Presence and importance of mycotoxins in pig feed
2010
Marković Radmila | Šefer Dragan | Radulović Stamen | Šperanda Marcela
Mycotoxins present a significant problem in the diet of pigs. Secondary metabolites of fungi are toxic matter that have a negative effect on health and the performance of animals, as well as on the quality of their products. The creating of mycotosins is a complex process and it is difficult to predict which toxin will be produced and in which concentration. Food is most often contaminated by low concentrations of different mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, fumonisinsi and zearalenone) which cause a series of undesired effects, depending on the amount that the animal has ingested into the organism. Mycotoxin interactions in the organism are complex, and they can have antagonistic, synergistic or a joint effect, depending on the combination and quantity in which they appear. The pig is a domestic animal which is most sensitive to the effects of mycotoxins. Long-term consumption of feed contaminated with mycotoxins results in a decline in production, a deterioration of the general health and reproductive disorders. One of the most important negative effects in pigs which receive low doses of mycotoxins in the longterm, is immunosuppression. Mycotoxins present very stable links that remain in raw materials and animal products for a long time and thus pose a major health risk for humans. .
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Directory of Open Access Journals