Thursday, July 5, 2007

mycotoxins found in food and animal feed

Aflatoxins

-Possible adverse effects on livestock health and productivity
-Toxins produced by species of Aspergillus, mainly A.flavus and A. parasiticus
-There are 17toxins present but only 4 considered widespread and toxins ( ie aflatoxins B1, B2, G1. G2)
-Pure aflatoxins are destroyed by UV radiations, unstable at pH<3>10 and in the presence of oxidizing components.
-The toxins have native fluorescence, which is used for their analysis and for the sorting of contaminated units.
-Aflatoxins occur in wide variety of commodities including cereals, nuts and oilseeds

Ochratoxin A (OTA)


- Variety of moulds included in the genera Aspergillus
- Ochratoxin A contaminated crops include cereal such as barley and maize, wheat and oat.
- In cereals, OTA is produced more frequently by Penicillium than Aspergillus (generally occurs as storage contamination)

Trichothecenes

- Wide group of mycotoxins produced by various species of different genera: Fusarium, Myrothecium, Stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Cephalosporium, Trichothecium and Verticimonosporium ( Betina, 1993)

Fumonisins (FBs)


- FBs are mycotoxins mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides, Nirenberg, Fusarium proliferatum
- Occurs in mainly maize and maize based food products at levels that could affect human and animal health.



book: pesticide, veterinary and other residues in food

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