Objective of the study was to understand Ochratoxin A (OTA) removal by live and dead oenological Saccharomyces strains (five S. cerevisiae and one S. bayanus) from different synthetic media (YPG) and synthetic grape juice (SGM) and from a red grape juice initially contaminated with OTA compared with a commercial yeast walls additive. Laboratory media were supplemented with OTA at a concentration of 2 microg/mL. Red grape juice contaminated with OTA at a concentration of 10 microg/L was used too. Each medium was inoculated at 1% from a preculture containing ca 107 CFU/mL. A negative control (control 1), an OTA-contaminated medium without yeast, was used to calculate OTA removal percentage. Ochratoxin A was detected and quantified by reversed-phase HPLC. The percentage of OTA removal by yeasts was between 11 and 45% in YPG medium and between 1 and 35% in SGM depending on the strain used. The absence of degradation products in the media suggested that adsorption rather than catabolism might be involved. (We suggest you to read the entire article. Original title: Ochratoxin A removal in synthetic and natural grape juices by selected oenological Saccharomyces strains)