Mycotoxins are low molecular weight secondary metabolites produced by certain strains of fungi which invade crops in the field and may grow on foods during storage under favourable conditions of temperature and humidity. These compounds have been isolated from several food commodities from all over the world and are actually considered as one of most contaminants of food and feed. Certain disorders or toxic syndromes are associated with these compounds in animals and humans. The manifestations of toxicity in animals are as diverse as the fungal species which produce these compounds, but also their acute or chronic toxicity depends on the amounts ingested, time-spam of exposure, type of animal, their breed, age, sex, health status, but also other parameters such as density of animals, diseases and temperature. Mycotoxins cause significant economic loses in animals due to reduced productivity, increased disease incidence, chronic damage of vital organs and decreased reproductive performance. In addition to being acutely toxic, some mycotoxins are now linked with the incidence of certain types of cancer, and it is this aspect which has evoked global concern over feed and food safety. In this paper we review the mycotoxins of most concern due to their toxicity and occurrence and their pathological effects on animal farming.

 

Keywords: Mycotoxins, Animal Nutrition, Mycotoxicoses