Occurrence of fumonisin B1 in maize imported into Taiwan

Prevalence of mycotoxins in feed and feed ingredients between 2015 and 2017 in Taiwan

Contamination of feed by mycotoxins is a global epidemic that has a sizeable impact on animal health and causes economic losses. Mycotoxins, including aflatoxins (AFs), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisins (FUMs), deoxynivalenol (DON), and ochratoxin A (OTA), lead to acute and chronic adverse effects in pigs. Animal feed and feed ingredients are commonly contaminated by one or more mycotoxins worldwide; however, the prevalence of mycotoxin contamination in feed and feed ingredients in Taiwan remains unclear. A total of 820 cornmeal and corn-based swine feed (pregnancy and nursery diets) samples provided by feed and animal producers were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method between January 2015 and December 2017 to determine the presence of mycotoxins. The results revealed that the most prevalent mycotoxin in Taiwan was DON, with 91.4% of positive samples between 2015 and 2017, followed by ZEN, AFs, and FUMs, with 70.2%, 58.0%, and 50.4% of positive samples, respectively. A similar prevalence of mycotoxins was observed in cornmeal and corn-based swine feed. Furthermore, 7.7% of the analyzed feed samples contained one mycotoxin, and 91.3% contained multiple mycotoxins. DON was the most prevalent mycotoxin in cornmeal and corn-based swine feed in Taiwan. Moreover, a high incidence of contamination by multiple mycotoxins was observed in swine feed. Awareness of mycotoxin presence in feed and development of mycotoxin detoxification strategies are unmet needs.

Developmental Toxicity of Mycotoxin Fumonisin B₁ in Animal Embryogenesis: An Overview

A teratogenic agent or teratogen can disturb the development of an embryo or a fetus. Fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), produced by Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum, is among the most commonly seen mycotoxins and contaminants from stale maize and other farm products. It may cause physical or functional defects in embryos or fetuses, if the pregnant animal is exposed to mycotoxin FB₁. Due to its high similarity in chemical structure with lipid sphinganine (Sa) and sphingosine (So), the primary component of sphingolipids, FB₁ plays a role in competitively inhibiting Sa and So, which are key enzymes in de novo ceramide synthase in the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway. Therefore, it causes growth retardation and developmental abnormalities to the embryos of hamsters, rats, mice, and chickens. Moreover, maternal FB₁ toxicity can be passed onto the embryo or fetus, leading to mortality. FB₁ also disrupts folate metabolism via the high-affinity folate transporter that can then result in folate insufficiency. The deficiencies are closely linked to incidences of neural tube defects (NTDs) in mice or humans. The purpose of this review is to understand the toxicity and mechanisms of mycotoxin FB₁ on the development of embryos or fetuses.

Fumonisins in corn (Zea mays L.) from Southern Brazil

A total of 232 samples of corn commercialised in Santa Catarina state, Southern Brazil (temperate zone climate), were evaluated from 2007 to 2012 for fumonisins (FBs: FB1 and FB2). Before performing this study, a FBs method with liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection (ex. 335; em. 440 nm) was validated first. FBs were detected in 46.6% (108 samples), with values ranging from 66 to 7832 µg kg(-1) for FB1 and 110 to 1201 µg kg(-1) for FB2. The number of contaminated corn samples for FB1 and FB2 varied and often presented contamination of FB1 only. Per year of analysis, the numbers were: n = 22/8(FB1/FB2), 44/5(FB1/FB2), 25/12(FB1/FB2), 4(FB1), 6(FB1) and 7(FB1) in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively. The contamination percentage was 42.3/15.4, 59.5/6.8, 43.8/21.1, 36.4, 35.3 and 33.3%, respectively, during these years. Consumers can be exposed to these mycotoxins and their health can be at risk through the consumption of contaminated corn.

The African Fusarium/maize disease

There is a general but rather vague feeling that the use of maize (corn) as a staple foodstuff by black rural Africans is somehow a factor in, or is linked to, chronic disease found in these populations. An attempt is made in this review to consider the evidence for this connection and to identify what is actually the root of the problem. The main thrust of the argument to explain this perception is that maize is routinely contaminated with fungi and of these Fusarium verticillioides is found in maize throughout the world. Evidence is presented to this effect and, further, of the mycotoxins found in maize, the fumonisins are the most common and at the highest levels. Various animal chronic diseases arising from the consumption of contaminated maize are reviewed and possible human conditions listed, in some cases related to the known animal ones. A brief overview of the complicated cellular mechanisms of fumonisin B1 is given and it is concluded that the prime suspect in what might be called "the maize disease" can be attributed to the ingestion of this mycotoxin, sometimes in combination with other synergist mycotoxins and other disease factors, such as smoking and drinking.

Mycotoxins in poultry feed in Kuwait

A survey was conducted at a poultry feed production unit in Kuwait for mycotoxin contamination in the samples of yellow maize, soybean meal, wheat bran used as raw material and the poultry feed prepared for broiler starter, broiler finisher, and layer mash. Individual aflatoxins were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography after immunoaffinity column purification. Repeated analysis revealed average aflatoxin concentration in maize at 0.27 ppb (range 0 to 1.69 ppb), soybean meal at 0.20 ppb (range 0 to 1.27 ppb), wheat bran at 0.15 ppb (range 0 to 1.07 ppb), prepared poultry feed for broiler starter at 0.48 ppb (range 0 to 3.26 ppb), broiler finisher at 0.39 ppb (range 0 to 1.05 ppb), and layer mash at 0.21 ppb (range 0 to 1.30 ppb). Other mycotoxins (ochratoxin, fumonisin, deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone), were detected by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The average levels of ochratoxin A ranged from 4.6 to 9.6 ppb, fumonisin from 1.4 to 3.2 ppm, DON from 0.17 to 0.29 ppm, and zearalenone from 46.4 to 67.6 ppb in various commodities and prepared feed samples. The study revealed the coexistence of determined mycotoxins, although their concentrations in general were found to be lower than the permissible levels, wherever defined, for the poultry feed.