The paper presents the results of testing the effect of pyrophyllite shale (pyrophyllite) on the quality of maize plant silage, primarily on the production of organic acids, pH value, quality assessment and microbiological safety. The ensiling was done in plastic containers which allowed the storage of 10 kg of chopped green mass. Tested pyrophyllite doses were: 0% in the control treatment (I), 0.5 and 1.0% in experimental treatments (II and III, respectively). Granulated pyrophyllite (100 µm), originating from Parsovići, Konjic site, AD Harbi Ltd., Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was manually incorporated. The chopped green mass of the maize plant came from FAO 600 hybrids. The green mass containing 37.17% of dry matter (final waxy ripening phase) was compressed in the same manner in all three treatments during the filling of the vessels. The containers were then covered with nylon foil (0.2 mm) above which a layer of fine sand (approx. 5 cm) was placed in toward the silage protection from air passage. The silages were opened after 7 weeks and organoleptic, chemical and microbiological analyses were performed. The organoleptic properties of silages (colour and odour) were better in silages containing 0.5 and 1.0% pyrophyllite. The silage temperature at the moment of opening of the containers was lower in the treatments with 0.5 and 1.0% added pyrophyllite (13.7 and 13.2 °C, respectively) while in the control treatment it was 14.6 °C. The addition of pyrophyllite to silage affected the production of volatile fatty acids (p ≤ 0.05). The highest amount of lactic acid was found in the silage sample without the addition of pyrophyllite, and acetic acid in the silage treated with 0.5 and 1.0% of pyrophyllite. The lowest amount of butyric acid was determined in the silage with the addition of 1% pyrophyllite. Based on the content and interrelationship of lactic, acetic and butyric acid, as well as the pH values, all three silages were rated as the highest (I) class. The number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, as well as the number of yeasts, was lower in the silages with the addition of 0.5 and 1.0% pyrophyllite. In future, particular attention should be paid on the possibility of pyrophyllite enrichment (e.g. with nitrogen) and more appropriate physical formulation (e.g. granules) that would allow more efficient practical application.

The paper describes in vitro model for the evaluation of ability of peach shell (unmodified and modified), prepared at the Institute for Technology of Nuclear and Other Mineral Raw Materials, Belgrade, to adsorb different mycotoxins. Peach stones were obtained from “Vino Župa” Company from Aleksandrovac, where they have been disposed of as by-products from their Juice Factory. After proper preparation, two sorts of peach shell particles were used: one as unmodified peach shell particles (PS) and another one obtained by acid modification, denoted as MPS. Adsorption of six mycotoxins: aflatoxin B1 (AFL), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZON), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and T-2 toxin by PS and MPS was tested in vitro. Crude extracts of mycotoxins, produced at the Department of Microbiology of Bio-ecological Center, Zrenjanin, were used for adsorption experiments. The ability of binding mycotoxins was evaluated in the electrolyte 0.1 M K2HPO4, which pH value was adjusted to 3.0 and 7.0, respectively. Mass ratio of individual mycotoxin and peach shell samples was 1:5000. The experimental mixtures were incubated for 1 hour on a rotary shaker (185 rpm) at room temperature (22-25ºC). After incubation, the extractions of non-adsorbed mycotoxins from the filtrates were performed with organic solvents, and their quantification was done by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31003: Development of technologies and products based on mineral raw materials and waste biomass for protection of natural resources for safe food production i br. TR 31023: Reduction of toxigenic Fusarium species and their mycotoxins in production of safe cereal-based foods

The causes of appearance of mold in the silage, genus and species of fungi which biosynthesize mycotoxins, acting consequences of micotoxins, prevention of fungi growth and possibilities to prevent their negative effects are shown in this paper. Also, the results of mycotoxins presence in the silage (corn and lucerne) in Vojvodina in the period 2000-2004 are presented. The most commonly found mycotoxins were zearale-none in 60.6% of analyzed samples and DAS in 30.3% of samples. Silage contamination with ochratoxin A, aflatoxin B1 and T-2 toxin was between 15.2 and 21.2%. The content of mycotoxins DAS and T2 toxin was above the values allowed by regulative. The solutions which contribute to the prevention of development of the molds and elimination of negative effects of mycotoxins in silage were analyzed and suggested

The chemical composition, fermentation quality, mycological and mycotoxicological analyses of silage mixture, made of ground corn grain and spent P. ostreatus mushroom substrate, were investigated in this paper. Dry matter content in high moisture ground corn, at the time of ensiling was 70%, and in the spent substrate (on the Salt Cedar wood shaving basis) was 52.7%. Corn grain to spent substrate ratio in trials was: 100:0% (I), 90:10% (II), 80:20% (III) and 70:30% (IV) respectively. Content of the lignocellulose fractions in silage was slightly increased, and protein content was slightly decreased with the increase of spent substrate content. Contents of the VFA (volatile fatty acids) in silage, pH value, and NH3-N content were for the silage of very good quality. In the spent substrate 9 mold species were found, from which the most frequent were genus Penicillium, Paecilomyces variotii, and Trichoderma harzianum. In ground corn grain silage (I) presence of the yeasts was dominant (90.000/g). In combined trials (II-IV) only Penicillium (P. brevicompactum and P. echinulatum) mold species were found. Presence of molds and yeasts in investigated trials was within tolerated values for ensiled feedstuffs. Mycotoxin presence in silage was not determined

Influence of pelleting calf feed mixtures supplemented with bentoni on microbiological and mycotoxicological properties was investigated. Microbiological and mycotoxicological quality was investigated at the production day (day 0) and after 45 days of storage. Total count of microorganisms in the pelleted mixture, at the day 0 (280.000/g), was several times lower than in the powdered mixture (2.000.000/g). Similar results were obtained at day 45 when the total number of microorganisms in the pelleted mixture was 270.000/g and 1.800.000/g in the powdered mixture. Number of yeasts and molds at the production day in the pelleted mixture was 650/g, and in the powdered mixture it was 27.000/g. Similar results were obtained 45 days later when the number of yeasts and molds in the pelleted mixture was 540/g, and 16.000/g in the powdered mixture. There were 6 species identified in the pelleted mixture, and 9 species in the powdered mixture at the day of production. Similar mold species ratio in the pelleted (11) and powdered mixture (13) was found at day 45. In the examined samples representatives of Fusarium genus - F. subglutinans i F. verticillioides dominated. Number of sultite-redzcing clostridia in the mixtures, in both observed periods, was similar (below 1000/g of sample). By mycotoxicological analysis of mixtures at the production day, only trichotecene (T-2 toxin) presence was found in amount of 0,337 mg/kg. The applied technological procedure of pelleting with bentonite supplement, had positive influence on the improvement of microbiological and toxicological properties of mixture