In vitro mycotoxin binding capacities of clays, glucomannan and their combinations

Clays, glucomannans and their combinations are widely used to bind mycotoxins in contaminated feeds to reduce their toxic effects on animals. In the present study, the binding abilities of clinoptilolite, sepiolite, bentonite, and montmorillonite, glucomannan, and four commercial TB products (P1, P2, C1 and C2) were investigated in vitro for their binding effects on seven different mycotoxins (AF, aflatoxin; OTA, ochratoxin; ZEA, zearalenone; DON, deoxynivalenol; FUM, fumonisin; T-2 toxin, and HT-2 toxin) in medium at pH 3.0 and 6.8. The clays were observed to bind AF, DON, and OTA at the following levels: clinoptilolite on AF at 72–90%, on DON at 61–68%, and on OTA at 52–62%; sepiolite on AF at 92–98%, on DON at 36–68%, and on OTA at 53–55%; bentonite on AF at 88–95%, on DON at 23–73%, and on OTA at 54–56%, and montmorillonite on AF at 74–80%, on DON at 46–68%, and on OTA at 54–55%. We also observed that these clays bound ZEA, FUM, T-2, and HT-2 at 25–45%. Glucomannan bound AF at a high rate (85–96%); however, bound DON at 31–56% and OTA at 54–55%, and other mycotoxins at 25–43%. Although P1, which consisted of clay combinations, bound AF and OTA at high rates, it bound DON, FUM, ZEA, T-2, and HT-2 at medium rates. P2, to which glucomannan was added to the clay combination, was observed to have the ability to bind OTA, FUM, and T-2 at ∼15–20% more than P1. When similar commercial products were compared, P2 provided ∼>10% adsorption of AF, 20% of OTA and FUM, and 5% of T-2 than C1, while similar binding ability of these two products were observed on the other toxins.