Mycotoxins in dairy cattle: What we know and what we can do

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites which are identi­fied in a broad range of food and feed ingredients worldwide. These metabolites have been shown to limit animal health, performance and reproduction through a variety of negative effects including depressed feed intake, diarrhea and compro­mised immune function. Ruminants are often considered to be less susceptible to mycotoxins compared with monogastric species due to natural detoxification by rumen microbiota, but the extent of degradation is dependent on the type of mycotoxin present and is influenced by other factors including toxin con­centration, co-occurrence, duration of exposure and specific conditions in the rumen such as ruminal pH. Therefore, a vari­ety of negative effects associated with mycotoxin exposure have been reported in dairy cattle. Although much research related to mycotoxins has been conducted since the mid-20th century when aflatoxins were first identified, there are still many un­knowns when it comes to these toxic fungal metabolites and their consequences in animals, especially ruminants. However, mycotoxicology, the study of mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses, or diseases produced by mycotoxins, is a growing area of research that has continued to expand what we know and provide better options for mitigating mycotoxin challenges throughout vari­ous stages of dairy production.