Mycotoxins contamination of animal feeds and feed ingredients available in Haryana

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to know the extent of mycotoxin contamination of animal feed and feed ingredients available in Haryana. The samples of animal feeds and feed ingredients (n=110) were collected and analysed for the presence of mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A). The highest level of aflatoxin B1 detected was in maize (120 ppb), followed by groundnut cake (109 ppb), cottonseed cake (103 ppb), compounded feed (101 ppb), barley (100 ppb), mustard cake (95 ppb), sorghum (91 ppb), soybean meal (90 ppb), sunflower cake (88 ppb), wheat bran (62 ppb) and rice bran (55 ppb). The overall average content of aflatoxin B1 in maize, barley, sorghum, rice bran, wheat bran, groundnut cake, mustard cake, soybean meal, sunflower cake, cottonseed cake and compounded feed samples were 95.30, 67.90, 65.70, 25.80, 27.60, 88.10, 65.40, 41.90 and 51.20, 77.30 and 73.70 ppb, respectively. The overall average content of ochratoxin in maize, barley, sorghum, rice bran, wheat bran, groundnut cake, mustard cake, soybean meal, sunflower cake, cottonseed cake and compounded feed samples were 42.30, 32.40, 27.20, 15.20, 22.40, 24.90, 15.20, 10.00, 15.30, 16.70 and 19.40 ppb, respectively. The ochratoxin level of contamination tended to be higher in cereals (maize, barley, sorghum) as compared to other feed ingredients and compounded animal feeds. The highest level of ochratoxin detected was in maize (82 ppb), followed by sorghum (74 ppb), barley (72 ppb), wheat bran (46 ppb), groundnut cake (46 ppb), cottonseed cake (45 ppb), compounded feed (45 ppb), rice bran (42 ppb), mustard cake (42 ppb), soybean meal (35 ppb) and sunflower cake (35 ppb). It was concluded that due to high level of mycotoxin contamination in animal feed and feed ingredients the situation is alarming as far as carry-over of mycotoxins from feed to milk is concerned. The ochratoxin level of contamination tended to be higher in cereals (maize, barley, sorghum) as compared to other feed ingredients and compounded animal feeds.