PJB-2023-433
Quantitative Estimation of Mycological and Mycotoxins in Poultry Feed ingredients: A Case Study of Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Mustafa RAhim Abro
Abstract
The poultry feed ingredients contaminated with mycotoxins, especially with Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a major health concern. It directly results in significant economic losses and indirectly affects the health of consumers. A study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of (AFB1) and (OTA) in poultry feed ingredients under different environmental conditions (moisture content and pH) in summer and winter seasons whereas, the hygiene quality of feed ingredient (corn, rice and wheat) was assessed through viable fungal count (VFC). A total of 288 (n=96 each) samples were collected from different poultry shops of Quetta district of Balochistan, Pakistan. All samples were initially analyzed for the presence of AFB1 and OTA through TLC and then confirmed the contamination through the ELISA method. The result of the current study confirmed the incidence of contamination with AFBI and OTA by the TLC method and according to the result of the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the level of AFB1 ranged from 26.09 to 50.56 (Mean= 41.22 ± 9.45) μg/kg whereas, OTA ranged from 50.13 to 6.21 (Mean 42.60 ± 6.21) μg/kg. The contamination level of AFB1 was found to be above the permissible level set by FDA (20 μg/kg) whereas, the level of OTA were below the permissible limits. Moreover, the VFC values were also found below the recommended level. The association between AFB1 and OTA with moisture content was statistically significant (P=0.001) whereas, no relationship was exhibited between pH and AFB1 and OTA. The highest level of mycotoxin contamination was reported in the winter season and variations among seasons were statistically significant (P=0.000). These findings suggest that continuous monitoring regimes are needed to prevent mycotoxin contamination in poultry and broiler feed.
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