review · Toxins
Mycotoxins and their masked derivatives in poultry feed present serious challenges to chicken health and agricultural productivity. These fungal toxins exert harmful effects even at low contamination levels. Masked mycotoxins present an additional danger because conventional screening methods often fail to detect them, yet digestive processes can convert them back into active, toxic compounds. As a result, flocks may suffer damage despite feed tests indicating safe toxin levels. Exposure leads to lowered feed conversion efficiency, stunted growth, weakened immunity, altered antioxidant capacity, irregular blood biochemical markers, and damage to internal organs. Countering these covert threats requires comprehensive management strategies. Recommended interventions include routine testing of raw ingredients and finished feeds, strict storage practices, and the application of feed detoxification techniques alongside mycotoxin binders to protect poultry health.
Poultry farming relies heavily on safe feed to maintain animal health and food production. Masked mycotoxins can bypass standard safety tests and secretly undermine bird welfare, flock growth, and farm yields. Understanding how these hidden compounds behave helps farmers, feed producers, and food safety regulators protect poultry supply chains and minimise agricultural losses from fungal contamination.
This review highlights practical intervention pathways for poultry producers and animal feed manufacturers. Commercial applications centre on adopting mycotoxin binders, feed detoxification methods, and rigorous routine testing for both standard and masked toxins. While strategies such as feed additives and proper storage are established, addressing masked forms requires enhanced diagnostic tools. The abstract describes existing management approaches rather than testing a specific new product, indicating an early to applied stage of practical adoption.
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The presence of mycotoxins and their masked forms in chicken feed poses a significant threat to both productivity and health. This review examines the multifaceted impacts of mycotoxins on various aspects of chicken well-being, encompassing feed efficiency, growth, immunity, antioxidants, blood biochemistry, and internal organs. Mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by fungi, can exert detrimental effects even at low levels of contamination. The hidden or masked forms of mycotoxins further complicate the situation, as they are not easily detected by conventional methods but can be converted into their toxic forms during digestion. Consequently, chickens are exposed to mycotoxin-related risks despite apparently low mycotoxin levels. The consequences of mycotoxin exposure in chickens include reduced feed efficiency, compromised growth rates, impaired immune function, altered antioxidant levels, disturbances in blood biochemical parameters, and adverse effects on internal organs. To mitigate these impacts, effective management strategies are essential, such as routine monitoring of feed ingredients and finished feeds, adherence to proper storage practices, and the implementation of feed detoxification methods and mycotoxin binders. Raising awareness of these hidden hazards is crucial for safeguarding chicken productivity and health.
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DOI: 10.3390/toxins16030137
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