The occurrence of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus spp. in dairy cattle feed in Southern Brazil

Abstract

The presence of mycotoxins or related fungi in animal feed is a major problem for animal and human health. Silage and concentrated feed samples were collected from 21 dairy farms in the Western part of Paraná state in Southern Brazil. Water activity and pH of all samples were measured, and each sample was analyzed to check for the presence of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus. Water activity was observed to be lower in the concentrated feed samples. The pH was lower in the silage samples, indicating fermentation processes. Two silage samples and four concentrated feed samples were contaminated with Aspergillus spp. Seven isolates of Aspergillus spp. were obtained and their potential to produce aflatoxins was evaluated. Four of the isolates, two from the silage samples and two from the concentrated feed samples, produced the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in culture media. These isolates were identified as Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus nomius. The presence of aflatoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus spp. in silage and concentrated feed samples is a matter of concern, because of the risk of aflatoxin production and contamination of the animal feed.

Research Article Genetic variability of <i>Aspergillus</i> <i>flavus</i> isolated from commercial peanut and bulgur wheat in Southern Brazil and antifungal activity of essential oils against some of the isolates

“…It is possible that this occurrence correlates with the reduced amount of water in the dried peanut-based products, which reduces the levels of viable aflatoxigenic fungi. Those results and correlations agree with the results obtained by Variane et al (2018) in corn silage, which is a more humid substrate, where they have obtained A. parasiticus isolates.…”

Adverse Effects, Transformation and Channeling of Aflatoxins Into Food Raw Materials in Livestock

“…Importantly, the authors also found AFB 1 in 37.5% of the fresh fodder and in 41.7% of the corn silage samples with average AFB 1 concentrations of 9.5 and 8.4 µg/kg, respectively, meanwhile AFB 2 was present in only two samples (1.2 and 1.3 µg/kg), and none of the analyzed samples was contaminated by AFG 1 or AFG 2 (Sultana et al, 2017). In Southern Brazil, aflatoxigenic A. parasiticus and A. nomius strains have been detected in the tested silage and concentrated feed samples (Variane et al, 2018).…”

Biodiversity of Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus Species in Dairy Feeds in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

“…It has been reported that ingredients used in animal feed formulations can be contaminated by molds that are capable of producing aflatoxins ( Gelven, 2010 ). This has led to extensive research in order to understand the diversity of Aspergillus species in feeds and feedstuffs ( Variane et al, 2018 ). Findings from previous studies have indicated the presence of a wide range of Aspergillus species in feeds and feedstuffs.…”