Benefits of Probiotics on Aflatoxin Infected Birds

*Muhammed Jimoh Ibrahim*

#### **Abstract**

Aflatoxin are transferred from feed to animal products (Eggs, Meats and Milk). There is need to find alternative chemicals that is economically friendly to reduce the impact of aflatoxins. Probiotics additives especially Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp. biodegradation generally decreases aflatoxin residues in milk, egg and meat. They are low cost, economically friendly and accessible additives which could mitigate aflatoxin formation in feed and food. There is need for aggressive public health awareness on the implication of aflatoxin residues and as well as detoxification strategy that can reduce toxin absorption into animal feed.

**Keywords:** Probiotics, birds, aflatoxin, residues, implication

#### **1. Introduction**

Food safety is effectively achieved when the food pillars, such as; food availability, food access, food utilization, and food stability which permit individual at any time to have access to affordable, safe and healthy food to meet daily nutrient requirement [1]. Weakens of this four pillar pose a treat to food security. Human health and animal welfare are influenced by food insecurity and contaminant, which reflect on social and economic status of a society. Mycotoxin during pre, processing and post-harvest are driving factors of food insecurity since contamination occurs along the food value chain from farm to fork [2]. Poultry products are important international food commodity. Economic losses may occur due to the presence of natural feed contaminants, such as mycotoxins, which are secondary metabolites produced by certain toxigenic aflatoxins [3], poultry-derived products such as meat and eggs are carry-over of aflatoxin into the human food value chain which serve as potential threat to human health [4–7]. Contaminated food and feeds with aflatoxin prohibit trade of international concern [8]. The regulations on "acceptable health risk" usually depend on a country's level of economic development, extent of consumption of high-risk crops, and the susceptibility to contamination of crops to be regulated [9]. Safety limit of aflatoxin consumption for human ranges 4–30 mg/kg. European Union has set the strictest standards, which establishes that any product for direct human consumption cannot be marketed with a concentration of AF-B1 and total AFs greater than 2 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg, respectively [10–12]. Likewise, US regulations have specified the maximum acceptable limit for AFs at 20 mg/kg [13–16]. Worldwide European Union aflatoxin standard is adopted, meeting this standard Sub-Sahara Africa and Asia encounter both economic losses and financial costs. This situation requires alternative technologies at pre- and post-harvest levels aimed to minimize contamination of commercial foods and feeds, at least to ensure that AF levels remain below safe limits [15, 16].

Physical, chemical and biological approaches have been conducted to degrade mycotoxin. Most of these method are unsafe due to losses in the nutritional value, cost of equipment, and formation of intermediate metabolite [17]. Biological detoxification using microorganisms or enzymatic preparations is promising [18]. Probioitcs such as *Rhodococcus erythropolis*, *Armillariella tabescens*, and *Myxococcus fulvu, Rhizopus oryzaes, Pseudomonas sp* and *Bacillus subtilis*, have been reported to have different AF-degrading ability [19–21]. *Bacillus subtilis* applied directly on the feedstuffs degrade 81.5% AFB1 and 85% ZEA in naturally contaminated feed in vitro [22, 23]. *B. subtilis* had protective effects against aflatoxicosis in layers and broilers fed naturally AF-contaminated diets [24–26]. It is therefore, important to identify benefits of probiotics on aflatoxin contaminated poultry products to effectively monitor carry-over of residues to sustain healthy living and socioeconomic development.

#### **1.1 Mycotoxin**

Mycotoxin refers to harmful secondary metabolites produced by fungi in food and feed products that negatively impact animal and human health, by themselves or through synergistic interactions with each other [27]. Mycotoxins are structurally diverse low-molecular weight secondary metabolites produced by fungal growth [27]. Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium contaminate feed and food consumed by animals and humans. Globally, millions of dollars are losses annually on mycotoxins, on agricultural products, animal and human health [15].

#### **1.2 Aflatoxins**

Aflatoxins are polyketide secondary metabolites produced by toxigenic strains of *Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium* and *Alternaria* fungi [28, 29]. They grow on a variety of nutritional substrates like cereals which is the main active ingredient of poultry and human food [30]. They are extremely harmful to the health of humans and animals, showing changes in biochemical and hematological indices effecting metabolism via alteration of enzymatic pathways of starch, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Hence, serum glutamate pyruvatate transaminase, serum gluatamate oxaloacetate tranferase and γ-glutamyl transferase activities are increased, inciting; hepatotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, immunosuppressive actions and in severe intoxications may cause death [31–38]. Acute or chronic aflatoxicosis in poultry results in retarded growth, decreased production and egg quality, impaired immune response, increased mortality and liver and intestine damage [39, 40]. AF is also known to interfere with metabolism of vitamin D, iron and copper and can cause leg weakness. Aflatoxin has caused serious destructions in Africa, which has caused significant financial losses in agricultural commodities contaminated with toxins and consequently having effects on animal and human health point of view [41, 42]. Although most countries of the world has been affected by aflatoxin, it is sub-saharan Africa (SSA) that has suffered most [43]. Most of SSA agriculture occurs in impoverished rural areas and a lack of technical infrastructure in many African countries does not allow for routine quality control of even commercially produced commodities, never mind those produced by rural population for their own consumption [43]. Ultimately, the transmission of AF and its metabolites from feed to animal edible tissues and products, such as liver and eggs, becomes a potential hazard for human health.
