Published in Scientific Works. C Series. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LVIII ISSUE 3
Written by Oana - Mărgărita Ghimpeţeanu, Andreea Tolescu, Manuella Militaru
Aflatoxin and ochratoxin are the most common mycotoxins in poultry feed. Their presence contributes to significant health disorders and decrease in production performances. This leads to considerable economic losses for the poultry industry by increasing mortality, decrease in body weight, number and quality of eggs, greater feed conversion and immunosuppression. The risk associated with mycotoxin residues in poultry meat and eggs represents a concern in human health. The present article reviews the most important scientific literature on aflatoxin and ochratoxin contamination in poultry and their relationship with food safety. Recent studies showed that young poultry are more sensitive to aflatoxin and ochratoxin than adults. Ochratoxin has high affinity for liver and kidney, meanwhile aflatoxin has high carcinogenic potential and hepatotoxicity. Lesions in the liver include hepatomegaly, hydropic degeneration, fatty changes, bile-duct hyperplasia and periportal fibrosis. In order to prevent and reduce the negative implications of these mycotoxins in poultry production, it is necessary to create both global and national strategies to reduce the amount of mycotoxins in grain, to use advance analytical techniques and to establish new limits concerning the maximum amount of mycotoxins allowed in poultry feed and products from poultry for human consumptions.
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aflatoxin
