Mycobiota And Incidence Of Aflatoxin B1 And Ciclopiazonic Acid In Poultry Feed From Piauí, Brazil

SANTOS Y.F; PEREYRA C.M; CALVET R. ; NUNES E. ; GUIMARAES C.; CARDOSO F. ; TORRES A.M; MURATORI C.; DALCERO A.M

Mendoza

Congreso; ISM Conference 2011. Strategies to reduce the impact of mycotoxins in Latin America in a global context; 2011

ISM Conference 2011

Commercial feedstuffs are an important component in modern animal husbandry. In Brazil poultry production is one of the fastest growing livestock industries, but there is no information available in the northern of this country about fungal contamination and aflatoxins (AF) and ciclopiazonic acid (CPA) incidence in these substrates. The aims of the present study were: i) to determine the mycobiota present in poultry feed, ii) to determine the presence of A. section Flavi species and the ability of the isolated strains to produce AFs and CPA and iii) to evaluate the incidence of both toxins on these substrates. Seventy-two samples of poultry feed and corresponding raw materials from a processing plant were analyzed. Total fungal counts were performed on DRBC. Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium species were identified according to Klich (2002), Pitt and Hocking (1997) and Leslie and Summerell (2006), respectively. The methodology of Geissen (1996) and Bragulat (2001) were followed to assess the ability of A. section Flavi strains to produce AF and CPA, respectively. The incidence of AFB1 was determined using MycoSep 224 AflaPat cartridge and the CPA was determined followed the methodology described by Hayashi and Yoshizawa (2005) with some modifications. The total count of poultry feed samples showed levels between 1.3 x 10³ at 1.4 x 106 CFU/g. Sixty five percent these samples exceeded the levels proposed as a quality limit, which establish that it should not exceed 1 x 104 CFU/g. The mycological survey showed the presence of 17 genera of filamentous fungi and yeasts. In general, samples showed the main toxicogenic genera, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium, as prevalent. Sixty seven percent of the samples were contaminated with Aspergillus genera. Members of A. section Flavi were present in 47% of the samples. The AFB1 and/or CPA production was tested in 131 strains belonging to A. section Flavi. One hundred and thirteen (113) were identified as A. flavus, 2 as A. parasiticus and 16 as A. tamarii. From 113 strains of A. flavus isolated, 15.7% and 23.1% were able to produce AFB1 and CPA at levels ranged from 3.43 to 66.1 μg/g and from 0.64 to 399.8 μg/g, respectively. Five percent of the A. flavus strains were able to produce AFB1 and CPA simultaneously. One strain of the A. parasiticus was able to produce AFB1 (9.7 μg/g). While, 9% A. tamarii strains isolated were CPA producers. Sixty seven percent finished poultry feed samples were positive for AFB1 contamination and 40% for CPA, with ranges varying from 1.13 to 295 μg/kg and from 2.5 to 27.5 μg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, A. section Flavi were found at a high density from feedstuffs and demonstrated to be highly toxicogenic. Aflatoxin B1 and CPA were found at significant concentrations in these samples and its presence could affect the productivity and health of poultry production.