Mycotoxins in grains and feed - contamination and toxic effect in animals

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of moulds that represent a significant food safety issue and pose a risk to health and wellbeing of humans and animals, having a negative impact on economies all over the world. They can cause intoxication in animals and affect the less productive performance and nutritional value of animal feed. Also, mycotoxins may contaminate different types of food through directly and indirectly way and cause negative health effects in humans. To estimate the potential of their harmful effect it is necessary to know the terms of mycotoxins occurrence and frequency, toxicity and biotransformation in different animal species and humans, possibility of contamination prevention, and their inactivation or reduction in the case when the incidence is inevitable. The relatively small number of comparable data on the incidence of mycotoxins in feed from European countries show the necessity of systematic control and the application of validated analytical methods in their determination. This paper gives the overview of incidence of grains and feed contamination with most important and common mycotoxins and the evidenced toxic effects in animals.

Multiannual occurrence of mycotoxins in feed ingredients and complete feeds for pigs in the Czech Republic

“…Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) are produced mainly by Aspergilus flavus and A. parasiticus primarily in regions with tropical and subtropical climates (Pleadin 2015). These mycotoxins can infect a wide range of crops such as corn, cotton, peanuts, seeds and tree nuts .…”

“…Deoxynivalenol is produced by Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum primarily in cooler climates (Pleadin 2015). It is most prevalent in temperate zones of the world such as Europe and North America (Wu 2007).…”

Efficacy of Herbal Products to Mitigate the Negative Effects on Performance of the Pigs Fed Diets Contaminated With Fungal Toxins

“…[4] It is very difficult to unique systematize them because of their different chemical structure, biochemical pathway, origin and biological effects but most important are aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1 and T-2 toxin. [5] Sows and gilts are highly susceptible to mycotoxins.…”

“…Also, they are considered as unsafe because of toxic residues and unfavorable since leading to degradation of nutritional, sensory and functional properties of the product. [7] When other preventive measures against molds and mycotoxins have failed, the use of mycotoxin binders can be valuable. Mycotoxin binders or adsorbents are substances that bind to mycotoxins and prevent them from being absorbed through the gut and into the blood circulation.…”

An in Vitro Estimation of Cytotoxicity of Fusarium Trichothecene on the Breast Cancer Cell Line

“…Трихотецены представляют собой низкомолекулярные вещества, которые продуцируются микромицетами родов Fusarium, Mycothecium, Trichoderma, Trichothecium, Stachybotrys и Cephalosporium, способные поражать сельскохозяйственные культуры [1,2]. Эта группа метаболитов имеет характерное для них сесквитерпеноидное кольцо (трихотекан), которое играет значительную роль для токсичности [3].…”