What are the mycotoxins of relevance?
The most commonly known mycotoxins are the aflatoxins due to the fact that they represent one of the most potential carcinogenic substances known so far. They are rated as Class 1 human carcinogens by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) and recognised as the main hepatocarcinogen in animals, although effects vary with species, age, sex, and general nutrition. The fatty liver or pale bird syndrome and inhomogeneous flocks are the most typical symptoms for such a contamination in feed. Trichothecenes are a large group of mycotoxins produced by various species of moulds, with approximately 170 of them being identified up to date. The most prevalent occurring mycotoxins of this group are the B-type trichothecenes as deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin), nivalenol (NIV), 3- or 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (AcDON), and the A-type toxins T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin. Different types of trichothecenes vary in their toxicity though all of them are highly acute toxic. An important issue is
