ABSTRACT
The worldwide increase in the use of antibiotics as an integral part of poultry and livestock production industry has recently received increasing attention as a contributory factor in the international emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in human beings. To gauge the presence of the aforementioned scenario in the Indian context, a preliminary survey was conducted to assess the use of chlortetracycline (CTC) in 12 commercial layer farms and to quantify and confirm its residue in the egg. Samples of feed and eggs were collected at day 0 (prior to CTC addition), 3rd, 5th and 7th day during treatment and on the 9th and 14th day (2nd and 7th day after withdrawal of CTC) from each of the 12 commercial poultry farms studied. Concentration of CTC in feed was significantly (P<0.01) high on the 3rd, 5th and 7th day. On the 9th day and 14th day CTC concentration in feed was significantly (P<0.01) lower compared to the earlier 3 days studied. A highly significant difference (P<0.01) of the antibiotic residue in egg was observed in all the 5 days with high residual levels of CTC in egg. CTC in feed and its residue in egg were detected even on the 9th and 14th day respectively.
ABSTRACT
The livestock feed and feed ingredients were screened for the presence of aflatoxin B1, citrinin, penicillic Acid, T2, ochratoxin A and zearalenone. The samples were collected from different livestock farmers/farms of Tamil Nadu. Mycotoxins were determined in all the samples. The present study clearly indicates high occurrence of citrinin highly predominant followed by Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A in feedstuffs and feeds. Aflatoxins B1, citrinin, ochratoxin A were the most common mycotoxins observed. The aflatoxin B1 levels ranged between 50 to 80 µg kg-1, ochratoxin A levels ranged between 20 to 160 µg kg-1, Citrinin levels ranged between 20 to 350 µg kg-1, penicillic acid levels ranged between 20 to 30 µg kg-1, T2 Toxin levels ranged between 75 to 450 µg kg-1 and zearalenone levels ranged between 150 to 1000 µg kg-1 respectively. The results of the study warrant the need for sustained monitoring of these commodities periodically and evolve policies which discourage the marketing of toxin contaminated feeds as existing in the developed countries.