The influence of drought on the occurrence of aflatoxins in maize

In this study, a total of 78 maize samples harvested during September and October 2012 in Vojvodina were analyzed. Presence of aflatoxins (AFs) was deter­mined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Among the 78 analyzed maize samples, even 44 (56.4%) samples were contaminated with AFs. Concentration interval between 1-10 μg/kg, 10-50 μg/kg and 50-80 μg/kg were found in 23.1%, 17.9% and 15.4% of analyzed maize samples, respectively. It was supposed that prolonged drought during spring and summer of 2012 had a great influence on high contamination frequency and concentration of AFs. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46001

Screening of mycotoxins in animal feed from the region of Vojvodina

This paper shows the results of screening of mycotoxins in animal feed originating from the region of Vojvodina. Permanent screening is needed on all levels of production and storage, as well as the use of known methods to reduce mould contamination or toxin content in feedstuffs and feed. A total of 56 representative samples were collected from feed companies from the region of Vojvodina. Samples were collected during February 2009. The collected samples included 41 samples of feedstuffs (soybean, soybean meal, soybean grits, soybean cake, maize, sunflower meal, barley, wheat feed flour, rapeseed meal, dehydrated sugar beet pulps, alfalfa meal, yeast, dried whey, fish meal, meat-bone meal) and 15 samples of complete feedingstuffs. The amounts of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol were determined. Screening method for the analysis was done using Neogen Veratox® testing kits. The test itself is a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CD-ELISA). Mycotoxins were present in 71.4% of the samples, but the values determined were below the maximum allowed limits for both Serbian and EC reference values. Zearalenone was found with the highest incidence (57.1% of samples), followed by ochratoxin A (37.5%), fumonisin (33.9%), deoxynivalenol (14.3%) and aflatoxins (3.6%)

A review of possibilities for control of Salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria in pig feed

Each category of pigs is susceptible to diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, which negatively reflects on animal health, farm production results or meat quality. Animal feed is one of the potential reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria and infection source of domestic animals. Salmonella spp. is major microbiological hazard in animal feed. Thus, there is importance for implementation of strategies for preventing feed contamination with Salmonella, by minimizing dust, maximizing hygiene of space and processing equipment in feed mills and implementing control measures in each stage of feed production. Existing Salmonella feed contamination can be eliminated by conditioning and later different heat treatments (pelleting, extrusion, expansion) in production process while changing physical structure of the feed (coarsely or finely ground mash or pellets) can influence on conditions for Salmonella development in gastrointestinal tract of pigs. Contamination of feed by pathogenic bacteria and conditions for their development can be also controlled by addition of acidifiers, prebiotics, probiotics and, more recently, essential oils of plant origin, into feed. Various strategies for prevention of feed bacterial contamination, processes for feed decontamination, as well as possibilities for controlling pathogenic bacteria, especially Salmonella, in pig feed were presented and discussed in this article

Potencijal pelina (Artemisia absinthium) kao dodatak u hranidbi kunića: utjecaj na kontrolu kokcidioze, antioksidacijski sustav i proizvodna obilježja

The objective of the study was the investigation of dietary inclusion of Artemisia absinthium as a potential anticoccidial drug in rabbit diet, as well as a growth promoter and antioxidant in rabbit nutrition. The in vivo investigation was carried out on 120 male New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were distributed into four dietary treatments with ten replicates each. Two levels of whole wormwood plant were used: 100 g/kg (WW100) and 200 g/kg (WW200). The control treatment (C) was basal diet, and one treatment (CR) received chemical coccidiostat robenidine, supplemented in the amount of 6 g/kg. The rabbits were given ad libitum access to water and feed throughout the entire trial period. Feed intake was measured on a daily basis, while body weight was monitored at an individual level during the entire experimental period every seven days, for a total of 77 days. Blood and liver samples were collected for enzyme analyses, where oocyst counts were determined in 1 g of rabbit feces. At the end of the trial, the addition of 200 g/kg of wormwood led to the highest body weight (3047 g), as well to the lowest feed conversion ratio (3.20 kg/kg) with significant differences compared to the control treatment (3.75 kg/kg). The highest recorded glutatione reductase value was with treatment WW100, with significant differences to other experimental treatments. Consumption of coccidiostat and dried wormwood plant in different levels led to a notably lower malondialdehyde content in liver homogenate compared to the control treatment. Finally, the lowest number of oocysts was found in the treatment receiving wormwood in a concentration of 100 g/kg. On the basis of the results achieved, it may be noticed that wormwood supplementation in the diet of rabbits has a positive influence on growth performance, as well on antioxidative systems in rabbits. Subsequently, it was shown that wormwood can successfully be used in reducing the number of oocysts in rabbits.Cilj je ovog rada bio istražiti dodatak pelina (Artemisia absinthium) u hranidbi kunića kao potencijalni antikokcidiostatik, ali i kao promotor rasta i antioksidans. Pokus je izveden in vivo na 120 bijelih novozelandskih kunića muškog spola, a bio je ponovljen četiri puta pri čemu je formirano 10 skupina. Korištene su dvije koncentracije cijele biljke pelina: 100 g/kg (WW100) i 200 g/kg (WW200). Kunići u kontrolnoj skupini (C) bili su hranjeni smjesama bez ikakvih dodataka, dok je u hranidbi pokusnih kunića (CR) dodan kemijski kokcidiostatik robenidin u količini od 6 g/kg. Voda i hrana bili su im dostupni ad libitum tijekom cijelog pokusnog razdoblja. Utrošak hrane bio je mjeren na dnevnom razini, dok je tjelesna težina bila praćena na individualnoj razini tijekom cijelog pokusa svakih sedam dana, ukupno 77 dana. Uzorci krvi i jetre bili su prikupljeni za enzimske analize, dok je broj oocista utvrđen po 1 g fecesa. Na kraju ekperimenta utvrđeno je da je dodatak 200 g/kg pelina doveo do najveće tjelesne mase kunića (3047 g) i do najmanje konverzije hrane (3,20 kg/kg) koja se značajno razlikovala u usporedbi s kontrolom (3,75 kg/kg). Najveća zabilježena vrijednost glutation reduktaze bila je u tretmanu WW100 sa značajnim razlikama u odnosu na druge eksperimentalne tretmane. Upotreba kokcidiostatika i osušene biljke pelina u različitim koncentracijama dovela je do znatno manjeg sadržaja malondialdehida u homogenatu jetre u usporedbi sa kontrolnim tretmanom. Također, najmanji broj oocista bio je zabilježen u tretmanu u kome je pelin dodan u koncentraciji od 100 g/kg. Na osnovi postignutih rezultata, može se primijetiti da dodatak pelina u hranidbi kunića ima pozitivan utjecaj na njihova proizvodna obilježja, kao i na antioksidacijske sustave. Također, ustanovljeno je da se pelin može uspješno koristiti za smanjivanje broja oocista

Influence of dietary carrot and paprika on egg physical characteristics and yolk color

For many consumers egg yolk color is a very important characteristic of egg quality. Since hens are not able to synthesize coloring pigments, the intensity of the yolk color depends directly on the content and profile of pigmenting carotenoids present in their feed. The aim of this study was to assess the combined pigmenting effect of paprika and carrot and their ability to achieve egg yolks in the desired color range. Biological tests lasted for 30 days and were conducted on 180 Lohmann Brown layers. The laying hens were divided in six groups. Every group was assigned to one of six possible treatments, control 1 (C1) treatment without any pigments added, control 2 (C2) treatment with synthetic pigments added and four experimental diets (D1, D2, D3, D4) with the addition of natural color sources (paprika and carrot). After experimental period collected eggs were analyzed regarding physical characteristics of eggs, content of β-carotene and yolk color of eggs. Obtained results has shown that dried carrot and milled paprika can successfully replace synthetic pigments, with no negative effects on physical characteristics of produced eggs, egg yolk color, acceptability or β-carotene content

The possibility of in vitro multi-enzymatic method application for the assessment of the influence of thermal treatments on organic matter digestibility of feed for ruminants

In vitro multi-enzymatic method is a two-step procedure that uses exogenous enzymes for incubation of feed that aim to imitate digestive processes in the animal. It is used for determination of organic matter digestibility (OMD) of various feedstuffs and complete mixtures used in ruminant nutrition. The aim of the present work was to determine whether this in vitro multi-enzymatic method can be applied for the assessment of the influence of thermal treatments on OMD of feed for ruminants. Samples of corn and complete mixture for cows (based on corn) were subjected to pelleting, steam flaking, micronization and extrusion. Statistical analysis of the results did not show significant increase of corn and complete mixture OMD after various thermal treatments compared to untreated samples, which can be explained by high digestibility of corn itself (exceeds 90%). Based on obtained results it can be concluded that applied in vitro method is not suitable for the assessment of the influence of thermal treatments on OMD of corn and corn based mixture, while future research should be broadened to analysis of samples with lower OMD, such as sorghum, oats and barley

Changes in milk composition of domestic Balkan donkeys’ breed during lactation periods

Changes in the milk composition during early, middle and late stage of lactation period were monitored in 10 individual autochthonous donkeys of the Domestic Balkan breed. Animals were grazing ad libitum during early and middle lactation, while supplements (meadow hay, corn and corn stalks) were added during the late lactation period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the main compounds of donkeys’ milk during different periods of lactation. Based on the obtained results it was noticed that nutritional effects on milk composition were the greatest in the early and middle lactation. Chemical analysis indicated that donkeys’ milk was quite poor in dry matter (8.82-9.68%), fat (0.54-0.67%) and protein (1.44-1.79%), and conversely was high in lactose content (6.06-7.12%). Concentration of vitamin C varied significantly (P<0.05) during the lactation period and was very high (12.84-26.89 μg/mL) in comparison to milk from other animal species. Likewise, the content of lysozyme (1.95-3.29 g/L) and lactoferrin (1.56-3.14 g/L) during the early and middle lactation period showed an increase. Donkeys' milk did not show any significant differences in MUFA, n6-PUFA and UFA contents, while n3-PUFA, n6/n3 and UFA/SFA ratio showed a significant variability (P<0.05) during the lactation period.[Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III46012