Patulin Detoxification via Oxidase-Like Activity of UiO-66-NH2: New Mechanistic Insights and Food Application

Patulin (PAT), a hazardous mycotoxin found in fruits and their products, poses significant health risks. While UiO-66-NH2 has been primarily explored as an adsorbent or carrier for mycotoxin removal, this study investigates its previously underexplored role as an oxidase-mimicking nanozyme for PAT degradation. UiO-66-NH2 achieved a maximum degradation efficiency of 84.01% within 48 h and 97.63% after 96 h. Mechanism studies revealed that the Zr–O cluster activates O2 to generate reactive oxygen species (·O2– and ·OH), which mediate the oxidative opening of the lactone and furan rings in PAT. The −NH2 enhances both PAT affinity and electron transfer of UiO-66. Three-dimensional fluorescence and LC-MS/MS analyses identified four degradation products (C7H7O5, C7H9O7, C4H5O5, and C3H5O3), enabling the proposal of a plausible degradation pathway. Applied to apple juice, UiO-66-NH2 removed 85.29% of PAT in 72 h, with a negligible impact on juice quality. This work offers an efficient nanozyme-based strategy for PAT detoxification in food applications.