Fusarium Species and Mycotoxins Contaminating Veterinary Diets for Dogs and Cats

Abstract

Veterinary diets are intended for diseased animals and may contain cereal grains, mainly maize and/or wheat. These, in turn, are often infected with pathogens of the Fusarium genus, which are able to produce numerous harmful mycotoxins. Forty-two samples of veterinary diets for dogs and cats were analyzed for the presence of Fusarium species and mycotoxins. Species were identified using molecular methods and the ergosterol and mycotoxins (fumonisin B ₁, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and zearalenone) were quantified using HPLC methods. Two Fusarium species were identified: Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides. The highest concentrations of fumonisin B ₁, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and zearalenone were 74.83, 2318.05, 190.90, and 45.84 ng/g, respectively. Only 9.5% of the samples were free from Fusarium mycotoxins. The acceptable limits of mycotoxin content in animal feed, specified by the EU regulations, were not exceeded in any of the samples tested. The mean mycotoxin content in veterinary diets for cats was lower than for dogs. Thus, it is recommended that veterinary diets are examined, since the mycotoxin contamination pose additional risk to animal health. The knowledge on Fusarium occurrence in veterinary diets is scarce and as far as we are aware this is the first report concerning the occurrence of Fusarium spp. and their important secondary metabolites—mycotoxins—in different types of veterinary diets for companion animals in Poland.