Nutrient stability in mould-infested feed and mitigating effect of dietary supplemental vitamins in brown laying hens

Response of broilers to dietary inclusion of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strain as a biocontrol strategy of aflatoxin

The objective of this trial was to evaluate how broilers responded to Aspergillus flavus strains that are toxigenic and atoxigenic. The study included four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with six replicates of 10 birds each. As a result of this study measuring feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), crude protein, ether extract, and crude fibre, the interaction was insignificant between the toxigenic and atoxigenic diets (P > 0.05). Consumption of toxigenic aflatoxin B1-500 ppb diet decreased FI and WG but increased FCR, and cost to produce live broiler weight (P < 0.05) compared to the control diets. The addition of atoxigenic strains to contaminated diets significantly offset (P < 0.05) the effects. Diets with or without 500 ppb toxigenic and atoxigenic A. flavus did not affect the relative weight g/100gBW of pancreas, gizzard and bursa of Fabricius. Dietary inclusion of 500 ppb toxigenic Aspergillus spp. increased the relative weight (P < 0.05) of the kidney, liver, spleen and thymus while atoxigenic dietary addition reduced the relative weight of the same organs (P < 0.05). Dietary inclusion of toxigenic and atoxigenic Aspergillus spp. did not significantly affect the haematological parameters measured (P < 0.05). Dietary inclusion of 500 ppb toxigenic Aspergillus elevated the urea, creatine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the serum of the broilers (P < 0.05). A decrease was observed when atox igenic A. flavus was used in the intervention for urea, creatinine and AST (P < 0.05), whereas an insignificant reduction was observed for ALT and ALP (P ≤ 0.05). This study concluded that dietary atoxigenic strain improved broiler performance, digestibility, and blood parameters.

Nutritional impact of mycotoxins in food animal production and strategies for mitigation

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that are commonly detected as natural contaminants in agricultural commodities worldwide. Mycotoxin exposure can lead to mycotoxicosis in both animals and humans when found in animal feeds and food products, and at lower concentrations can affect animal performance by disrupting nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism, and animal physiology. Thus, mycotoxin contamination of animal feeds represents a significant issue to the livestock industry and is a health threat to food animals. Since prevention of mycotoxin formation is difficult to undertake to avoid contamination, mitigation strategies are needed. This review explores how the mycotoxins aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins and ochratoxin A impose nutritional and metabolic effects on food animals and summarizes mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of mycotoxicity.