Food and Fermentation Industries >

2026 , Vol. 52 >Issue 11: 101 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.045765

Assessment of deoxynivalenol-induced immunotoxicity using a physiologically based toxicokinetic model for the Chinese population

  • WANG Yuxin ,
  • SHI Miaoying ,
  • WANG Xiaohong ,
  • YANG Hui ,
  • JIA Xudong
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  • 1(National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China)
    2(National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100022, China)

Received date: 2026-01-07

  Revised date: 2026-01-22

  Online published: 2026-06-24

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Abstract

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin present in cereals in China and reduced body weight gain observed in mice was used as the critical effect in its risk assessment.However, its immunotoxicity has garnered increasing attention in recent years.To address limitations such as uncertainties in extrapolating animal data to humans, this study integrated in vitro toxicity data with a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model to develop an assessment strategy based on new approach methodologies (NAMs) for assessing the risk of immunotoxic effects from DON exposure among Chinese.A PBTK model for Chinese adults was built and validated using parameters derived from literature and experiments.Subsequently, a PBTK modeling based reverse dosimetry approach was employed to extrapolate in vitro concentrations of DON reported in the literature to in vivo doses, thereby deriving points of departure (PoDs) based on immunotoxicity.Results indicated that PoDs for DON based on immunotoxic endpoints ranged from 2.7 to 282 μg/(kg BW·d), with some PoDs being lower than the PoD underlying the current tolerable daily intake, suggesting that immunotoxicity may serve as a more sensitive toxic endpoint than reduced body weight gain for the risk assessment of DON.This study provides a NAMs-based hazard assessment strategy, providing new insights for food safety risk assessment of DON in China.

Key words： deoxynivalenol; immunotoxicity; physiologically based toxicokinetic model; quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation; new approach methodologies

Cite this article

WANG Yuxin , SHI Miaoying , WANG Xiaohong , YANG Hui , JIA Xudong . Assessment of deoxynivalenol-induced immunotoxicity using a physiologically based toxicokinetic model for the Chinese population[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2026 , 52(11) : 101 -106 . DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.045765

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