How to kill aflatoxin

Aspergillus is a common fungus, which is more common in some spoiled and moldy foods, such as damp peanuts and melon seeds. It is highly toxic. If you consume a large amount of food infected with Aspergillus, it will cause poisoning and may even be carcinogenic. It is also heat-resistant. So how can we kill Aspergillus? Next I will introduce it to you in detail.

The distribution of aflatoxin-contaminated grains by the method of eliminating mold and rot is very uneven, with most of the grains being damaged, worm-eaten, or discolored. If these are eliminated, the toxin level will be reduced. Observe feed and grains by sight and smell to determine whether they are contaminated, and discard those that are severely contaminated. Silage for ruminants should be carefully checked when fed, and any moldy ones should be discarded.

Radiation method: ultraviolet rays or gamma rays can effectively kill molds and destroy the chemical structure of aflatoxin to achieve the purpose of detoxification. Using high-pressure mercury lamp ultraviolet light with large doses of irradiation, the detoxification rate can reach 97-99%. Feng Dingyuan (1995) reported that after peanut cakes were exposed to natural sunlight for 30 hours, aflatoxin B1 decreased by 42.31%, and G1 and G2 were almost completely removed.

Aflatoxin is insoluble in water and is stable to heat. Aflatoxin is unevenly distributed in crops such as corn, and the total amount of aflatoxin present in the epidermal embryo can reach more than 80%. The water washing method uses the difference in specific gravity between the embryo and milk embryo of corn in water to remove the embryo or epidermis floating on the water after crushing, thereby achieving the purpose of removing most of the toxins. Laboratory and application results show that the average detoxification rate of this method can reach more than 80%. Most peanut kernels contaminated by AF have a lighter specific gravity, and the kernels floating in the water are mostly AF-contaminated kernels. This method can remove 88% of the contaminated kernels.

The binder method has been confirmed to be effective in binding aflatoxin B1 in vitro. The main binders include hydrated calcium sodium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), clay, zeolite, bentonite, activated carbon, montmorillonite and other binders. However, the bonding effect of HSCAS in vivo is the same as that in vitro. In order to achieve good results in binding aflatoxin, the minimum requirement for the binder is that it is porous and its pore size is in the range of 0.015-0.090 mm (150 angstroms-900 angstroms). Lindemann et al. (1993) reported that adding 0.25% or 0.5% sodium bentonite to the diet of weaned piglets containing 800 μg/kg AFB1 increased the average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake of the piglets.

Chemical detoxification method Some chemical agents such as hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, sodium hydroxide treatment, etc. have a certain effect on removing AF. Feng Dingyuan et al. (1997) reported that peanut cakes were treated with 0.25%, 0.50% and 1.0% sodium hypochlorite for 24, 48 and 72 hours respectively. There was no significant difference in detoxification among the groups, and the total amount of aflatoxin was reduced by more than 93%. However, the effects on aflatoxin were different, among which the reduction of aflatoxin B1 was the greatest. Ammonia treatment is the use of ammonia gas or ammonia water to treat corn, soybean meal, peanut meal, etc. contaminated with aflatoxin. Under the action of ammonia, the toxin's lactone ring can be cleaved, achieving the purpose of detoxification.

Biological detoxification method: This method screens certain microorganisms and utilizes their biotransformation effect to destroy mycotoxins or convert them into low-toxic substances. Microorganisms that have been reported include Aflatoxin, Rhizopus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, and Bacillus subtilis, which have good effects on removing aflatoxins.

Adding sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine, to feed can use their sulfur atoms to promote the synthesis of glutathione (GSH) under the action of enzymes in the livestock and poultry bodies. GSH can resist toxic substances in vitro. Hu Lan et al. (2001) reported that supplementing 0.2 g.kg-1 methionine and 0.4 g.kg-1 cysteine ​​with 2 mg.kg-1 AF orally in broilers could maintain the red blood cell and white blood cell counts at levels basically the same as those in the control group. Alanine aminotransferase (GPT) increased slightly, but the proportion was very small, indicating that it helped to reduce the liver damage caused by AF in broilers.

If the raw materials and feeds used in the mixed dilution method are contaminated with mold exceeding the prescribed value, they can be diluted with uncontaminated raw materials and feeds to keep their mycotoxins within a safe range. However, the dilution should be uniform, and the mold should be prevented from continuing to grow and being contaminated again after dilution. Try to prepare and feed the feed immediately. This method is applicable to farms.

Adding Vitamin C Vitamin C can block the epoxidation of aflatoxin B1 and prevent it from being oxidized into an active form of toxic substances. Adding a certain amount of vitamin C to the diet, together with appropriate levels of amino acids, is an effective way to overcome aflatoxin poisoning. Hu Shaochang (2001, translated) In an experiment on broiler chickens with aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin B1 + vitamin C, the former caused failure of immunity to infectious bursal disease.