14]. Horses that ingest feed contaminated with FB\({}_{1}\) may die of equine leukoencephaloxia, a highly lethal disease characterized by nervous symptoms [15]. In most countries, there are regulations that define maximum tolerated levels (MTL) of mycotoxins in human food. In Brazil, regulation RDC 07/2011 of the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) defines MTLs for AFB\({}_{1}\), AFB\({}_{2}\), AFG\({}_{1}\), AFG\({}_{2}\), AFM1, OTA, DON, ZEN, FB, and patulin (PAT) in different foods [16]. For example, in fluid milk, MTL for AFM\({}_{1}\) is 0.5 \(\mu\)g/kg; in corn MTL for the sum of AFB\({}_{1}\), AFB\({}_{2}\), AFG\({}_{1}\), and AFG\({}_{2}\) is 20 \(\mu\)g/kg; in cocoa and chocolate-based products, the MTL of OTA is 5.0 \(\mu\)g/kg. For animal feed, recommendations are not determined for individual feeds and mycotoxins, but MLT for the sum of AFB\({}_{1}\), AFB\({}_{2}\), AFG\({}_{1}\), and AFG\({}_{2}\) in raw materials used for animal feed is 50 \(\mu\)g/kg [17]. The European Union, on the other hand, is stricter in terms of MTL in human foods; for instance, AFM\({}_{1}\) limit in milk is 0.05 \(\mu\)g/kg, 10 times lower than the MTL for this product and mycotoxin in Brazil [18]. Different chemical, biological, and physical decontamination methods have been developed to reduce mycotoxin levels in food products [1; 19]. Chemical methods aim at the structural degradation of mycotoxins, adding oxidizing or reducing agents, acids, and bases to the substrate [1; 20]. Biological decontamination is based on the use of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, which bind to mycotoxins and degrade or adsorb them [1; 3; 10; 20; 21]. Physical methods, on the other hand, may use irradiation, solvent extraction, or adsorption.