EFFECT OF ANTI-MOLD AND MYCOTOXIN BINDER ON CORN QUALITY AND BROILER PERFORMANCE

Article Highlights:
- The anti-mold used effectively maintained low aflatoxin levels in 13% moisture corn.
- Synthetic mold inhibitors effectively decreased aflatoxin levels in corn during storage and maintained some nutritional quality
- Mycotoxin binder supplementation did not improve broiler
- Broiler performance declined as aflatoxin concentrations increased

Abstract:

The quality of animal feed is determined by high-quality ingredients and appropriate feed additives. This study aimed to assess: 1) the nutrient and aflatoxin total (AT) content of corn treated with an anti-mold (A) and 2) broiler performance fed with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diets supplemented with a mycotoxin binder (MB).  Two experiments were carried out to achieve the objectives. Experiment 1 was set up with a 2 x 2 Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD) with two factors: moisture content (MC at 13 and 15%) and anti-mold (A, -/+). Meanwhile, Experiment 2 was set up with a  3 x 2 Factorial Completely Randomized Design with two factors: the AFB1 (< 100, 165, 222 µg/kg) and MB (-/ +). The MC and A interaction was significant (P < 0.01) on the aflatoxin total of corn throughout the 2-month assay. The utilization of the anti-mold in afla-corn with different moisture levels did not influence (P > 0.05) corn’s nutrient content. The MC x A interaction was significant (P < 0.05) in the valine and glycine content of the stored corn. In the second experiment, no interaction of AFB1 x MB (P > 0.05) was observed in the bird’s performance during the study. The AFB1 Concentration (AC) of corn decreased significantly (P < 0.05 to 0.001) in feed intake, body weight gain, and feed efficiency of birds. Our study concluded that the anti-mold effectively maintained low aflatoxin levels in 13% moisture corn. Also, the anti-mold did not affect the nutrient profile of corn during storage. Our study also showed that mycotoxin binder supplementation did not improve broiler performance and broiler performance declined as aflatoxin concentrations increased.

INTRODUCTION

Mycotoxins, toxic compounds produced by pathogenic fungi, can infect animal feed and cause various negative effects on livestock. Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin, Zearalenone, and Fumonisin are examples of mycotoxins. Aflatoxin was classified into two strains, namely large (L) and small (S) strains, where the most dangerous strains were the small strains(Norlia et al., 2019)(Almatakeez, 2020). According to Mohammed et al. (2021), the L-strain Aflatoxin produced sclerotia with a size of > 400 µm, whereas the S-strain had a sclerotia with a size of < 400 µm.

Grains such as corn and peanuts are favorable media for the growth of Aspergillus spp. The presence of Aspergillus flavus in corn could be identified by the bright greeny-yellow fluorescence and black light test(Stack & Carlson, 2003). The growth of Aspergillus spp. in corn kernels depends on several factors, such as water activity, pH, and relative humidity ((Shehu & Bello, 2011);(Norlia et al., 2019)). According to Shehu and Bello (2011), the favorable temperature and relative humidity for Aspergillus spp. to grow well were 30 - 35 oC and 85 - 100%, respectively.

The growth of fungi involves two forms: yeast-like cells and mycelial growth. During their development, fungi need nutrients, such as carbohydrates (simple and complex sugars), proteins (for C, H, O, and N sources), and certain minerals(Liu et al., 2016);(Barzee et al., 2021). All nutrients are taken from the substrates on which the fungi are growing. Grains, such as corn, infested by fungi, such as Aspergillus spp., may experience a decrease in nutrient components due to the utilization of corn’s chemical components by fungi. According to(Liu et al., 2016), saccharides and proline are utilized by Aspergillus flavus for its mycelium propagation and the making of Aflatoxin B1.

The presence of aflatoxin in corn not only deteriorates corn quality but also triggers diseases and death in animals when being consumed. Aflatoxins are mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic compounds(Okechukwu et al., 2023). The amount of aflatoxin in the diet, the type of birds, and age of bird influence the harmfulness level of aflatoxin. Ducks, turkeys, and chickens are resistant to aflatoxicosis, with ducks being the most resistant species ((Wu et al., 2021);(Murcia & Diaz, 2020)). According to(Diaz & Murcia, 2019), ducks produce the highest Aflatoxin B₁-dihydrodiol, causing the acute toxic effect of Aflatoxin B1.

Several efforts to control the growth and spread of toxin-producing fungi are by drying the corn immediately after harvest, by storing the corn on top of the pallets in a storage room, by using clean feed materials, and by using fungal inhibitor agents, such as charcoal and organic acids. Charcoal as an inhibitor agent works by binding to mycotoxins and excreting them through chicken excreta, thus reducing the amount of toxin absorbed in the body.

The application of certain commercial fungal inhibitors in feed succeeded in suppressing the A. flavus development but changed certain amino acid profiles in corn(Elsamra et al., 2012). Supplementation of 0.045% Mintai Feed Anti-mold effectively protected the nutritional characteristics of low-moist corn(Nalle et al., 2022).

Regarding the use of mycotoxin binder,(Nalle et al., 2021)proved that Mycosorb, as a toxin binder product, did not augment the productivity of birds given a low-dose AFB1 diet. On the contrary,(Fernandes et al., 2022)claimed that commercial toxin binders effectively increase the feed efficiency of birds that received aflatoxin diets. This indicated a contradictory result in terms of using mycotoxin binders in feed.

Feed security is still a worldwide issue, so it is important to intensively evaluate the strategy to maintain corn quality, especially using mold inhibitors (synthetic or natural). In Ethiopia, for example, a study found that 94% of poultry feed samples were contaminated with aflatoxins with a range of levels of 18 µg/kg to 190.18 µg/ kg, exceeding the FDA’s regulatory limit of 20 µg/ kg in 72.75% of samples(Kassaw et al., 2022). In Northern Pakistan, 92.5% of poultry feed samples were found positive for aflatoxins, with grower feeds exhibiting the highest contamination levels(, 2022). These findings highlight the widespread aflatoxin contamination in broiler feed across different regions. The economic impact is considerable, as aflatoxins can impair poultry health, leading to reduced growth rates, lower feed conversion efficiency, and increased mortality, thereby affecting overall productivity and profitability in the poultry industry. Aflatoxins in poultry products pose a risk to human health, potentially leading to aflatoxicosis upon consumption. Therefore, monitoring and controlling aflatoxin levels in poultry feed are crucial to mitigate these adverse effects. Considering the above problems, two experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, mold inhibitors were applied to corn with different moisture content (13% and 15%). Meanwhile, the mycotoxin binder was added to the Aflatoxin

B1 diets in the second experiment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Experiment I: Trial on Mold Inhibitor

Primary Materials

The primary materials of this experiment were shelled corn and anti-mold. The shelled corn used complies with the quality requirements of corn as feed ((Board, 2013)), as presented inTable 1andTable 2.

Table 1.Initial quality assessment of corn used in Experiment I

Moisture level	Whole seed	Broken seed	Moldy seed	Aflatoxin total (µg/kg)
……………………………………%.................................................
13	91.98	2.09	4.85	29.5
15	89.90	2.20	5.00	52.4

No	Parameter	Unit	Requirements
			Grade I	Grade II
1	Moisture Level (max)

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