Abstract: Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin that poses a serious threat to food safety and human health. The combined use of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) technology will be preliminarily investigated for the reduction of ZEN in corn kernels under different conditions, and the changes in the quality of corn after the treatment will be detected. Results showed that treatment time and initial moisture content of the corn had a strong effect on ZEN degradation. The ZEN degradation ratios showed an upward trend with the increase of the processing time. The optional processing time was 5-30 min, and the suitable moisture was 26.87%-35.23% where the degradation ratios of ZEN can reach 20.30%-33.80%. The moisture content of corn decreased after treatment, but there were no significant changes in protein content, fat acidity, and color (P > 0.05). The germination rate of treated corn seeds was basically the same as that of untreated seeds, but the germination potential after 30 min of treatment increased significantly (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in the apparent morphology of corn. In conclusion, the combination method was effective in reducing ZEN in corn without adverse effects on corn quality. The method has the potential to be applied in production.

Key words: mycotoxin, control measures, ultraviolet, plasma, zearalenone, corn, quality