Book review: Mycotoxins in Aquaculture, published by Biomin

Authors: Rui Gonçalves and Michele Muccio; Edited by Annliese Müller

This is a beautifully produced book with both an extremely detailed Table of Contents at the front of the book and a detailed index at the back of the book. The care and attention that has obviously gone into both means it should be quick and easy for readers to look up any specific topic they are searching for.

The front of the book also features a highly useful list of acronyms and a list of figures and tables. The book is divided into seven major sections which focus on various aspects of mycotoxins that are of specific interest to those working in aquaculture.
 

In the introduction, the three authors: Rui A Gonçalves, Michele Muccio, and Editor Anneliese Müller make it clear that a central focus of the book is the current trend of replacing fishmeal with plant-based materials in fish feed and the potential impact of antinutrients such as mycotoxins found in plant matter.

Their concerns are supported by the number of studies recently published at conferences (many undertaken by Biomin), and highlight the need to be aware of this issue and the need for continuing research on the potential impact of mycotoxins on the aquaculture industry.

Section 01: Mycotoxins
The book opens with a definition of what mycotoxins are, and how they occur. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi and can contaminate crops, either in the field or during storage, and consequently they occur in animal feed and animal products. The role of antinutrients, especially mycotoxins, is not fully understood; however, mycotoxins exert detrimental effects on human and animal and productivity.

Even though we cannot fully explain their function, mycotoxins are produced during different stages of food and feed production and pose a serious health risk globally.

A further complication is the fact that feedstuffs are often contaminated with more than one mycotoxin. Global trading in commodities adds yet more complexity as feedstuffs from different geographical regions, many containing different fungal species, makes co-contamination of mycotoxins even more likely. In a 2027 survey conducted by Biomin, 71 percent of samples were found to be co-contaminated by two or more mycotoxins.

This has a direct effect on aquaculture, since plant proteins are increasingly being used in aqua feed. Aflatoxins can be expressed in lactating animals. When animals ingest contaminated feed, mycotoxins are able to mask their toxic effects and can be transformed in the mammalian digestive track back into their parent mycotoxin.

Read the full article, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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