Abstract
Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium plant pathogen species have harmful effects on humans and livestock by natural contamination in food and feed. Zearalenone, one of the well-known Fusarium mycotoxins, causes hyperestrogenism and toxicosis resulting in reproductive dysfunction in animals. This study investigated the occurrence of zearalenone in feedstuffs (compound feeds, feed ingredients) between 2009 and 2016 in South Korea to obtain information on zearalenone contamination in feeds for management. A total of 653 animal feed samples (494 compound feeds, 159 feed ingredients) produced domestically were sampled five times from 2009 to 2016 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) from feed factories in South Korea. The levels of zearalenone were analyzed every year by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after pretreatment with an immunoaffinity column showing limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1–3 μg/kg and 0.3–8 μg/kg, respectively. Four feed samples out of 494 compound feeds exceeded the EU and South Korea commission regulations over the eight-year test period, and no feed ingredients exceeded the guidelines.
Highlights
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi such as Fusarium, Aspergillus, or Penicillium genera during crop cultivation or storage processes [1]
high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatogram analysis clearly demonstrated that ZEN was well separated from any potential interference due to the pretreatment with Immuno Afiinity Column (IAC), and no interfering peaks were observed during analysis
The 98% of 58 sow compound feeds were contaminated with ZEN, and one feed sample for gestating sows showed maximum contamination concentrations of 262 μg/kg, which were higher than listed in the European Commission (EU) commission and South Korea regulations (250 μg/kg for sows compound feeds)
Summary
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi such as Fusarium, Aspergillus, or Penicillium genera during crop cultivation or storage processes [1]. Many Fusarium mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisin (FUM), are distributed widely in food and animal feed and can cause different diseases in humans, animals, and even in plants [3]. In Turkey, cattle feeds were contaminated with ZEN in 45.2% of tested samples [8], and feed. In Slovakia, 88% of tested ingredients were contaminated with ZEN in 31.58% of total samples [9]. In Slovakia, 88% of tested poultry feed samples were contaminated with ZEN in 2004 [10]. Reported mean ZEN contamination level of 0.077 mg/kg in feed ingredients [11]; in Korea, ZEN was reported mean ZEN contamination level of 0.077 mg/kg in feed ingredients [11]; in Korea, ZEN was detected in 98% of tested feeds, with concentrations ranging from 0.009 to 0.405 mg/kg [12].
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