Natural Antioxidants as Detoxifying Agents for Aflatoxins in Animal Feed

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi species of Aspergillus, mainly A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. Aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) is the most toxic compound, being hepatotoxic and carcinogenic in vertebrate animals including humans. The mechanisms of toxicity of AFB(1) include oxidative stress, which leads to DNA, protein and lipid damages at the cell level. Antioxidants have been used as food additives to protect against oxidative degradation, and are also known to inhibit fungal growth. This review presents the updated knowledge on the use of natural antioxidants as detoxifying agentsfor animal feed contaminated with aflatoxin.