The presence of mycotoxins in 82 samples of Peruvian purple maize was determined by LC-MS/MS methods. Samples were collected from local commercial establishments in Peru from December 2015 to March 2016, and from March 2017 to April 2017. Aflatoxins (AF) (64.6%) and fumonisins (FB) (63.4%) were the most common mycotoxins, with average values of 2.1 (1-17) and 2,586 (125-27,490) μg/kg, respectively. Zearalenone (ZEA) was identified in a single sample at 24.4 μg/kg. Co-occurrence of AF and FB was confirmed in 45.1% of the samples (n=37), which presented significant (P<0.05) Spearman correlation (ρ=0.59) between these mycotoxins. Co-occurrence of AF, FB and ZEA was found in one sample and ZEA was found in one sample. Ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, fusarenone X, diacetoxyscirpenol, 3-acetyldeoxinivalenol, HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin were not detected. Water activity (Aw) of these samples exceeded 0.73; there was no correlation between Aw and the levels of mycotoxins. This is the first study to evaluate the occurrence of mycotoxins in Peruvian purple maize, and it ascertained that this variety may pose a risk to public health. Therefore, there is a need to control this grain supply chain in order to determine the factors involved in the presence of these toxins, and to establish regulatory limits or guidelines for maximum tolerated levels.

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar as variáveis micotoxicológicas e nutricionais de híbridos de milho com diferentes características que influenciam no custo da ração para frangos de corte. Foram avaliados 26 híbridos de milho geneticamente modificados nas safrinhas de 2016 e 2017, com diferentes germoplasmas, textura de endosperma e duração do ciclo. Nos híbridos, foram avaliados grãos avariados, fumonisinas (B1+B2) (FUM), aflatoxinas (B1+B2+G1+G2) (AFLA), zearalenona (ZEA), deoxinivalenol (DON), umidade, proteína bruta (PB), energia metabolizável aparente corrigida para balanço de nitrogênio (EMAn), aminoácidos digestíveis para aves (lisina, metionina, cistina e treonina) e o respectivo custo da ração inicial para frangos de corte, que foi calculada pelo custo mínimo. A prevalência de FUM, AFLA, ZEA e DON foi de 90, 17, 33 e 0%, com médias de 3067, 1, 38 e 0µg/kg nos dois anos, respectivamente. A média de EMAn e PB foi de 3264kcal/kg e 8,02%, respectivamente, e diferiu (P<0,05) nos dois anos. O custo da ração foi influenciado significativamente (P<0,05) por FUM, PB, EMAn nos dois anos. Híbridos com tecnologia Viptera apresentam menor concentração por FUM e menor custo da ração. Híbridos de ciclo precoce têm menor concentração de FUM, maiores percentuais de PB e de aminoácidos digestíveis e menor custo da ração.

Mycotoxin contamination of stored cereals often occurs in a highly heterogeneous manner, necessitating the use of representative sampling to minimise analytical errors. The objective of this study was to compare mycotoxin analysis in stored maize and wheat using two sampling processes. Samples were obtained from four maize silos and two wheat silos. A pneumatic probe was introduced in the centre and at the four central points of each quadrant, from the top to the bottom of the silo (12 m). For sampling process A, this was divided into three samples (upper third, middle third and lower third of the silo height). No sample subdivision took place for sampling process B. LC-MS/MS was used for analysis of aflatoxins (AF), fumonisins (FB), zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in maize and DON and ZEA in wheat. Sampling procedures were compared with respect to the variability of the collected data. AF, FB, ZEA and DON were detected in 77.5, 100.0, 56.7 and 0.0% of the maize samples, respectively, and the mean concentration differed significantly between silos. In wheat, 100.0 and 97.5% of the samples were contaminated with DON and ZEA, respectively, and there was no significantly difference in mean concentration between silos. There was no significant difference ( P >0.05) in the coefficients of variation (CVs) of AF (54.9 and 58.6%), FB (19.4 and 27.3%) and ZEA (68.9 and 85.5%) between sampling processes A and B in maize silos. The DON CV in sampling process A (10.1%) was lower ( P <0.05) than the CV in sampling process B (22.2%) in wheat silos. Overall, the two sampling processes provided analytical results with the same variability in maize and different variability for DON in wheat, where process A yielded results with lower variability.

Filamentous fungi like Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides contaminating maize grains leads to yield losses and quality decrease and may be hazardous to the consuming population due to mycotoxin production. Biological control is a promising alternative control method due to low costs, high efficacy and low toxicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of three Bacillus spp. on controlling A. flavus and F. verticillioides growth and mycotoxin production on maize grain. Maize grains were inoculated with A. flavus or F. verticillioides and the biocontrol agents. Fungal counts were conducted to evaluate growth and mycotoxin concentration was determined by HPLC and LC-MS/MS. All three Bacillus spp. showed to decrease both A. flavus and F. verticillioides growth and mycotoxin production on maize grains in comparison with the control treatments. The results showed that the biocontrol candidates may be an effective control method aiming fungal and mycotoxin control on maize grains.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp. It has been reported to be a potential cause of liver cancer in rats and esophageal cancer in humans. The underlying mechanisms of FB1 toxicity are thought to be related to the inhibition of ceramide synthase, causing an accumulation of sphingosine (SO) and sphinganine (SA), which in turn may cause tissue functional impairment and the development of oxidative stress. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the effects of an FB1-contaminated diet on markers of oxidative stress in chick liver. A total of 24 male broiler chicks (Cobb 500) were fed a standard control diet or a diet contaminated with FB1 (100 mg/kg) for 21 days, starting on postnatal day one. The feed and animals were weighed on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 to estimate the feed conversion ratio, and at 21 days, the liver weight and liver relative weight were determined. At the end of the experiment, samples of blood and liver were collected. The blood was used to quantify the SA/SO ratio, and the liver was used to determine the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST); ascorbic acid levels (Vit C), non-protein thiol (NPSH) levels and TBARS content were also determined. The FB1 diet increased the liver weight, liver relative weight, feed conversion and SA/SO ratio. Furthermore, hepatic TBARS levels, Vit C content and CAT activity were also increased. Conversely, the activities of SOD, GST and NPSH levels, in the liver were not altered by the mycotoxin-contaminated diet. In summary, we showed that subacute exposure of broiler chicks to FB1 induced liver oxidative stress concomitantly with SA/SO accumulation.

The dietary use of 0.25% Myco-Ad has been proven to effectively prevent the toxic effects of aflatoxin, ochratoxin and T-2 toxin in broilers. Studies were conducted to evaluate the fumonisin (FUM) adsorption capacity of Myco-Ad and its efficacy in preventing the deleterious effects of high levels of FUM in broiler chicks; as part of the regulatory anti-mycotoxin additives (AMA) approval process in Brazil. Six hundred dayold Cobb male chicks were placed in battery cages randomly distributed into 5 treatments with 12 replications each and fed a basal corn-soy diet containing or exceeding NRC recommendations. All ingredients used were tested free of mycotoxins contamination. Treatments were: 1 basal diet; 2 basal + 0.5% Myco-Ad; 3 basal + 100 ppm FUM; 4 basal + 100 ppm FUM + 0.25% Myco-Ad and 5 basal + 100 ppm FUM + 0.5% Myco-Ad. FUM was obtained from a culture of Fusarium moniliforme containing 94.4% Fumonisina B1 and 5.6% Fumonisina B2 produced in LAMIC. Myco-Ad adsorption capacity of 2.5 ppm FUM was 74.6% at pH3. Results at 21 days of age indicated that broiler fed 100 ppm FUM contaminated diet presented significant lower feed intake (4.5%), smaller body weight (9.1%), poorer feed conversion (5.6%) and altered sphinganine:sphingosine ratio in blood (31.4%) than chicks fed the control diet. The addition of either 0.25 or 0.5% Myco-Ad significantly improved the feed intake (2%), body weight (4.6%) and sphinganine:sphingosine ratio in blood (54.3%) observed in chicks fed the FUM contaminated diet. Liver size and plasma proteins were not significantly affected by the treatments. The addition of 0.5% Myco-Ad to the chick diet did not show any statistical difference in the parameters measured compared to the control diet, demonstrating its lack of interference with the absorption of nutrients. These results indicated that 0.25% Myco-Ad was effective in reducing the toxic effects of FUM in broiler chicks; and therefore met the requirements for AMA registration in Brazil. Poultry Science Vol. 91 Suppl. 1 p 129 2012 Table 1. Effects of different levels of Myco-Ad on performance, liver weight, and blood parameters of broilers exposed to FUM at 21 days of age. a, b, c Means within columns with no common superscripts differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) TREATMENT Body weight g Feed intake g Adjusted FCR Relative liver weight % Total plasma proteins g/dl SA:SO Control 717 a 1145 a 1.60 a 3.15 a 2.95 a 0.51 a 5 kg Myco-Ad 694 ab 1129 ab 1.63 a 3.15 a 3.07 a 0.58 a 100 ppm FUM 651 c 1093 c 1.69 b 3.30 a 2.67 a 0.35 b 100 ppm T-2 toxin + 2.5 kg Myco-Ad 679 b 1115 b 1.64 a 3.21 a 2.74 a 0.54 a 100 ppm T-2 toxin + 2 kg Myco-Ad 681 b 1117 b 1.64 a 3.28 a 2.74 a 0.53 a

The aim of this research was to evaluate, on a weekly basis, the effects of aflatoxins on the activity of digestive enzymes (alpha-amylase, lipase, and trypsin) in the pancreas as well as on the performance and histology of pancreas in broiler chickens over the course of 42 days. One thousand and eighty 1-day-old male Cobb broilers were divided into four treatments with 18 replicates and 15 birds per replicate (i.e., 270 broilers per treatment). Treatments were established according to the amount of aflatoxins added to the diet, as follows: T1 = 0 mg of aflatoxins per kilogram of feed (mg/kg); T2 = 0.7 mg/kg; T3 = 1.7 mg/kg; and T4 = 2.8 mg/kg. Pancreas sample collection was performed from one bird out of each replicate at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days of experiment, which yielded a total of 18 samples per treatment on each collection. Each sample was homogenized in distilled water, frozen in liquid nitrogen, lyophilized, and stored at 220 C until analysis. Performance parameters (body weight, feed consumption, and feed conversion rate) were measured at 21, 35, and 42 days of experiment. At the end of the experiment (42 days), six birds from each treatment were randomly chosen for histologic evaluation of the pancreas. The presence of aflatoxins in the diet induced a negative effect on all performance parameters. The pancreatic activity of lipase and alpha-amylase were significantly increased in treatments T3 and T4, while the specific activity of trypsin was only affected during treatment T4. In addition, several histologic changes were observed in the pancreas of birds receiving aflatoxin-contaminated feed. Aflatoxins present in the feed determined an increase in the activity of pancreatic enzymes in broilers, affecting the digestibility of the diet, thereby leading to losses in performance and productivity.

P346 The effects of commercial herbal and chemical medicines on abdominal fat, immune system and percent of viability of broilers challenged with infectious bronchitis virus. M. Hatamzade1, S. Rahimi*1, and M. J. Gharaguzlu2, 1Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, 2Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the individual and combined effects of Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide (sLPS) and fumonisin B1 (FB) on performance, relative weight of liver, biological parameters, and histological evaluation of several tissues from four hundred thirty-two 1-d-old male broiler chickens divided into 9 treatments according to the dose of FB (0, 100, or 200 mg/kg, from d 1 to d 28) and sLPS (0, 250, or 500 µg/application per bird, every other day, from d 15 to 27) administered. At the end of the experiment (28 d), significant effects caused by sLPS, FB, and the interaction of sLPS × FB were observed on several parameters. Histopathological evaluations showed significant lesions in liver and kidney caused by sLPS, FB, and their association. According to these results, both sLPS and FB (isolated or in association) cause significant effects on performance and biological parameters of broilers at 28 d of age.

Two experiments of different length of time (28 and 56 days) were conducted to study the efficacy of a commercial purified phylosilicate (Myco-Ad A-Z) in preventing the deleterious effects of fumonisin (FUM) in finishing pigs. Twelve male pigs averaging 58.5 kg initial body weight were used in each experiment. Pigs were individually housed and randomly distributed into 3 dietary treatments with 4 replications and fed a corn-soy diet containing or exceeding NRC recommendations. All ingredients were tested free of mycotoxins contamination. Treatments were: (1) control diet; (2) control + 25 ppm FUM; and (3) control + 25 ppm FUM + 4.0 kg/mt Myco-Ad A-Z. FUM was obtained from a culture material containing 72% FUM B1 and 38% FUM B2 produced in LAMIC. Performance and organs (lungs, heart, and liver) relative weights (g/kg body weight) were evaluated in experiment 1 (EX1). Performance, lungs relative weight and serum sphinganine / sphingosine ration (SA:SO) were determined in experiment 2 (EX2). Results from both experiments showed that pigs fed 25 ppm of FUM had significantly poorer performance; increased lungs, heart and liver relative weights; and increased SA:SO than pigs fed the control diet. The addition of Myco-Ad A-Z to the contaminated diet significantly improved performance parameters and relative organ weight: feed intake (2615 vs 2315 EX1) (2948 vs 2810 EX2), daily gain (861 vs 722 EX1) (1084 vs 996 EX2), feed efficiency (2.70 vs 3.08 EX1) (3.21 vs 3.46 EX2), lungs (6.68 vs 9.39 EX1) (5.94 vs 6.34 EX2), heart (3.75 vs 4.87 EX1), and liver (18.65 vs 20.89 EX1). Serum SA:SO, a key marker of FUM toxicity, was significantly increased in pigs fed FUM compared to control and Myco-Ad A-Z fed pigs (0.78 vs 0.38 and 0.49). These results indicate that Myco-Ad A-Z was very effective in preventing the toxic effects of FUM in finishing pigs.

Toxicokinetics and the toxicological effects of culture material containing fumonisin B1 (FB1) were studied in male weaned piglets by clinical, pathological, biochemical and sphingolipid analyses. The animals received a single oral dose of 5mgFB1/kg of body weight, obtained from Fusarium verticillioides culture material. FB1 was detected by HPLC in plasma collected at 1-h intervals up to 6h and at 12-h intervals up to 96h. FB1 eliminated in feces and urine was quantified over a 96-h period and in liver samples collected 96h post-intoxication. Blood samples were obtained at the beginning and end of the experiment to determine serum enzyme activity, total bilirubin, cholesterol, sphinganine (Sa), sphingosine (So) and the Sa/So ratio. FB1 was detected in plasma between 30min and 36h after administration. The highest concentration of FB1 was observed after 2h, with a mean concentration of 282μg/ml. Only 0.93% of the total FB1 was detected in urine between 75min and 41h after administration, the highest mean concentration (561μg/ml) was observed during the interval after 8 at 24h. Approximately 76.5% of FB1 was detected in feces eliminated between 8 and 84h after administration, with the highest levels observed between 8 and 24h. Considering the biochemical parameters, a significant increase only occurred in cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase activities. In plasma and urine, the highest Sa and Sa/So ratios were obtained at 12 and 48h, respectively.

O desempenho, o peso de alguns órgãos e a morfologia vulvar de leitoas pré-púberes, alimentadas por 28 dias com dietas contendo zearalenona, foram avaliados. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente ao acaso, com dois tratamentos, dieta controle (DC) e dieta controle + 2mg kg-1 de zearalenona (DZ), e seis repetições cada. Não houve diferença (P>0,05) entre os tratamentos para consumo médio diário de ração (1,24 x 1,19kg), ganho médio diário de peso (0,68 x 0,71kg), conversão alimentar (1,86 x 1,71) e peso vivo (PV); (30,9 x 30,4kg). A zearalenona não alterou (P>0,05) os pesos absoluto e relativo do coração (137 x 141g e 0,45 x 0,45% PV), fígado (699 x 699g e 2,31 x 2,26%PV), rins (47 x 49g e 0,15 x 0,16%PV) e baço (166 x 171g e 0,55 x 0,55%PV). Houve aumento (P<0,05) no comprimento (17 x 27cm) e no peso (23 x 157g e 0,07 x 0,51%PV) do trato reprodutivo das leitoas do grupo DZ. O volume vulvar ao final do período foi 820% maior (P<0,05) nos animais alimentados com zearalenona (941 x 8658mm³/kgPV0,6). Os resultados indicam que em suínos a zearalenona e seus metabólitos possuem atividade estrogênica, mas não interferem no desempenho dos animais.The performance, the weights of some organs, and the vulvae morphology in pre-pubertal gilts fed diets containing zearalenone were evaluated during 28 days. The experimental design was completely randomized with two treatments (control diet, ZD - control diet + 2mg kg-1 of zearalenone) and six replications of each were done. No differences (P>0.05) between treatments for daily feed intake (1.24 x 1.19kg), average daily gain (0.68 x 0.71kg), feed conversion ratio (1.86 x 1.71), and live weight (30.9 x 30.4kg) were observed. Zearalenone did not change (P>0.05) the absolute and relative weights of heart (137 x 141g and 0.45 x 0.45%BW), liver (699 x 699g and 2.31 x 2.26%BW), kidneys (47 x 49g and 0.15 x 0.16%BW), and spleen (166 x 171g and 0.55 x 0.55% BW). However, zearalenone increased (P<0.05) the length (17 x 27cm) and weight (23 x 157g and 0.07 x 0.51%BW) of the reproductive tract. The final vulvae volume was 820% larger (P<0.05) in gilts fed diets containing zearalenone than those fed control diet (941 x 8658mm³/kgBW0.6). Results suggested that zearalenone and its metabolites have an estrogenic activity in pigs without changing the animal performance.

This work was conduced to determine the performance parameters of initial-phase turkey poults fed 7 different doses of aflatoxins in the diet. Three hundred thirty-six 1-d-old male turkey poults were used in this research. Turkeys were divided into 7 treatments according to aflatoxin doses (T1 = control; T2 = 20 ppb aflatoxins; T3 = 50 ppb; T4 = 100 ppb; T5 = 200 ppb; T6 = 500 ppb; T7 = 1,000 ppb). Birds were killed in 2 periods: half of them after 21 d of experiment and the remaining birds after 42 d of experiment. In both periods, the evaluated parameters were as follows: feed consumption, BW, relative weights of organs (liver, gizzard, heart, and bursa of Fabricius) and meat (breast and thighs), and clinical biochemistry parameters (total plasmatic proteins, albumin, uric acid, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase). At 21 d of experiment, both feed consumption and BW were significantly affected by the aflatoxins present in the diet. Nevertheless, gizzard relative weight, total plasmatic proteins, and cholesterol levels were also affected. At the 42-d evaluation, besides feed consumption and BW, gizzard and liver relative weights and cholesterol levels were also affected by the presence of aflatoxins in the diet. Turkey poults are very sensitive to aflatoxin poisoning, because they are at least 3 to 6 times more sensitive to these contaminants than broilers.

The effects of prolonged oral administration (21 days) of fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) and aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) were studied in male New Zealand rabbits by clinical, pathological, biochemical and sphingolipid analyses. Twenty-four animals were randomly divided into the following four experimental groups: (A) 0 mg FB(1)+0 microg AFB(1)/(kg body weight(bw)day) (control); (B) 0 mg FB(1)+30 microg AFB(1)/(kg bw day); (C) 1.5 mg FB(1)/(kg bw day)+30 microg AFB(1)/(kg bw day); (D) 1.5 mg FB(1)/(kg bw day)+0 microg AFB(1). Animals from group B and principally from group C presented clinical signs of intoxication. Rabbits from group C presented a lower body weight gain than controls. Differences were observed between intoxicated rabbits and controls with respect to absolute and relative liver and kidney weight, hepatic function, serum urea and creatinine levels and Sa/So ratio. The most frequent hepatic and renal injuries were vacuolar degeneration of the liver and kidney as shown by the histopathological and serum biochemical results. Combined administration of AFB(1) and FB(1) resulted in synergistic toxic effects both in the liver and in the kidney, but hepatic injuries were more marked.

In the present study, 60 samples of corn meal and flour traded in São Paulo were analysed for determination of aflatoxins and fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2). No aflatoxin was found in samples of both products. In corn meal, the concentrations of FB1 and FB2 ranged from 1.1 to 15.3 mgkg−1 (mean: 5.2 mgkg−1) and 0.2 to 3.9 mgkg−1 (mean: 1.0 mgkg−1), respectively. Corn flour presented lower levels of FB1 (0.5–7.2 mgkg−1; mean: 2.1 mgkg−1) and FB2 (0.1–1.8 mgkg−1; mean: 0.7 mgkg−1). Considering the average values of FB1 found in corn meal samples, as well as food consumption estimates in Brazil, the worst case of FB1 consumption would be 2.9 μgkg body weight−1 per day. Results indicate the need for the adoption of practices to control the occurrence of fumonisins by manufacturers of corn products, mainly in corn meal.

Fifty-nine Aspergillus flavus and 35 Fusarium verticillioides strains, isolated from freshly harvested (10) and stored (130) Brazilian sorghum samples, were tested regarding their ability to produce aflatoxins (coconut milk agar) and fumonisins (rice culture), respectively. Aflatoxins B1 and B2 were detected by TLC, and fumonisins B1 and B2 were analyzed by HPLC. Thirty-eight (64.4%) A. flavus strains produced detectable levels of aflatoxins at concentrations ranging from 12.00 to 3282.50 µg/kg (AFB1 + AFB2), while thirty two (91%) F. verticillioides strains produced FB1 at concentrations ranging from 0.12 to 5.38 µg/g. Two F. proliferatum strains produced low fumonisin levels. The toxigenic potential of A. flavus (64.4%) and F. verticillioides (91.5%) strains observed in sorghum samples indicates that rigorous control should be directed at the storage conditions of these products to minimize contamination with toxigenic deteriorating fungi, preventing further hazard to human and animal health.

RESUMO Correlacionou-se a concentração de ergosterol com o número de unidades formadoras de colônias fúngicas e aflatoxina em 40 amostras de milho. A extração do ergosterol foi realizada através de irradiação em forno microondas e a quantificação por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC). As unidades formadoras de colônias foram contadas a partir da semeadura das amostras em meio de cultura DRBC, nas diluições de 10-2 a 10-5 e incubadas por um período de até 7 dias a 28° C. A quantificação da aflatoxina foi realizada por cromatografia em camada delgada. O nível de ergosterol das amostras variou de 1,11 a 32,6 ppm e as unidades formadoras de colônias de 3,33 x 103 a 2,23 x 105. A presença de aflatoxinas foi constatada em 62,5% das amostras. A correlação entre a quantidade de ergosterol e as unidades formadoras de colônias fúngicas foi de r = 0,94, demonstrando alta relação entre estas variáveis. No entanto, a correlação entre concentração de ergosterol e presença de aflatoxina apresentou-se baixa (r = 0,4). Os resultados indicam que a determinação dos níveis de ergosterol representa uma possibilidade de avaliação do grau de contaminação fúngica do milho, em substituição à técnica de contagem de unidades formadoras de colônias.

The effects of chronic oral exposure (28 days) to aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) and fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) were studied in weaned piglets. Six experimental groups, each comprising two neutered males and two females, were fed ad libitum with rations containing: (A) 0 mg of FB(1) and 0 mg of AFB(1)/kg of feed (control); (B) 10 mg of FB(1)/kg of feed; (C) 30 mg of FB(1)/kg of feed; (D) 50 microg of AFB(1)/kg of feed; (E) 10 mg of FB(1) plus 50 microg of AFB(1)/kg of feed; (F) 30 mg of FB(1) plus 50 microg of AFB(1)/kg of feed. The animals were inspected twice daily and their body weight and feed consumption were recorded weekly and daily, respectively. Samples of feces and urine were collected 24 h after the start of the experiment, to check for fumonisin residues by HPLC analysis. Blood samples were drawn at the start of the experiment and after 28 days for quantification of hematological and biochemical parameters. Necropsies were performed after 28 days; at necropsy, the organs were weighed, inspected macroscopically and processed for histopathological and toxicological analyses. All piglets from groups C and F presented typical signs of pulmonary edema, with reduced feed consumption and body weight gain as well as pathological alterations. FB(1) was detected in feces and urine at 24 h of intoxication and in liver after 28 days of intoxication. Increases were detected regarding the following hematological and biochemical parameters in animals from treatments C and F: erythrocyte number; hematocrit; total bilirubin; total protein; activity of serum alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase. Cholesterol levels were significantly aumented only in animals from groups C and F, whereas albumin concentrations increased in groups C, F, B and E. The average organ/body weight ratio of piglets (hearth, liver and lung) were significantly greater in groups C and F. The only joint effects of FB(1) and AFB(1) detected (group F) were a decrease in feed consumption during the last week of intoxication and in feed conversion throughout the 28 days of intoxication. Chronic intoxication of piglets with AFB(1) and FB(1) leads to important losses of productivity.

Production of fumonisins B-1 (FB1) and B-2 (FB2) by two Brasilian strains (LAMIC 2999/96 and 113F) and one American strain (NRRL 13616) of Fusarium moniliforme were evaluated in laboratory cultures subjected to different temperatures (20, 25, and 30degreesC), and moisture contents (25, 34, and 42%) on corn substrate. The cultures were grown during 10, 20, 30,45, and 60 days, totalizing 135 treatments with two repetitions for each one. The fumonisins were extracted with acetonitrile/water. The clean-up with end-capped C-18 silica (C-18ec) cartridges and fumonisin derivatization with o-phtaldialdeyde were carried out through an automated sample processor system (ASPEC), followed by quantification of the toxins through HPLC. Fumonisin production varied widely, reaching average yields from 0.25 to 55 15.45 mug/g of FB1 and from 0.15 to 3032.10 mug/g of FB2. In the present work, the factors strain, temperature, moisture and days of fungal culture were evaluated, and all of them had a bearing on the amounts of fumonisins produced. The highest FB1 average yields were obtained by the strain 113F, under the following conditions: 34% moisture content, 60 culture days, and temperature of 25degreesC. The highest FB2 average yield was obtained by the same strain with cultures over 45 days, 42% moisture content, at the temperature of 25degreesC. Via regression analysis, the ideal temperature for fumonisins production was, calculated as 24.5 and 24.3degreesC (+/- 2degreesC) for FB1 and FB2, respectively.