الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Mycotoxin is a general term used to describe compounds and/or metabolites, which are toxic and produced by molds. It may have other biological effects on living organisms. The term is derived from Greek Words ” mykes ” meaning fungus and ” toxicum ”meaning poison or toxin. Attention are directed to those toxins which may be considered to cause the greatest potential hazards to human health as food contaminants. These toxins include aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by certain species of AsE~Eg~!lu~ flavus and ~.rarasticus strains that produce aflatoxin are widely distributed in nature and are capable to grow on a wide variety of natuml substances including different food, feedstuff and kernels causing serious economic losses. The presence of aflatoxin in animal feeds is recognised as one of the most serious health hazards. from the available literature on the effecl of aflatoxins in animal, it appeared that they are potent hepatoxins and carcinogens. It l1as been observed in experiJnental animals that chronic exposure to aflatoxin (sublethal dose for long time ) results initial decrease in appetite, slow growth, kidney hernorra~e. bile duct proliferation, fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver.Acute aflatoxicosis (Large dose) results in hemorrhage, fatty accunulaUon in the liver and death. The accumulated information on contamination of feedstuffs of pregnant animals with mycotoxin show that such contamination causes fetal death and hemorrhage at the utero-placental junction. AFB1 in particular is now considered to cause fetal death and/or retardation of fetal growth, hemorrhage at uteroplacental junction, fertility decrease, embryo reso~ption and embryo malformation. The rabbit appears to be even more sensitive to the acute effects of aflatoxin than other mammalian species. |