Eighteen primiparous Holstein cows were used in a 10-wk lactation study, preceded by a 2-wk covariate period, to determine the effect of concentration of deoxynivalenol in the diet on cow performance and transfer of deoxynivalenol and its metabolite, deepoxydeoxynivalenol, to milk. Diets were formulated to contain deoxynivalenol at 0, 6, and 12 mg/kg of concentrate DM, and daily intake of deoxynivalenol was .59, 42, and 104 mg, respectively. Increasing deoxynivalenol in the diet did not affect intake of concentrate or forage. Total milk output was not affected; however, milk fat responded quadratically; cows given deoxynivalenol at 6 mg/kg of concentrate DM had the lowest milk fat content and fat output. Overall energetic efficiency was not influenced because reduced energy output in milk was compensated by increased BW gains. No transfer of deoxynivalenol or deepoxydeoxynivalenol to milk was observed; concentrations were below detectable limits (1 microgram/ml) using HPLC-mass spectroscopy. We concluded that diets containing deoxynivalenol up to 6 mg/kg of dietary DM did not reduce feed intake of cows in this study and that deoxynivalenol or deepoxydeoxynivalenol was not transferred to milk. Further studies are required to confirm the apparent lack of effect of deoxynivalenol on milk production.

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Mycotoxin contamination of crops may cause economic losses at all levels of food and feed production including crop and animal production, and crop distribution and processing. The national economy would be affected adversely by losses incurred by crop and livestock producers and the multiplier effect this has on other industries as a result of the reduced spending power of producers. Costs of chemical analyses, quality control and regulatory programs, research and development, extension services, law suits, and the cost of human illnesses must all be borne by the national economy. The value of the losses encountered depends on grain, animal, and animal product prices, interest rates, degree of contamination, and other economic variables. Even during favourable seasons it is likely that millions of dollars are lost as a result of the contamination of crops with mycotoxins. Many compounds and treatments have been tested in order to reduce mycotoxin concentrations in food and feed or to alleviate their adverse effects on animals. Some of these treatments show promising prospects for commercial application, while others have had commercial applications already. However, until reliable, cost-effective, commercially applicable methods are more widely available, problems associated with mycotoxin contamination and the economic losses resulting, will continue to be seen in food and agriculture industries.

Experiments were conducted to examine the efficacy of two physical methods (sieving and dehulling) in reducing the concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) in contaminated barley, wheat, corn, and rye. Coarsely ground barley, wheat, and corn containing 5-23 and 0.5-1.21 mg/kg DON and ZEN, respectively, were segregated into fractions of differing particle sizes by sieving through a series of screens. The retained fractions containing the larger particles (+9 mesh barley; + 9 mesh wheat; +16 mesh corn) contained 67-83% less toxin than was present in the whole kernel. Removing the hull material from barley prior to sieving resulted in a further 16% reduction in the DON content of the +9 mesh fraction (from a 73 % reduction in intact barley to an 89 % reduction in dehulled barley). The amount of material lost during the sieving procedure was 34, 55, and 69% of the total material for intact ground barley, wheat, and corn, respectively, and 39% for dehulled and ground barley. When barley, wheat, and rye were treated in a Scott-Strong dehuller (to remove the outer portion of the kernels), 40-100 % of the DON and ZEN,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] of the grain material, and 22-32 % of the protein was removed from the grain. It was concluded that both sieving and dehulling can represent useful procedures for reducing mycotoxin levels in contaminated grain, under certain circumstances.