**Author details**

**2.4. Dietary manipulations**

136 Aflatoxins - Recent Advances and Future Prospects

**3. Conclusion**

critical control strategies.

**Acknowledgements**

*2.4.1. Hepatotropic nutrients and anti-oxidants*

free radicals, thus, ameliorating the mycotoxin toxicity.

Various nutritional strategies have been employed to alleviate the adverse effects of aflatox‐ ins. Addition of specific amino acids like methionine in excess of their requirement protect the chicks from growth depressing effects of AFB1, possibly through an increased rate of de‐ toxification by glutathione, a sulfur amino acid metabolite. Supplementation of phenyl ala‐ nine has shown to alleviate toxicity of ochratoxin. Addition of vegetable oil (safflower oil,

Aflatoxins cause toxicity through release of free radicals and lipid peroxidation. Hence, anti‐ oxidants could aid in the overall detoxification process in liver and hence may help in allevi‐ ation of aflatoxicosis. Butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) is effective in preventing the adverse effects of AFB1. Vitamin E and Selenium supplementation also has shown to overcome nega‐ tive effects of aflatoxin. Of late, there is a growing interest in the use of phytochemicals (cur‐ cumin, flavonoids, resveratrol, Allixin, polyphenolics) as antioxidants in increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) and neutralizing the

Aflatoxins are common in nature, hence minimizing the contamination is not an a easy task due to the interaction of fungus with environment and feed material. This involves con‐ stant attention during the entire process of grain harvest, storage, feed manufacturing and animal production. Most effective methods (physical, chemical, biological, biotechnologi‐ cal) to improve seed production, cultivation, harvest and storage need to be adopted. Use of binders and understanding their mechanism of action is the current concept and re‐ search areas in the use of microbes for decontamination and biotransformation of aflatox‐ ins is gaining momentum. Biotechnological intervention in terms of developing transgenic fungal resistant crops and biological control using non-toxigenic, competitive fungal spe‐ cies holds a better promise in managing the problem of aflatoxicosis. Advancement in mo‐ lecular techniques using fungal oligonucleotide probes with PCR based microarray analysis would help in early forecasting / detection of potential aflatoxin production, suggesting for

The first author wishes to thank and acknowledge the technical and financial support of M/S. Alltech Biotechnology Private Ltd., Bangalore in publishing this chapter. This company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of natural feed supplements including mycotoxin

olive oil) to aflatoxin contaminated feed improves the performance of chicks.

