Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in the Diet and in the Milk of Dairy Cows from the Southeast Region of Brazil

• Published in: Toxins 2024-11, Vol.16 (11), p.492
• Main Authors: Borowsky, Aline Moreira, Rosim, Roice Eliana, Tonin, Fernando Gustavo, de Oliveira, Carlos Augusto Fernandes, Corassin, Carlos Humberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aflatoxins; Analysis; Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Feed - microbiology; Animal feeding and feeds; Animals; Barley; Brazil; Carcinogens; Cattle; Cereals; Corn; Cow's milk; Dairy cattle; Dairy farming; Dairy farms; Dairying; Deoxynivalenol; Diet; Diet - veterinary; Feeds; Female; Food contamination; Food contamination & poisoning; Food Contamination - analysis; Fumonisins; Fungi; Health aspects; Health risks; Humidity; Ingredients; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolites; Milk; Milk - chemistry; Mycotoxins; Mycotoxins - analysis; occurrence; Ochratoxin A; Plant metabolites; Public health; residues; Secondary metabolites; Sorghum; Soybeans; Synergistic effect; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; total mixed ration; Total mixed rations; Toxins; Zearalenone
• ISSN: 2072-6651; 2072-6651
• DOI: 10.3390/toxins16110492

Mycotoxins are toxic fungi secondary metabolites that develop on feedstuffs and can be transferred into milk, thus representing a public health risk. The objective of this study was to assess the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in the diet and in the milk of dairy cows from the southeast region of Brazil. Samples of total mixed ration (TMR, = 70) and milk ( = 70) were collected in dairy farms and subjected to multi-mycotoxin analysis using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), and T-2 and HT-2 toxins were not detected in TMR samples. In contrast, fumonisins (FBs), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON) were detected in 100, 93, and 24% of TMR samples at mean levels of 336.7 ± 36.98, 80.32 ± 16.06 µg/kg and 292.1 ± 85.68 µg/kg, respectively. Ninety-two percent of TMR samples exhibited co-occurring mycotoxins. In milk, 54% of samples ( = 38) had detectable levels of mycotoxin, while 43% ( = 30) contained two or more types of mycotoxins. DON, FB, and ZEN metabolites (α-zearalenol and β-zearalenol) were the most frequent mycotoxins detected in the milk samples analyzed, at mean concentrations of 0.562 ± 0.112, 2.135 ± 0.296 µg/kg, 2.472 ± 0.436 µg/kg, and 0.343 ± 0.062 µg/kg, respectively. However, none of the analyzed milk samples had levels higher than the maximum permitted limit for AFM in Brazil (0.5 µg/L). The results of this trial highlight the concern about the co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in TMR and in milk, due to the possible additive or synergistic effects of these compounds. The presence of co-occurring mycotoxins in milk underscores the need for stringent preventive practices to avoid mycotoxin contamination in the diet of dairy cows in Brazil.