Contamination study of livestock and poultry feedstuff with aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species

Document Type : Full Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Damghan Branch, Semnan, Iran.

2 Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.

3 Yazdansetad, S., Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.

4 School of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran.

5 Students Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

6 Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

7 Student Research Committee, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran

Abstract

The livestock and poultry feedstuff contamination related to the aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species and it’s relationship with human’s food is the sanitary problem and health-threatening in food chain. There is not suitable screening of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species in livestock and poultry feedstuff. The present study was conducted to study contamination of livestock and poultry feedstuff with aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species and identify fungal species based on beta-tubulin gene amplification by PCR. Sampling was randomly performed from two livestock and two poultry feedstuff producing corporations in Gorgan county. The feedstuff samples were cultivated on specific medium and the fungi were identified by macroscopic, microscopic and molecular tests. The aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species were identified based on PCR amplification and sequencing of beta-tubulin gene. Aspergillus flavus (n=4), Aspergillus parasiticus (n=1), Aspergillus versicolor (n=2), Aspergillus fumigatus (n=2), Aspergillus niger (n=2), Aspergillus ochraceus (n=1), Aspergillus terreus (n=1), Aspergillus fusarium (n=1) and Aspergillus trichothecium (n=1) were founded in our study. An average of 27.25 percent of livestock feedstuff and 31.70 percent of poultry feedstuff comprised of the Aspergillus genus. Our study indicated high contamination rate of livestock and poultry feedstuff with aflatoxin producing Aspergillus. Therefore, it should be constantly checked by health institutions to prevent the entry of the toxin into humans food chain..

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