Molds and mycotoxins in poultry feeds from farms of potential mycotoxicosis

A M Shareef

doi:10.33899/ijvs.2010.5581

Abstract

Forty five finished poultry feed samples , collected from different broilers, broiler breeders and layers farms were divided into two parts, for mycological and mycotoxins examination . In counting of molds , dilute plate technique was used, whereas feed parts were used for mycotoxin estimation, they were subjected to four standard kits of Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin, T-2 toxin and Fumonisins. Mold counts were around 10 5 cfu.g -1 sample. Fourteen mold genera were recovered. From the systematic point of view, 2 genera belonged to Zygomycetes (i.e. Mucor, Rhizopus ,), 1 genus belong to Ascomycetes (i.e. Eurotium ); the majority, within so-called mitotic fungi (formerly Deuteromycetes ), encompassed 11 genera (i.e. Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis,, Trichothecium, Ulocladium and Aerobasidium ). The most frequent fungi were those from the genus Aspergillus . The concentrations of the four analyzed mycotoxins in the poultry finished feeds, and the percentages of the recovered mycotoxins, revealed that aflatoxins was recovered in 91.1% of the examined samples, with a mean value of 179.1µg/kg. The same percentage was found with Ochratoxins, but with lower mean concentration of 159.4µg/kg. In the third order were Fumonisins mycotoxins were in the third order, and they were recovered in 51.1% of the tested samples with a mean value of 127µg/kg. In the fourth order was T-2 toxin, with a percentage of 2.2% and a value of 50.0µg/kg .

Highlights

Mold occurrence and growth on poultry feeds is one of the major threats to poultry economic and health
From the systematic point of view, 2 genera belong to Zygomycetes (i.e. Mucor, Rhizopus,), 1 genus belong to Ascomycetes (i.e. Eurotium); the majority, within so-called mitotic fungi, encompassed 11 genera (i.e. Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis, Trichothecium, Ulocladium and Aerobasidium)
Both field and storage fungi were recovered in this study through the examination of poultry finished feed samples collected from different poultry farms with potential mycotoxicosis

Summary

Introduction

Mold occurrence and growth on poultry feeds is one of the major threats to poultry economic and health. Besides their negative impacts on nutritional and organoleptic properties, moulds can synthesize different mycotoxins. More than 100.000 fungal species are considered as natural contaminants of agricultural and food products. Despite the great attention that has been paid to the study of toxigenic moulds and their mycotoxins in various foods and feeds, little is known about fungal and mycotoxin contamination of poultry feed in Mosul governorate yet. It is well established that contamination of poultry feeds with mycotoxins may induce sanitary disturbances and mortality among the birds and secondary contamination of the human consumer via eggs, poultry meat and giblets [7,8]. Affected flocks showed one or more of the following symptoms; decreased weight gain; anorexia; reduced feed conversion efficiency; decreased egg production; poor egg shell quality ;increased egg blood spots; spiking mortalities; immunosuppression and failure of vaccination programs; increased susceptibility to diseases especially E-coli infection; reduced fertility and hatchability; visceral hemorrhages; leg weakness and high percentages of leg deformities; pale bird syndrome; fatty liver with pale, muddy to yellowish discoloration; increased bruising; enlarged pale kidneys; wet litter; urate deposition in the body cavities; increased incidence of viral diseases like Newcastle disease, infectious bursal disease and inclusion body hepatitis; oral lesions; tibial dyschondroplasia; gizzard erosions; paralysis; extension of leg and neck

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Conclusion