Mycotoxin contamination and the nutritional content of corn targeted for animal feed

Authors: Pokoo-Aikins, Anthony; MCDONOUGH, CALLIE - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); Mitchell, Trevor; Hawkins, Jaci; Adams, Lincoln; Read, Quentin; Li, Xiang; Shanmugasundaram, Revathi; RODEWALD, ELSIANNA - Mississippi State University; ACHARYA, PRATIMA - Mississippi State University; Glenn, Anthony - Tony; Gold, Scott

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/3/2024
Publication Date: 9/6/2024
Citation: Pokoo-Aikins, A., Mcdonough, C., Mitchell, T.R., Hawkins, J.A., Adams, L.F., Read, Q.D., Li, X., Shanmugasundaram, R., Rodewald, E., Acharya, P., Glenn, A.E., Gold, S.E. 2024. Mycotoxin contamination and the nutritional content of corn targeted for animal feed. Poultry Science. Volume 103, Issue 12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104303.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104303

Interpretive Summary: Corn contaminated with mycotoxins poses problems in poultry production. Although mycotoxin guidance is based on the hazards of individual toxins in a product, feed and feed ingredients may be co-contaminated with several different mycotoxins. The objective of this study was to find out if mycotoxin contamination has an impact on the nutrient content of corn grain. 328 corn samples from the Southeastern U.S. were analyzed for fumonisin (FUM), deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin (AFB1), and zearalenone (ZEA). Color data was also collected. All the samples were found to be contaminated with at least one mycotoxin; 100% of the samples contained FUM, 69.82% DON, 17.07% AFB1, and 43.60% ZEA. Most of the samples had two or more mycotoxins, while 18.29% of the samples contained a single mycotoxin; 38.41% of the samples had two mycotoxins present, 38.41 % had three mycotoxins, and 4.88% of the samples had all four tested mycotoxins present. Samples contaminated with AFB1 had lower fat and lightness in color compared to samples with no AFB1. Samples with DON had higher starch and lower protein compared to samples with no DON. Samples with FUM had higher protein and moisture but lower starch. ZEA contaminated samples had lower starch. A correlation was observed between mycotoxin levels and altered nutrient content in corn. This study provides further evidence that multiple mycotoxins commonly co-contaminate corn, and the fungi and/or mycotoxins impact the nutrient content of corn.

Technical Abstract: Mycotoxin contaminated corn poses a risk to poultry production. Although mycotoxin regulatory guidelines are based on the hazards of individual mycotoxin contamination, feed and feed ingredients may be contaminated with multiple mycotoxins. The objective of this study was to assess mycotoxin co-contamination and its impact on the nutrient content of corn grain. We quantitatively analyzed 328 corn samples originating from various regions in the Southeastern U.S. for fumonisin (FUM), deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEA) by HPLC-MS/MS. Nutritional content was analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy, and color data was collected. All 328 samples were found to be contaminated with at least one mycotoxin: 100% contained FUM, 69.82% contained DON, 17.07% contained AFB1, and 43.60% had detectable levels of ZEA. Most of the samples were contaminated with two or more mycotoxins, with only 18.29% of the samples containing a single mycotoxin. 38.41% of the samples had two mycotoxins present, 38.41 % had 3 mycotoxins, and 4.88% of the samples had all four tested mycotoxins present. Samples contaminated with AFB1 had significantly lower fat (P=0.007) and lightness (P=0.007); samples contaminated with DON had significantly higher starch (P<0.001) and lower protein (P<0.001). Samples contaminated with FUM had significantly higher protein (P=0.008) and moisture (P=0.019) and lower starch (P<0.001). ZEA contaminated samples had significantly lower starch (P=0.034). A correlation was observed between mycotoxin contamination and altered nutrient content in corn. This study provides further evidence that co-contamination of mycotoxins is the norm in corn, and that mycotoxin contamination correlates with impacts on the nutrient profile of feed corn.