Surface-engineered fluorinated silica nanoparticles for removal of the potent hepatocarcinogen aflatoxin B1 in a dynamic gastrointestinal model

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is one of the most toxic and prevalent mycotoxins in poultry feed, posing serious risks to animal health and food safety. In this study, fluorinated silica nanoparticles (F-SiO₂NPs) were synthesized via a modified Stöber sol–gel method and evaluated as adsorbents for AFB 1 using a dynamic in vitro poultry gastrointestinal model. Comprehensive structural and surface characterization using multiple complementary techniques confirmed the formation of spherical, amorphous silica nanoparticles (SiO₂NPs) and the successful grafting of fluorinated moieties, which significantly increased surface hydrophobicity. Adsorption experiments were conducted at two nanoparticle dosages (0.1 and 1%, w/v) in an in vitro model that simulates poultry crop, proventriculus, and intestinal conditions, including the replication of chemical and enzymatic factors, as well as feed presence and residence time. In the last simulated compartment of the model (intestine), at 0.1% (w/v), pristine SiO₂NPs showed limited AFB 1 adsorption (5.3%), whereas F-SiO₂NPs exhibited a substantially higher removal efficiency (29.9%). At 1% (w/v), adsorption efficiencies increased to 62.2% for SiO₂NPs and 78.7% for F-SiO₂NPs. AFB 1 adsorption was governed by a combination of hydrogen bonding, dipole–dipole interactions, pore structure effects, and enhanced hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions induced by fluorination. These results demonstrate that F-SiO₂NPs are promising candidates for improving AFB 1 adsorption under physiologically relevant digestive conditions.