The mycobiota and toxicity of equine feeds

KELLER K.M; QUEIROZ B.D; KELLER L.A.M.; RIBEIRO J.M.M.; CAVAGLIERI L.R.

VETERINARY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

SPRINGER

Año: 2007 vol. 31 p. 1037 - 1045

0165-7380

Molds capable of producing mycotoxins present in raw materials will contaminate the final compound into which they are incorporated, such as mixed feeds. Feed contamination can lead to nutrient losses and can have detrimental effects on animal health and production. The purposes of this study were to investigate the mycobiota in equine mixed feeds and to determine the aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 natural contamination. Fungal enumeration of pelletized, non-pelletized and oat samples was done. A commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was applied to the quantification of AFB1 and FB1. A comparison between ELISA and HPLC was carried out. DRBC and DG18 counts ranged between 1 x 102 to 2 x 105 CFU g-1. The highest values were obtained from non-pelletized feeds and oats. The most frequent genus isolated was Aspergillus spp. (40.54 %) followed by Penicillium spp. (18.38%) and Fusarium spp. (16.22 %). The most prevalent Aspergillus ssp. was A. flavus (36%). AFB1 values ranged between 0.01 to 99.4 mg kg-1. Fumonisin B1 levels ranged between 0.01 to 7.49 mg kg-1. HPLC and ELISA methods showed a positive correlation for AFB1 and FB1 determinations (r=0.9851 and r= 0.9791, respectively). It confirms the Beacon kits efficiency. ELISA analytical method was very efficient for aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 detection. The few studies available on fungal contamination and the presence of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 in materials used as equine feed ingredients enhance the contribution of this study.