Recent advance in probiotics for the elimination of pesticide residues in food and feed: mechanisms, product toxicity, and reinforcement strategies

Abstract

The extensive utilization of pesticides in agriculture has resulted in the presence of pesticide residues in food and feed, which poses a significant threat to human health. Various physical and chemical methods have been proposed to remove pesticides, but most of these methods are either costly or susceptible to secondary contamination. Consequently, the utilization of microorganisms, such as probiotics, for eliminating pesticides, has emerged as a promising alternative. Probiotics, including lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, have demonstrated remarkable efficiency and convenience in eliminating pesticide residues from food or feed. To promote the application of probiotic decontamination, this review examines the current research status on the utilization of probiotics for pesticide reduction. The mechanisms involved in microbial decontamination are discussed, along with the toxicity and potential health risks of degradation products. Furthermore, the review explores strategies to enhance probiotic detoxification and outlines prospects for future development.

Keywords:

• Pesticides
• probiotics
• bioremediation
• emerging technology
• degradation products

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work described in this article was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172326), National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFC1606800), and Modern Agriculture in Jiangsu Province—Key and General Projects (BE2019362).