Sequestering agents bind dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and reduce absorption from an animal's gastrointestinal tract. As a result, they protect an animal from the toxic effects of AFB1 and reduce transfer of the metabolite, aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), into milk. Three experiments, using late-lactation Holstein cows fed AFB1-contaminated feed, were conducted to evaluate several potential sequestering agents for their abilities to prevent or reduce the transmission of AFM1 into milk. Six agents previously tested in our laboratory for AFB1 binding in vitro were evaluated in these experiments. These were: SA-20, an activated carbon (AC-A); Astra-Ben-20, a sodium bentonite (AB-20); MTB-100, an esterified glucomannan (MTB-100); Red Crown, a calcium bentonite (RC); Flow Guard, a sodium bentonite (FG); and Mycrosorb, a sodium bentonite (MS). Five of the six sequestering agents significantly (P < 0.01) reduced AFM1 contamination of milk (AB-20, 61%; FG, 65%; MS, 50%; MTB-100, 59%; and RC, 31%); whereas, AC-A, activated carbon, had no effect on AFM1 transmission at 0.25% of feed. By the first milking (1 day after cows consumed contaminated feed), AFM1 appeared in milk, then reached maximum levels after three days, and was absent from milk within four days after AFB1 was removed from the feed. Sodium bentonites at 1.2% of feed showed good potential as AFB1 binders; MTB-100, a yeast cell wall product, was equally effective at 0.05% in feed. Potential AFB1 binding agents should be evaluated experimentally to demonstrate efficacy. Our data show that sequestering agents can reduce AFM1 in milk of cows fed AFB1-contaminated feed.
We collected 886 samples (68 feed ingredient samples, 189 dust samples, and 629 feed samples) from 3 feed mills each of which produced between 100,000 and 400,000 tons of feed a year. Samples were collected on 3 d (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), during 2 seasons (early spring and summer), and between 0700 and 1700 h approximately once per hour. Samples were collected from 5 locations within each mill: ingredient receiving, at the mixer, at the pellet mill, from pellet coolers, and at load-out. Temperatures were taken of the samples obtained at the pellet mill immediately following collection. All samples were analyzed for Enterobacteriaceae counts (EC) and Salmonella. The data confirm that feed ingredients and dust can be a major source of Salmonella contamination in feed mills. There were no differences (P < 0.05) in the Salmonella contamination rates of samples collected in spring as compared with samples collected in summer. Salmonella contamination rates were observed to be higher in samples collected on Friday compared with samples collected on Monday or Wednesday, an effect that may be management related. Data collected at the pellet mill clearly illustrate the uneven distribution of Salmonella contamination in feed as well as the need for control of dust around the pellet mill. Feed samples (both mash and pellets) contaminated with Salmonella contained significantly higher EC than samples not contaminated with Salmonella. Thus, EC may provide some indication of the likelihood of Salmonella contamination in feed samples.
In the mind of the general public, the words "arsenic" and "poison" have become almost synonymous. Yet, As is a natural metallic element found in low concentrations in virtually every part of the environment, including foods. Mining and smelting activities are closely associated with As, and the largest occurrence of As contamination in the United States is near the gold mines of northern Nevada. Inhabitants of Bangladesh and surrounding areas have been exposed to water that is naturally and heavily contaminated with As, causing what the World Health Organization has described as the worst mass poisoning in history. Although readily absorbed by humans, most inorganic As (>90%) is rapidly cleared from the blood with a half-life of 1 to 2 h, and 40 to 70% of the As intake is absorbed, metabolized, and excreted within 48 h. Arsenic does not appreciably bioaccumulate, nor does it biomagnify in the food chain. The United States has for some time purchased more As than any other country in the world, but As usage is waning, and further reductions appear likely. Arsenic is used in a wide variety of industrial applications, from computers to fireworks. All feed additives used in US poultry feeds must meet the strict requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (Rockville, MD) before use. Although some public health investigators have identified poultry products as a potentially significant source of total As exposure for Americans, studies consistently demonstrate that <1% of samples tested are above the 0.5 ppm limit established by the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine. Although laboratory studies have demonstrated the possibility that As in poultry litter could pollute ground waters, million of tons of litter have been applied to the land, and no link has been established between litter application and As contamination of ground water. Yet, the fact that <2% of the United States population is involved in production agriculture and the overtones associated with the word "arsenic" could mean the matter becomes a perception issue.
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