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Abstract
The contamination of animal feed with mycotoxins represents a worldwide problem for
farmers. These toxins originate from molds whose growth on living and stored plants
is almost unavoidable particularly under moist conditions. Mycotoxin-containing feed
can cause serious diseases in farm animals resulting in suffering and even death and
thus can cause substantial economic losses. The most applied method for protecting
animals against mycotoxicosis is the utilization of adsorbents mixed with the feed
which are supposed to bind the mycotoxins efficiently in the gastro-intestinal tract.
Aluminosilicates are the preferred adsorbents, followed by activated charcoal and
special polymers. The efficiency of mycotoxin binders, however, differs considerably
depending mainly on the chemical structure of both the adsorbent and the toxin. This
review describes the most important types of adsorbents and the respective mechanisms
of adsorption. Data of the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of detoxication are given.