Mycotoxin Contaminants in Feed: Current Status and What Should We Do?

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 464

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Interests: mycotoxins; mycotoxin degradation; mycotoxin analysis; mass spectrometry; analytical chemistry; detection, identification, and quantification of mycotoxins and secondary metabolites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic fungi during crop development in fields or on harvested grains during storage. Key factors that play an important role in the propagation of fungi and production and accumulation of mycotoxins in food or feed crop include environmental conditions (humidity, temperature), crop and disease management practices, preceding crops, seed quality, storage conditions, etc. The allowable threshold limits set by regulatory authorities of various countries limit the occurrence of mycotoxins in food/feed chain supply and help to protect animal and human health. Current detection methods, proper crop and harvest management practices, and regular monitoring programs of feed material for mycotoxins help in the management of specific mycotoxin risks associated with different regions and different feeds. Researchers, farmers, feed industries, and regulatory agencies play an important role in ensuring the safety of animal feed.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the current status of mycotoxins in feed, recent advances in mycotoxin research in feed, and future objectives to manage mycotoxins in feed. Scientists and researchers from the fields of identification and detection of mycotoxins, toxicology of mycotoxins in animals, mitigation of mycotoxins in feed, application of binders for mycotoxin mitigation, and degradation of mycotoxins are invited to contribute their newest findings in the form of research or review articles.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Mycotoxins and their conjugates in feed;
  • Identification of novel mycotoxins and their occurrence in feed;
  • New methods for detection and quantification of single or multiple mycotoxins;
  • Single or mixture toxicity in animals (additive or synergistic effects);
  • Ideal storage conditions for feed management;
  • Degradation or mitigation or control of mycotoxin in animal feed

Dr. Srinivas Sura
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • mycotoxins
  • secondary metabolites
  • feed
  • silage
  • cereal grains
  • mycotoxin analysis
  • mycotoxin toxicology
  • cattle

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 1955 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Untargeted Metabolomic and Mycotoxin Profiles in Corn Silage and High-Moisture Corn
by Marco Lapris, Valentina Novara, Mattia Masseroni, Michela Errico, Gabriele Rocchetti and Antonio Gallo
Toxins 2025, 17(5), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17050214 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 113
Abstract
Corn silage (CS) and high-moisture corn (HMC) represent fundamental ingredients in ruminant diets; however, their chemical complexity and susceptibility to mycotoxin contamination pose challenges for feed safety and quality assessment. This study applied an innovative approach combining untargeted metabolomics and mycotoxin profiling through [...] Read more.
Corn silage (CS) and high-moisture corn (HMC) represent fundamental ingredients in ruminant diets; however, their chemical complexity and susceptibility to mycotoxin contamination pose challenges for feed safety and quality assessment. This study applied an innovative approach combining untargeted metabolomics and mycotoxin profiling through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) to characterize the chemical profiles of CS (n = 19) and HMC (n = 13) samples collected from four farms in northern Italy over a period of two years. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) emerged as the most prevalent mycotoxin, with contamination levels significantly higher in HMC than CS, though all the detected levels complied with European Union (EU) guidance limits. Untargeted metabolomics distinguished CS and HMC based on their metabolic signatures: polyamines, amino acids, peptides, and phenolic acids typified CS, while HMC was primarily characterized by flavonoids and mycotoxins. Geographical origin significantly influenced both mycotoxin patterns and metabolite profiles, while the sampling season showed no significant impact. This study highlights the complementary value of metabolomics and mycotoxin screening to assess feed quality, identify biomarkers, and unravel the link between fungal contamination and biochemical composition, offering a robust strategy to support feed safety management in livestock production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycotoxin Contaminants in Feed: Current Status and What Should We Do?)
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