The key to an effective mycotoxins adsorbent
Some producers consider that mycotoxins are becoming as important as bacterial and viral diseases. This attitude represents a completely different approach to the importance given to mycotoxins in 1987 when we worked with the group lunching the first mycotoxins adsorbent into the global market. At that time most growers considered that mycotoxins did not represent a serious problem.
We should point out that nowadays there are still some producers that confuse mycotoxicosis with viral and bacterial diseases. Part of this problem is due to the lack of access to good diagnostic techniques like histopathology, an excellent tool for the confirmation of the diagnosis. It is important to emphasize that as part of the evaluation of the first absorbents, a key factor in that evaluation was to demonstrate protection of target organs. Table 1 shows the organs most affected by different mycotoxins.
In today's market there has been an influx of products claiming to be effective in controlling the deleterious effects caused by mycotoxins. Some of these products base its effectiveness on marketing campaigns without showing in vitro and/or in vivo results to backup their claims. Some base their efficacy only on in vitro tests or on a positive effect on performance (often without any statistical significant differences) and others on some improvement of the immune response.
Sometimes these positive effects are obtained because of the presence of yeast, beneficial bacteria, enzymes and/or immuno-modulators that are added to the mycotoxins absorbents. These ingredients act to alleviate the secondary effects caused by mycotoxins but have little or no effect on the target organs. Unfortunately few products in the global market have a proven efficacy on the main target organs affected by the mycotoxins against which they are tested.
For the last 2 years the Brazilian government has taken a scientific approach on the approval of mycotoxin binders by evaluating the presence or absence of a statistically significant effect on target organs. LAMIC (Laboratorio de Analisis Micotoxicologicos), under the direction of Dr. Carlos Mallmann, is one key laboratory in charge of this type of tests. So far, few products have passed this strict test (most for aflatoxin) which must be repeated every two years, to demonstrate the product maintains its efficacy. As a result of this novel approach by the Brazilian government, companies are obliged to test their products at LAMIC which now has become one of the top reference laboratories in the world.
If a company claims in his marketing campaign that any of his products has been tested by LAMIC, it does not mean that the absorbent has been approved. Sometimes the results obtained show an improvement in performance, but it is not necessarily related to the protection of the target organs. If any product indicates or suggests a LAMIC approval, it is highly recommendable that you ask for the original study and look at the end of it for a written statement in Portuguese indicating that the product is approved for a 2 - year period.
TARGET ORGAN
Few products have scientific trials showing a positive effect on target organsto support their claims. The following table shows a list of the scientific trials performed with MYCO-AD and MYCO-AD AZ by independent Universities and Research Centers around the world.
Lamic = Laboratorio de Analisis Micotoxicologico, Brazil .(UFSM)
Trilogy = Trilogy Analitycal Lab,USA.
IIIA = International Animal Research Institute, Mexico.
VMI = Veterinary Medicine Institute, Hungary.
AFLATOXIN
MYCO-AD effect on liver and size of broilers fed 2.8 ppm of Aflatoxin.
Ref. Laboratorio de Analisis Micotoxicologico, Brazil.
OCHRATOXIN
MYCO-AD effect on liver and kidney size, and presence of lesions in 28 day-old broilers fed 2 ppm of Ochratoxin.
Ref. International Animal Research Institute, Mexico.
T-2 TOXIN
MYCO-AD effect on body weight, oral lesions and bursa weight of broilers fed 1 ppm of T-2 toxin at different ages
Ref. VMI Veterinary Medicine Institute, Hungary.
MYCO-AD has been tested and approved by for the control of Aflatoxin
I haven't come across any report on how really effective mycotoxin binders are in fixing these problems as claimed by the manufacturers because all they do is maybe test it in Vitro and no test done in the the field, especially on the farm condition. However early detection of the toxins is beneficial to farmers, but feedmillers should provide information on the toxins levels in their products and do some research on their own.
We have been achieving excellent results by deactivating mycotoxins using the MYCOFIX product range of BIOMIN GmbH of Austria. Simple clay, mineral & yeast based binders may show some little effect on adsorbtion of Afla, but certainly not on the most common toxins currently found in Southern Africa (DON, T-2 & Fum).
The amount of different binders (some of them of highly questionable origin) lately being offered is frightening as most of the claims made by the suppliers / manufacturers have not and can never be proven. However, as long as end users put price above quality, these binders will be pushed into - especially the so called third world - markets.
The evidence regarding the effectiveness of the various mycotoxin binders submitted from this article is a clear indication that the control of mycotoxicosis is still long in coming! The products in the market for control and management of this condition especially in the third world have not been tested for efficacy. This may be as a result of laboratory facilities to undertake this type of analysis. Indeed this is exacerbated by the little research in this line of animal disease conditions. Consequently, there is need for concerted efforts to encourage public research institutions to undertake this work and to build capacity in bodies involved in feed standards monitoring and quality assurance!!!
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)