|A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W||VDPAM INDEX|
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that are toxic to
other life forms. More than 250 mycotoxins have been detected,
but relatively few are considered to be important to animal
health. Mycotoxin prevalence and concentration are sporadic and
vary annually, even in the same location. Production is affected
by local weather patterns, crop damage and productions
practices. They may be produced pre- or post-harvest. Mycotoxins
known to occur in Iowa are aflatoxins, dicoumerol, ergot and
endophyte-infected tall fescue, vomitoxin, and zearalenone. They
are mostly found in grain, including corn, wheat, milo, rye, and
oats. They may be found in silages or other feeds which contain
grain. With the exception of sweet clover and fescue, they are
rarely found in forages. Since there are many kinds of
mycotoxins, which differ from each other, they produce many
different kinds of diseases, called mycotoxicoses. They may
cause diseases of the liver, alime