Modification of montmorillonite clay with Cymbopogon citratus for the decontamination of zearalenone in millet

Montmorillonite clay due to its abundance and environmental friendliness, has several‎industrial applications among which is the adsorption of mycotoxins in foods and feeds as binding‎agents. Fungal species from the genus Fusarium produce zearalenone (ZEA); an oestrogenic‎compound, which has been implicated in hormonal and reproductive issues for both animal and man. In‎this study, various nanoformulations from montmorillonite clay and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass)‎extracts were developed for the decontamination of ZEA in millet. The various formulations‎developed included montmorillonite clay and essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (Mont-LGEO),‎montmorillonite clay mixed with C. citratus (lemongrass) powder (Mont-LGP) and montmorillonite‎clay washed with 1 mM NaCl (Mont-Na). Unmodified montmorillonite clay (Mont) and C.‎citratus (lemongrass powder) (LGP) served as the negative controls for the treatment. Each of the‎formulations was exposed to millet grains at concentrations of 8 and 12% and stored for 4 weeks. All‎the formulations were effective in the decontamination of ZEA in millet after 4 weeks with LGP‎exposed at 12% recording the highest reduction of 98.3% while the second most effective‎formulation, Mont-LGP exposed at 12% showed a 66% reduction of ZEA in millet (p = 0.05).