Biosafety against fungal contamination of hen's eggs and mycotoxins producing species

Abstract EN

In the present work one hundred random hen's eggs were collected from a poultry farm at El-Behera Governorate, Egypt for detection of fungal contamination and mycotoxins production and evaluation of the sanitary conditions of the farm.

The obtained results proved that (38 %) of the examined eggs were contaminated with moulds species with a count ranging from 11 to 17 × 103 cfu / g and a mean value of 3.4 × 103 / g.

The isolated moulds species were identified into Aspergillus (14 %), Penicillium (9 %), Fusarium (1 %), Mucor (6 %) Rhizopus (4 %) and Cladosporium spp.

(5 %).

The genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium spp.

were further identified into Asp.

flavus, Asp.

niger and Asp.

fumegatus, P.

oxalicum and P.

regulosum and Fusarium graminarium.

The isolated mould species were screened for mycotoxins production under laboratory circumstances.

The obtained results showed that (10.25 %) of the previous mould species were able to produce mycotoxins in synthetic media.

Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 were produced by two strains of Asp.

flavus in total concentrations of 1.3 and 1.5 μg / g mycelia, respectively.

T2-toxin was produced by one strain of Penicillium regulosum with concentration 0.072 μg / g mycelia ; while Zearalenon toxin was produced by one strain of Fusarium graminarium in a concentration of 0.146 μg / g mycelia.

The dangerous role of contaminated hen's eggs by mould species at poultry farm, as well as, the public health hazard and the high economic losses have been discussed.

Great attention for the prophylactic and control measures that should be adopted in the poultry farm to overcome these problems and achieve the consumer safety has been recommended.