The influence of mycotoxins on pig health and performance

Mikotoksini predstavljaju značajan problem u hranidbi svinja. Sekundarni metaboliti plijesni su toksične tvari koje negativno utječu na zdravlje i proizvodnost životinja, te kakvoću njihovih proizvoda. Stvaranje mikotoksina je složen proces i teško je predvidjeti koji će toksin biti proizveden i u kojoj koncentraciji. Hranu najčešće onečišćuju niske koncentracije različitih mikotoksina (aflatoksini, ohratoksini, trihoteceni, fumonizini i zearalenon) koji uzrokuju cijeli niz nepoželjnih učinaka, ovisno o količini koju životinja unese u organizam. Interakcije mikotoksina u organizmu su kompleksne, a mogu imati antagonistički, sinergistički ili zbrojeni učinak, ovisno o kombinaciji i razini u kojoj se pojave. Svinja je jedna od najosjetljivijih domaćih životinja na djelovanje mikotoksina. Pri dugotrajnom konzumiranju onečišćene hrane dolazi do pada proizvodnosti, pogoršanja općeg zdravstvenog stanja i reproduktivnih poremećaja. Jedan od važnijih negativnih djelovanja kod svinja, koje dugotrajno uzimaju niske doze mikotoksina je imunosupresija. Mikotoksini predstavljaju vrlo stabilne spojeve koji dugo ostaju u sirovinama i životinjskim proizvodima, te predstavljaju velik rizik zbog mogućeg prijenosa na ljude.Mycotoxins present a serious problem in swine nutrition. As secondary metabolites of moulds they are toxic substances that have a negative effect on health status and performance of animals and their products. Mycotoxin production is a complex process and it makes it difficult to predict which toxin will be produced and in what concentration. Feed is mostly contaminated by low concentrations of multiple mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxins, tricothecenes, fumonisins and zearalenone), which cause a variety of negative effects depending on the concentration taken in by an animal. Inside the organism, mycotoxin interactions are complex and can have antagonistic, synergistic and additive effect, depending on the combination and level of their inclusion. When it comes to mycotoxins swine is one of the most sensitive farm animals. Long-term consumption of contaminated food can lead to lower production results, health problems and reproductive disorders. Immunosupression in swine is one of more important negative effects resulting from long term low level mycotoxin intake. Mycotoxins are generally quite stable molecules and may remain in raw materials and animal products a considerable time presenting a great risk of possible transfer to humans