Micotoxinas na alimentação de bovinos no Brasil: um estudo de 2017 a 2021

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by a variety of fungi, which when ingested cause several deleterious effects to the health of humans and animals. The consumption of food and feed contaminated with mycotoxins is one of the main food safety problems worldwide, making the monitoring of these metabolites essential for food safety. In this work, detection and quantification of six major mycotoxins (aflatoxins - AFLA, deoxynivalenol - DON, fumonisins - FUMO, ochratoxin A - OTA, T-2 toxin – T-2 and zearalenone - ZON) in 1,749 samples of TMR, silages, maize / maize products, feed and other samples for cattle, collected in Brazil between 2017 and 2021 was carried using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, explanatory statistical models were created for contamination by AFLA, FUMO, OTA, T-2 and ZON in the TMR (Total Mixed Ration) samples analyzed. In total, 97% of the samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, with DON, ZON and AFLA being the most frequent ones, with 68%, 62% and 59% of contamination, respectively. Most of these samples were contaminated with amounts of mycotoxins below the lowest European Union guidance values for cattle, and the estimated daily intake also showed a low risk for the animals. However, co-occurrences were widely observed - 87% of the samples contained two or more mycotoxins - and the presence of more than one mycotoxin at the same time in feed can lead to interactions, mainly synergistic, and harm to animal’s health. In conclusion, the contamination of feed and feed ingredients for cattle with mycotoxins in Brazil is very common, and the monitoring of these mycotoxins is of significant importance to avoid economic losses and possible harm to the animal’s health.