Aflatoxin levels in laboratory animal diet components.

According to BUNTENKOETTER (1971) about 60 true mycotoxins have been identified. Of these, aflatoxins B, M, and G, are the most toxic. Aflatoxin B, is 100-1,000 times more toxic than butter yellow and benzpyrene (GEDEK, 1973). This highlights its significance both for applied animal nutrition and for animal experiments. Studies on the susceptibility of various laboratory animals to Aflatoxin B, have been raported by among others, MEISER (1968), BUTLER and WIGGLESWORTH (1966), and DI PAOLO et al. (1967). Since animal diets usually serve as the vehicle of transfer of aflatoxins to animals, it is necessary to ascertain and control their levels in diets. Detoxification without enormous damage to nutrients in diets has so far proved impossible (ROEGNER, 1967; FRANK and GRUNEWALD, 1970). It is thus necessary to take aflatoxin content into account when diet components are selected. In this paper, levels of aflatoxin B, and GI in some widely used diet components will be presented and their relevance to the general problem of standardization of experimental results discussed.