Mycotoxins in poultry production: problems and solutions

摘要

Contamination of feed with mycotoxins is a worldwide problem and leads to a range of symptoms from mortality to economically significant losses in performance of poultry. The authors summarise here the most important causes and sign of fungal activity in poultry feeds. Future control of mycotoxins might lie in a feed additive derived from yeast. Silent killers, invisible thieves, unavoidable contaminants, natural toxicants - all these names have been given to a group of fungal metabolites called mycotoxins. Interest in these naturally occurring chemical compounds is intense due to their detrimental effect on human health (carcinogenicity) and animal productive and reproductive traits. Mycotoxin contamination of feed and food is considered to be amajor problem all over the world. The number of mycotoxins known to induce signs of toxicity in mammalian and avian species exceeds 300 and it is steadily increasing. One cannot ignore the scientific data on mycotoxins as it is estimated that 25 percentof the world's crop production is contaminated with these toxins.