Search Results (47)

Aflatoxins (Afs) belong to the most hazardous mycotoxins. Their detrimental effects on humans and higher animals are widely known, and actions are poised to avoid their synthesis already in the developing plant. However, this is often not effective enough or even not practicable, and hence, contaminated food and feed are consumed, resulting in severe health impairment. The use of adsorbents is one of the possibilities for the reduction or impediment of the venomous action after the intake of toxic food and feed. Purified clinoptilolite-tuff (PCT) was used as a binder of aflatoxins B1 and M1 in experiments with plant-based beverages as matrices for AfB1, while milk and dairy products of cow, sheep, and goat were the respective media for AfM1 contamination. Human gastrointestinal conditions were simulated by adequate temperature, movement, pH values, incubation times, and artificial juices. Analyses were implemented by appropriate ELISA assays for both toxins. PCT showed high affinity and kinetic velocity for AfB1 and AfM1. It neutralized irreversibly almost all toxins used with only traces detected after desorption experiments. PCT eliminated both plant-based beverages as well as milk and dairy products efficiently in a dose-dependent manner. This may offer a powerful method for minimizing the health risks of unavoidable aflatoxin exposure. Full article

Feeding a balanced diet such as total mixed ration (TMR) is a widely adopted feeding strategy providing a uniformly blended diet of roughages, concentrates, and supplements that enhances ruminant productivity by optimizing nutrient utilization, stabilizing rumen fermentation, and improving microbial activity. Scientific studies have confirmed that TMR increases dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and growth performance in dairy and beef cattle, as well as in sheep and goats. TMR’s advantages include consistent feed quality, reduced selective feeding, and improved feed efficiency. A key benefit of TMR is its ability to promote the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are the primary energy source for ruminants, particularly propionate. This enhances energy metabolism, resulting in higher carcass yields, increased milk production, and economic benefits compared to conventional or supplementary feeding systems. However, TMR feeding is also susceptible to mycotoxin contamination (e.g., aflatoxins, zearalenone), potential effects on methane emissions, and the need for precise formulation to maintain consistency and optimise profitability. Prevention and good practices, including routine inspection of feed for pathogens and vulnerable ingredients, as well as careful management of particle size and forage-to-concentrate ratios, are crucial in preventing subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) and the development of other subclinical diseases. Mycotoxin binders, such as hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, can also reduce mycotoxin absorption. Another advantage of practicing TMR is that it can support sustainable farming by integrating agro-industrial byproducts, which minimises environmental impact. In conclusion, TMR is a widely adopted feeding strategy that significantly enhances ruminant productivity by optimizing nutrient utilization, stabilizing rumen fermentation, and improving microbial activity, leading to increased dry matter intake, milk yield, and growth performance. It offers key benefits such as consistent feed quality, reduced selective feeding, improved feed efficiency, and enhanced energy metabolism, providing economic advantages and supporting sustainable farming through agro-industrial byproduct integration. However, its implementation requires careful management to mitigate risks, including mycotoxin contamination, potential impacts on methane emissions, and digestive issues like SARA if formulation is not precise. Therefore, for sustainable production, future research should focus on optimizing TMR formulations with alternative ingredients (e.g., agro-industrial byproducts) and precision feeding strategies to enhance livestock health and animal productivity while minimizing environmental impacts. Full article

The relationships between mycotoxins content in food commodities or feedstuffs and the foodborne diseases is well known. So far, the available data mainly include chemical methods of mycotoxins decontamination for agricultural commodities or raw materials, including mycotoxin binders. Therefore, the possible use of some natural and cost-effective supplements such as herbs, fungi, microorganisms, or plants with powerful and safe protection against mycotoxin-induced health ailments is the main subject of this review paper. Various antagonistic microorganisms or yeast with fungicidal properties, as well as some herbs or plants that suppress fungal development and the subsequent production of target mycotoxins and/or have protective effect against mycotoxins, are deeply studied in the literature, and practical suggestions are given in this regard. The protection by degradation, biotransformation, or binding of mycotoxins by using natural additives such as herbs or plants to feedstuffs or foods has also been thoroughly investigated and analyzed as a possible approach for ameliorating the target adverse effects of mycotoxins. Possible beneficial dietary changes have also been studied to potentially alleviate mycotoxin toxicity. Practical advice are provided for possible application of the same natural supplements in real-life practice for combating mycotoxin-induced health ailments. Natural feed supplements and bioactive compounds appeared to be safe emerging approaches to preventing health ailments caused by mycotoxins. However, the available data mainly address some in vitro studies, and more in vivo experiments are necessary for introducing such approaches in the real-life practice or industry. Generally, target herbal supplements, antioxidants, or polyenzyme complements could be used as powerful protectors in addition to natural mycotoxin binders. Bioactive agents and enzymatic degradation are reported to be very successful in regard to PAT and OTA, whereas antagonistic microorganisms/fungi/yeasts have a successful application against AFs and PAT-producing fungi. Full article

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that frequently contaminate poultry feed, posing significant risks to animal health, productivity, and food safety. In broiler production, mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone have been shown to impair growth performance, damage key organs, and disrupt immune function. This review explores the multifaceted impact of mycotoxin exposure in broilers, with particular emphasis on immunosuppression, decreased vaccine efficacy, and increased vulnerability to infectious diseases, including coccidiosis, salmonellosis, E. coli, and viral infections like infectious bursal disease and infectious laryngotracheitis. Mycotoxin contamination in poultry feed can lead to direct economic losses through reduced feed conversion efficiency, increased mortality, and reproductive disorders, while also resulting in the transfer of toxic residues into meat and eggs, thereby threatening consumer health. The review further examines the synergistic interactions between mycotoxins and pathogens, the physiological and histopathological changes in exposed birds, and the implications for public health. Finally, it discusses current mitigation strategies, including mycotoxin binders, probiotics, and regulatory approaches to reduce exposure. An integrated management strategy combining feed hygiene, monitoring, and targeted nutritional interventions is essential to safeguard poultry health, enhance vaccine responses, and ensure the safety of poultry-derived food products. This review offers actionable insights for veterinarians, nutritionists, and policymakers, reinforcing the importance of mycotoxin mitigation strategies within a One Health framework. Full article

A symptom of reduced feed intake, conception and progressive emaciation was noticed in the Murrah buffalo farm of the institute with tail gangrene in some buffaloes and the sudden death of many animals. Thus, the objective of the study was for the systemic investigation to find out the causative agents and necessary ameliorative measures. The tail lesion includes alopecia, scales, necrosis, oedematous and a painful area. After thorough examination of the signs and symptoms of the disease, it was speculated that the case may be due to the presence of mycotoxins in the feeds offered to the animals. The severely affected buffaloes that died subjected to post-mortem examination demonstrated liver damage, nephritis and haemorrhages in all the vital organs. The analyses of offered feed revealed a high concentration of aflatoxin B1 content in maize, groundnut cake, cottonseed cake and compound feed mixtures. The case was typically diagnosed as the aflatoxicosis in water buffalo and ameliorative measures viz. the withdrawal of contaminated feeds, supplementation of toxin binder and penta-sulphate mixture in the feed taken sustained animal health and production performances. Severely affected animals with tail gangrene were treated with local disinfectants and antibiotics as well as systemic injection with broad-spectrum antibiotics and supportive vitamins and minerals to recover to their previous stage. Therefore, routine check-ups of feeds are of utmost importance to prevent feeding of aflatoxin-contaminated feeds. Systemic efforts viz. therapeutic management with topical medicines, broad-spectrum antibiotics, supportive therapies with vitamins and antioxidants along with replacement of contaminated feeds and inclusion of peta-sulphate mixture, and a toxin binder are effective in the prevention and control of aflatoxicosis in buffaloes. Full article

Aflatoxin contamination causes huge economic losses in animal husbandry by inhibiting growth and performance. The addition of mycotoxin binders to contaminate diets has been widely used for mycotoxin removal. Bentonite and yeast cell walls have received increasing attention as efficient and low-cost adsorbents. This study utilizes a mycotoxin adsorbent (MAB) to bind Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in feed. The trial was a randomized trial design, with 240 forty-three-week-old Hy-line Brown laying hens allocated to four groups, and with 80 birds in each group. The three diets used in the experiment were: (1) control diet; (2) control diet + 0.2 mg/kg AFB1; (3) control diet+ 0.2 mg/kg AFB1 + 2.0 g/kg MAB. All laying hens were fed a basal diet for one week. The feeding trial lasted for 12 weeks followed by a 1-week adaptation phase. The results show that laying hens fed the AFB1-contaminated diet had decreased performance and egg quality and reduced oviduct index and length. Blood biochemical parameters show that AFB1 leads to increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. Compared to the control diet groups, exposure to the AFB1-contaminated diet resulted in liver and uterine tissue damage, mainly manifested by inflammatory infiltration. Compared with AFB1-contaminated diets, liver and uterine damage was alleviated with the AFB1 + MAB diet and partially restored to control levels. At the same time, we also observed that AFB1 treatment up-regulated the expression of Interferon-α (IFN-α), CASPASE-3, and CASPASE-8 in the uterus of laying hens, but this phenomenon was alleviated after adding the MAB. Therefore, under the experimental conditions, supplementation of MAB in AFB1-contaminated hen diets was an effective intervention to reduce aflatoxin toxicity. Full article

Climate change has been associated with outbreaks of mycotoxicosis following periods of drought, enhanced fungal growth, and increased exposure to mycotoxins. For detoxification, the inclusion of clay-based materials in food and drinking water has resulted in a very promising strategy to reduce mycotoxin exposure. In this strategy, mycotoxins are tightly sorbed to high-affinity clay particles in the gastrointestinal tract, thus decreasing bioavailability, uptake to blood, and potential toxicity. This study investigated the ability of chlorophyll and chlorophyllin-amended montmorillonite clays to decrease the toxicity of ochratoxin A (OTA). The sorption mechanisms of OTA binding to surfaces of sorbents, as well as binding parameters such as capacity, affinity, enthalpy, and free energy, were examined. Chlorophyll-amended organoclay (CMCH) demonstrated the highest binding (72%) and was better than the chlorophyllin-amended hydrophilic clay (59%), possibly due to the hydrophobicity of OTA (LogP 4.7). In silico studies using molecular dynamics simulations showed that CMCH improves OTA binding in comparison to parent clay in line with experiments. Simulations depicted that chlorophyll amendments on clay facilitated OTA molecules binding both directly, through enhancing OTA binding on the clay, or predominantly indirectly, through OTA molecules interacting with bound chlorophyll amendments. Simulations uncovered the key role of calcium ions in OTA binding, particularly in neutral conditions, and demonstrated that CMCH binding to OTA is enhanced under both neutral and acidic conditions. Furthermore, the protection of various sorbents against OTA-induced toxicity was carried out using two living organisms (Hydra vulgaris and Caenorhabditis elegans) which are susceptible to OTA toxicity. This study showed the significant detoxification of OTA (33% to 100%) by inclusion of sorbents. Organoclay (CMCH) at 0.5% offered complete protection. These findings suggest that the chlorophyll-amended organoclays described in this study could be included in food and feed as OTA binders and as potential filter materials for water and beverages to protect against OTA contaminants during outbreaks and emergencies. Full article

Type A trichothecenes are common mycotoxins in stored cereal grains, where co-contamination is likely to occur. Seeking new microbiological options capable of inactivating more than one type A trichothecene, this study aimed to analyze facultative anaerobe bacteria isolated from broiler proventriculus. For this purpose, type A trichothecenes were produced in vitro, and a facultative anaerobic bacterial consortium was obtained from a broiler’s proventriculus. Then, the most representative bacterial strains were purified, and trichothecene inactivating assays were performed. Finally, the isolate with the greatest capacity to remove all tested mycotoxins was selected for biosorption assays. The results showed that when the consortium was tested, neosolaniol (NEO) was the most degraded mycotoxin (64.55%; p = 0.008), followed by HT-2 toxin (HT-2) (22.96%; p = 0.008), and T-2 toxin (T-2) (20.84%; p = 0.014). All isolates were bacillus-shaped and Gram-positive, belonging to the Bacillus and Lactobacillus genera, of which B. cereus was found to remove T-2 (28.35%), HT-2 (32.84%), and NEO (27.14%), where biosorption accounted for 86.10% in T-2, 35.59% in HT-2, and 68.64% in NEO. This study is the first to prove the capacity of B. cereus as an effective inactivator and binder of multi-type A trichothecenes. Full article

The present study aimed to extract nanocellulose (NC) from sugarcane bagasse agricultural waste through a chemical method (sulfuric acid hydrolysis and ultrasonication). Subsequently, the nanocellulose product was conjugated with polylysine (NC–PL) and assessed for its efficacy in reducing the toxicity of Fumonisin B1 (FB1), a mycotoxin produced by fungi commonly found in corn, wheat, and other grains. Experimental results confirmed the successful conjugation of NC and PL, as evidenced by FTIR peaks at 1635 and 1625 cm⁻¹ indicating amide I and amide II vibrations in polylysine (PL). SEM analysis revealed a larger size due to PL coating, consistent with DLS results showing the increased size and positive charge (38.0 mV) on the NC–PL surface. Moreover, the effect of FB1 adsorption by NC and NC–PL was evaluated at various concentrations (0–200,000 μg/mL). NC–PL demonstrated the ability to adsorb FB1 at concentrations of 2000, 20,000, and 200,000 μg/mL, with adsorption efficiencies of 94.4–100%. Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were utilized to assess NC and NC–PL cytotoxic effects. This result is a preliminary step towards standardizing results for future studies on their application as novel FB1 binders in food, food packaging, and functional feeds. Full article

Mycotoxin binders, in combination with enzymes degrading some mycotoxins, contribute to feed detoxification. Their use reduces economic losses and the negative impacts of mycotoxins on animal health and productivity in farm animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mycotoxin detoxifier on the expression of the ATP-binding cassette efflux transporters ABCB1 mRNA and ABCC2 mRNA, which transport xenobiotics and thus have a barrier function, in the tissues of pigs exposed to low doses of deoxynivalenol (DON, 1 mg/kg feed) and zearalenone (ZEN, 0.4 mg/kg feed) for 37 days. The levels of expression were determined by an RT-PCR, and the effect of the mycotoxin detoxifier (Mycofix Plus3.E) was evaluated by a comparison of results between healthy pigs (n = 6), animals treated with DON and ZEN (n = 6), and a group that received both mycotoxins and the detoxifier (n = 6). A significant downregulation of ABCB1 mRNA and ABCC2 mRNA was observed in the jejunum (p < 0.05). A tendencies toward the downregulation of ABCB1 mRNA and ABCC2 mRNA were found in the ileum and duodenum, respectively. The mycotoxin detoxifier restored the expression of ABCB1 mRNA to the level found in healthy animals but did not restore that of ABCC2 mRNA to the level of healthy animals in the jejunum. Full article

The presence of mycotoxins and their masked forms in chicken feed poses a significant threat to both productivity and health. This review examines the multifaceted impacts of mycotoxins on various aspects of chicken well-being, encompassing feed efficiency, growth, immunity, antioxidants, blood biochemistry, and internal organs. Mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by fungi, can exert detrimental effects even at low levels of contamination. The hidden or masked forms of mycotoxins further complicate the situation, as they are not easily detected by conventional methods but can be converted into their toxic forms during digestion. Consequently, chickens are exposed to mycotoxin-related risks despite apparently low mycotoxin levels. The consequences of mycotoxin exposure in chickens include reduced feed efficiency, compromised growth rates, impaired immune function, altered antioxidant levels, disturbances in blood biochemical parameters, and adverse effects on internal organs. To mitigate these impacts, effective management strategies are essential, such as routine monitoring of feed ingredients and finished feeds, adherence to proper storage practices, and the implementation of feed detoxification methods and mycotoxin binders. Raising awareness of these hidden hazards is crucial for safeguarding chicken productivity and health. Full article

Mycotoxins contamination is a real concern worldwide due to their high prevalence in foods and high toxicity; therefore, strategies that reduce their gastrointestinal bioaccessibility and absorption are of major relevance. The use of dietary fibers as binders of four mycotoxins (zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), HT-2, and T-2 toxins) to reduce their bioaccessibility was investigated by in vitro digestion of biscuits enriched with fibers. K-carrageenan is a promising fiber to reduce the bioaccessibility of ZEA, obtaining values lower than 20%, while with pectin a higher reduction of DON, HT-2, and T-2 (50–88%) was achieved. Three metabolites of mycotoxins were detected, of which the most important was T-2-triol, which was detected at higher levels compared to T-2. This work has demonstrated the advantages of incorporating dietary fibers into a biscuit recipe to reduce the bioaccessibility of mycotoxins and to obtain healthier biscuits than when a conventional recipe is performed due to its high content of fiber. Full article

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites of molds. Chronic exposure to alternariol, zearalenone, and their metabolites may cause the development of endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic effects. Alternariol-3-glucoside (AG) and alternariol-9-monomethylether-3-glucoside (AMG) are masked derivatives of alternariol. Furthermore, in mammals, zearalenone-14-glucuronide (Z14Glr) is one of the most dominant metabolites of zearalenone. In this study, we examined serum albumins and cyclodextrins (CDs) as potential binders of AG, AMG, and Z14Glr. The most important results/conclusions were as follows: AG and AMG formed moderately strong complexes with human, bovine, porcine, and rat albumins. Rat albumin bound Z14Glr approximately 4.5-fold stronger than human albumin. AG–albumin and Z14Glr–albumin interactions were barely influenced by the environmental pH, while the formation of AMG–albumin complexes was strongly favored by alkaline conditions. Among the mycotoxin–CD complexes examined, AMG–sugammadex interaction proved to be the most stable. CD bead polymers decreased the mycotoxin content of aqueous solutions, with moderate removal of AG and AMG, while weak extraction of Z14Glr was observed. In conclusion, rat albumin is a relatively strong binder of Z14Glr, and albumin can form highly stable complexes with AMG at pH 8.5. Therefore, albumins can be considered as affinity proteins with regard to the latter mycotoxin metabolites. Full article

Mycotoxins have become a serious issue in the animal feed industry and have also affected the aquaculture industry. Mycotoxins can create serious health problems in aquatic and terrestrial animals, and their presence in agricultural products may result in significant economic losses. To reduce the impact of mycotoxins on Nile tilapia fry, two commercially available products—Organically Modified Clinoptilolite (OMC) and multi-component mycotoxin detoxifying agent (MMDA)—were used in this study. Six diets as treatments (T1 = Control (C); T2 = Control + OMC 2 g/kg (OMC); T3 = Control + MMDA 2 g/kg (MMDA); T4 = AFB1 0.5 mg/kg (AF); T5 = AFB1 0.5 mg/kg + 2 g/kg OMC (AFOMC); T6 = AFB1 0.5 mg/kg + MMDA 2 g/kg (AFMMDA)) with similar crude protein levels (35.75 ± 0.35%) were formulated and fed to Nile tilapia fry (1.97 ± 0.1 g) for a period of 84 days. These fish were housed in 18 aquaria (100 L) at a density of 50 fish/aquarium. The results from this study showed that MMDA significantly (p < 0.05) improved the survival of fish by 16% as compared to the control group. Nevertheless, growth parameters were not affected among the treatments. These results also indicated that protein intake was significantly higher in the control and OMC diet (T2) compared to aflatoxin B1-fed tilapia. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) was significantly higher in the AFMMDA as compared to the control and MMDA. A 14-day bacterial challenge test with Aeromonas hydrophila demonstrated that diets containing MMDA or OMC improved survival when AFB1 was present in the diet. Therefore, the supplementation of feed with MMDA or OMC is recommended to ameliorate the negative effects of AFB1 in Nile Tilapia feeds. Full article

Alternaria mycotoxins, including alternariol (AOH), alternariol-9-monomethylether (AME), and their masked/modified derivatives (e.g., sulfates or glycosides), are common food contaminants. Their acute toxicity is relatively low, while chronic exposure can lead to the development of adverse health effects. Masked/modified metabolites can probably release the more toxic parent mycotoxin due to their enzymatic hydrolysis in the intestines. Previously, we demonstrated the complex formation of AOH with serum albumins and cyclodextrins; these interactions were successfully applied for the extraction of AOH from aqueous matrices (including beverages). Therefore, in this study, the interactions of AME, alternariol-3-sulfate (AS), and alternariol-9-monomethylether-3-sulfate (AMS) were investigated with albumins (human, bovine, porcine, and rat) and with cyclodextrins (sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin, sugammadex, and cyclodextrin bead polymers). Our major results/conclusions are the following: (1) The stability of mycotoxin–albumin complexes showed only minor species dependent variations. (2) AS and AMS formed highly stable complexes with albumins in a wide pH range, while AME–albumin interactions preferred alkaline conditions. (3) AME formed more stable complexes with the cyclodextrins examined than AS and AMS. (4) Beta-cyclodextrin bead polymer proved to be highly suitable for the extraction of AME, AS, and AMS from aqueous solution. (5) Albumins and cyclodextrins are promising binders of the mycotoxins tested. Full article