Comparative In Vitro Assessment of a Range of Commercial Feed Additives with Multiple Mycotoxin Binding Claims.

Kolawole Kolawole,Meneely Meneely,Chevallier Chevallier,Jones Jones,Greer Greer,Connolly Connolly,Elliott Elliott

doi:10.3390/toxins11110659

Abstract

Contamination of animal feed with multiple mycotoxins is an ongoing and growing issue, as over 60% of cereal crops worldwide have been shown to be contaminated with mycotoxins. The present study was carried out to assess the efficacy of commercial feed additives sold with multi-mycotoxin binding claims. Ten feed additives were obtained and categorised into three groups based on their main composition. Their capacity to simultaneously adsorb deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisin B1 (FB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and T-2 toxin was assessed and compared using an in vitro model designed to simulate the gastrointestinal tract of a monogastric animal. Results showed that only one product (a modified yeast cell wall) effectively adsorbed more than 50% of DON, ZEN, FB1, OTA, T-2 and AFB1, in the following order: AFB1 > ZEN > T-2 > DON > OTA > FB1. The remaining products were able to moderately bind AFB1 (44–58%) but had less, or in some cases, no effect on ZEN, FB1, OTA and T-2 binding (<35%). It is important for companies producing mycotoxin binders that their products undergo rigorous trials under the conditions which best mimic the environment that they must be active in. Claims on the binding efficiency should only be made when such data has been generated.

Highlights

Mycotoxins are toxic, low-molecular weight compounds produced as secondary metabolites by several fungi species belonging mainly to Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillum, Alternaria and Clavicep genera [1]
These mycotoxin derivatives are often not detected by analytical techniques, and several studies have shown them to be a potential threat to consumers, as they can be converted to their parent forms in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) after ingestion [1]
As mycotoxins are often co-occurring in animal feed [29,30], the current study aims to evaluate and compare the efficacy of ten commercial feed additives with multi-mycotoxin binding claims on DON, T-2, ZEN, ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisins B1 (FB1) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) using an in vitro model simulated to mimic the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of a monogastric animal

Summary

Introduction

Mycotoxins are toxic, low-molecular weight compounds produced as secondary metabolites by several fungi species belonging mainly to Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillum, Alternaria and Clavicep genera [1]. Mycotoxins appear in the food and feed chain because forages and cereals, which are most susceptible crops to these fungi, are utilised as the main components of animal feed. In addition to the well characterised fungal mycotoxins, biological metabolism or modification of mycotoxins mainly by plants can lead to conjugated forms of mycotoxins widely known as masked mycotoxins. These mycotoxin derivatives are often not detected by analytical techniques, and several studies have shown them to be a potential threat to consumers, as they can be converted to their parent forms in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) after ingestion [1]

Methods

Results

Conclusion