Enzymes against fungal toxins in animal feed
The natural, common fungal toxins in cereals such as maize, rye, wheat or barley damage not only chickens, cattle and pigs that eat contaminated cereal feed. Certain types of these poisons - around 300 are currently known - can even reach consumers through milk, meat or eggs. Just think of ergot, which led to deaths well into the 20th century. So it's no wonder that the Food & Agriculture Organization FAO classifies mycotoxin contamination as the main threat to humans and animals. She estimates that around a quarter of the world's food production contains mycotoxins. However, this threat doesn't have to be.
The precautionary treating animal feed with enzymes that can break down this natural fungal toxins completely and without residue, plays an important role in the quest for healthy pet food - and thus also for food safety for us consumers. The Lower Austrian company BIOMIN can draw on many years of experience in the use of enzymes against various fungal toxins. Dr. Dieter Moll, research group leader at the BIOMIN Research Center in Tulln: "We use the enzymes in a very gentle way for the valuable feed one - but effective and efficient in the fight against pollution. Since the toxins are completely eliminated by these enzymes, they can no longer exert their toxic effect. "The removal of toxins happens in the digestive tract of animals, where the feed admixed enzymes have full effect against Fumosine, Deoxyvalenol or zearalenone. Afaltoxine removing other hand by binding to clay minerals in the feed mixture.
BIOMIN is in the production of enzymes in a yeast called Pichia pastoris, which is not routinely used in biotechnology. "Yeast can not only fermented wine or leaven doughs, they can also produce enzymes that are of great technical benefits; as those who come against fungal toxins for use ", explains project manager Prof. Dr. Diethard Mattanovich the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU). The scientists at BIOMIN and at BOKU Vienna have developed a yeast strain under the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib), capable of producing these enzymes quickly and in large quantities. In addition, the production organism has been adapted to the technical requirements and the process paths are optimized to make the production of enzymes cost-effective. The project was last year awarded the Science2Busnisss Award.
Mycotoxins in animal feed should not be a problem - however, the technology already exists. And it is improved in Austria. "Our cooperation continues. We optimize the production system in order to produce the enzymes cost-effective can and will extend it to other enzymes, "says project manager acib Mattanovich. The goal is to be able to defuse as many mycotoxins enzymatically.
About acib
The Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib) is the Austrian competence center for industrial biotechnology with offices in Graz, Innsbruck, Vienna and Tulln. There is a network of ten universities and more than 30 project partners, including famous names such as Biomin, Biocrates, BASF, DSM, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV, Jungbunzlauer, F. Hoffmann-LaRoche, Lonza, Novartis, VTU Technology and Sandoz. Owned by the Universities of Innsbruck and Graz, Graz University of Technology, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences and Joanneum Research.
When researching acib and work around 190 employees at more than 40 research projects. Public funding (58% of the budget) gets the acib of the Research Promotion Agency of the Republic of Austria (FFG), the location agency Tyrol, the Styrian Business Promotion Agency (SFG) and the Technology Agency of the City of Vienna (ZIT).
The competence center acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology - is within the framework of COMET - funded by the BMVIT, BMWA and the provinces of Styria, Vienna and Tyrol Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies. The COMET program is managed by the FFG.
Source: Graz [acip]
