Efficacy of Acid-Treated Mangosteen Peel as a Broad-Spectrum Mycotoxin Binder

Multiple mycotoxins in feed threaten animal health and food safety, demanding sustainable mitigation strategies. This study evaluated acid-modified mangosteen peel (AMP), an agricultural by-product, as a potential multi-mycotoxin adsorbent. Physicochemical characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses demonstrated that acid modification increased surface area (1.9 to 9.03 m2/g), pore volume (0.005 to 0.027 cm3/g), and surface negativity, indicating enhanced adsorption properties. In vitro binding experiments assessed adsorption of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEA), ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) under different pH conditions. AMP exhibited high adsorption efficiencies for AFB1, ZEA, OTA, and T-2 toxin, particularly at pH 3, whereas DON and FB1 showed limited binding. Adsorption behavior was dose-dependent and best described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion indicated stable binding of AFB1 and ZEA under gastric conditions, with partial release of some toxins at neutral pH. Cytotoxicity assessment in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC J2) showed no apparent cytotoxic effects at 0.25–1 mg/mL. Therefore, AMP demonstrated improved multi-mycotoxin adsorption compared to the untreated material and showed no apparent cytotoxic effects in vitro within the tested concentration range, indicating its potential as a promising feed additive candidate.