Abstract
Background: Mycotoxins could have severe impact on layers when ingested beyond tolerable amounts. With the rise on the use of commercial feeds for animal feeding, layers are at risk if these toxins are found in feeds. Methods: Thirty-four samples of different brands of poultry layer feeds were collected from agricultural-veterinary supply stores from the provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna and Pampanga in the Philippines. The Randox® Evidence Investigator Myco 10 kit was used to measure the mycotoxin levels in the samples. Samples were analyzed for presence of four compounds, namely: fumonisins, ergot alkaloids, deoxynivalenol, and T2 toxin. Results: Fumonisin levels differed significantly among provinces and among feed types. Compared to the lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAEL) and maximum tolerable daily intake (TDI) established in previous studies, all samples were within the LOAEL for deoxynivalenol and T2 toxin while fourteen of the 34 samples (41%) fall below the LOAEL for fumonisins. Ergot alkaloids do not have a fully established LOAEL. All samples exceeded the maximum TDI. Conclusions: The presence of multiple toxins in feeds poses a threat to the layer industry especially to backyard farms to which agri-vet supply stores mainly cater to.
Keywords: biochip array technology, feeds, mycotoxin, nutrition, poultry