Fungal Contamination and Aflatoxin B1 Detected in Hay for Dairy Cows in South Italy

Halophilic lactic acid bacteria - Play a vital role in the fermented food industry

Halophilic lactic acid bacteria have been widely found in various high-salt fermented foods. The distribution of these species in salt-fermented foods contributes significantly to the development of the product's flavor. Besides, these bacteria also have the ability to biosynthesize bioactive components which potentially apply to different areas. In this review, insights into the metabolic properties, salt stress responses, and potential applications of these bacteria have been have been elucidated. The purpose of this review highlights the important role of halophilic lactic acid bacteria in improving the quality and safety of salt-fermented products and explores the potential application of these bacteria.

Mycotoxins evaluation of total mixed ration (TMR) in bovine dairy farms: An update

The total mixed ration (TMR) is currently a widespread method to feed dairy cows. It is a mixture of raw fodder and concentrate feed that can be contaminated by several mycotoxins. The main aim of this paper was to provide a critical review on TMR mycotoxin occurrence and its usefulness to monitor and control them on-farm. Aflatoxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin and fumonisins (regulated mycotoxins) are the most prevalent mycotoxins evaluated in TMR. Nonetheless, several emerging mycotoxins represent a health risk at the animal level regarding their prevalence and level in TMR. Even when measured at low levels, the co-occurrence of mycotoxins is frequent and synergistic effects on animal health are still underevaluated. Similar to the animal feed industry, on-farm plans monitoring mycotoxin feed contamination can be developed as a herd health management program. The estimated daily intake of mycotoxins should be implemented, but thresholds for each mycotoxin are not currently defined in dairy farms.

Compound probiotics producing cellulase could replace cellulase preparations during solid-state fermentation of millet bran

Low-value agricultural by-products can be converted into high-value biological products by fermentation with probiotic strains or by enzymatic hydrolysis. However, the high costs of enzyme preparations significantly limit their applications in fermentation. In this study, the solid-state fermentation of millet bran was performed using a cellulase preparation and compound probiotics producing cellulase (CPPC), respectively. The results showed that both factors effectively destroyed the fiber structure, reduced the crude fiber content by 23.78% and 28.32%, respectively, and significantly increased the contents of beneficial metabolites and microorganisms. Moreover, CPPC could more effectively reduce the anti-nutrient factors and increase the content of anti-inflammatory metabolites. The correlation analysis revealed that Lactiplantibacillus and Issatchenkia had synergistic growth during fermentation. Overall, these results suggested that CPPC could replace cellulase preparation and improve antioxidant properties while reducing anti-nutrient factors of millet bran, thus providing a theoretical reference for the efficient utilization of agricultural by-products.

Longitudinal Investigation of the Native Grass Hay from Storage to Market Reveals Mycotoxin-Associated Fungi

This study aimed to characterize the fungal diversity and mycotoxin concentrations of native grass hay in various storage periods. In the present study, the native grass hay samples were collected when stored for 0 d (D0 group), 30 d (D30 group), and 150 d (D150 group), respectively. Here, mycotoxin analyses combined with ITS gene sequence were performed to reveal the changes in response to the storage period. There were notable differences in deoxynivalenol and aflatoxin B1 concentrations among the three groups. Compared to the D150 group, the diversity of the fungal community was higher in the D0 and D30 groups, which indicating the diversity was significantly influenced by the storage period. No significant (p > 0.05) difference was observed among the three groups on the dominant phyla. Interestingly, a significant (p < 0.05) difference was also observed in Chactomella and Aspergillus among the three groups, the abundance of the Chactomella was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased and the abundance of Aspergillus was statistically (p < 0.05) increased in the D150 group. Correlation analysis of the association of fungi with mycotoxin could provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of the fungal community. These results indicated that the good practices of storage are essential for the prevention of mycotoxin. The information contained in the present study is vital for the further development of strategies for hay storage with high quality in the harsh Mongolian Plateau ecosystem.

Dietary phillygenin supplementation ameliorates aflatoxin B1-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in chicken liver

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), a mycotoxin contaminating food and feed, can trigger liver immune toxicity and threaten the poultry industry. Phillygenin (PHI) is a natural lignan derived primarily from Forsythia suspensa with hepatoprotective pharmacological and medicinal properties. This research aimed to investigate the preventive effects of PHI on the toxicity of AFB₁ in the liver of chickens. Chickens were administered with AFB₁ (2.8 mg/kg) and/or treated with PHI (24 mg/kg) for 33 days. The histopathological changes, serum biochemical indices, oxidative damage, inflammatory mediators, apoptosis, and activation of the NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways were measured. Results revealed that dietary PHI ameliorated liver function indicators, reduced the malondialdehyde and inflammatory mediator production and the apoptotic cell number, and increased the antioxidant enzyme contents and Bcl-2 level. The quantitative realtime PCR and Western blot results revealed that PHI reduced p53, cytochrome c, Bax, caspase-9, and caspase-3 levels, normalized the NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, and upregulated the Nrf2 and its downstream genes expression in chicken liver. These results indicated that PHI has beneficial effects on AFB₁-induced liver damage, oxidative damage, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and immunotoxicity by inhibiting NF-κB and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway in chickens. This study provides new insight into the therapeutic uses of PHI.

Aspergillus flavus and Total Aflatoxins Occurrence in Dairy Feed and Aflatoxin M1 in Bovine Milk in Aguascalientes, Mexico

Contamination of food chains by toxigenic fungi and aflatoxins is a global problem that causes damage to human health, as well as to crop and livestock production. The objective is to evaluate Aspergillus flavus and total aflatoxins (AFs) occurrence in totally mixed rations (TMRs) for dairy cows and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk for human consumption. Ninety-nine dairy production units located in Aguascalientes, Mexico, were randomly selected, and samples were collected from TMRs, raw milk, and milk marketed in the city in two consecutive agricultural cycles. AFs were quantified in TMRs and milk by indirect enzyme immunoassay and HPLC; aflatoxigenic and molecular (PCR) capacity of monosporic A. flavus isolates in the feed was characterized. All feed, raw, and pasteurized milk samples showed aflatoxin contamination (26.0 ± 0.4 µg/kg, 32.0 ± 1.0, and 31.3 ± 0.7 ng/L, respectively), and a significant proportion (90.4, 11.3, and 10.3%) exceeded the locally applied maximum permissible limits for feed and milk (20.0 µg/kg and 50 ng/L). Aflatoxin contamination in both TMRs and milk indicated a seasonal influence, with a higher concentration in the autumn-winter cycle when conditions of higher humidity prevail. The results obtained suggest the existence of contamination by aflatoxigenic A. flavus and aflatoxins in the diet formulated for feeding dairy cows and, consequently, in the dairy food chain of this region of the Mexican Highland Plateau.