According to a research article published in the Journal of Dairy Science, some mycotoxins are carcinogenic and can negatively impact both animal and human health. These metabolites are known to lower the general productivity in a herd, leading to huge economic losses.
Mycotoxins belong to several genera, namely Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp., and Penicillium spp. The most common and most studied mycotoxins found in feed are aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxins, ergot alkaloids, zearalenone, and trichothecenes. Mycotoxins are found in a large variety of livestock feed including grains, green forages, hay and silage. To date, more than 400 mycotoxins have been identified worldwide.
Production of mycotoxins
Mycotoxins can be produced both pre- and postharvest, indicating that ensiled forages may contain a mixture of mycotoxins if the forage was contaminated with toxigenic mould. However, the presence of mould does not necessarily indicate the presence of mycotoxins as not all moulds produce them, and not under all conditions.
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Stockfarm.
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This story is from the January 2021 edition of Stockfarm.
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