Fusion - a new high performance Mycotoxin binder which can be used in aquaculture diets
Creating an opportunity to optimise production despite feed contamination
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi which can cause a range of acute or chronic detrimental conditions for aquaculture production. Mycotoxins can be formed on crops either during cultivation or during post harvest and storage. High temperatures and humidity are particularly inducing factors for the onset of these types of toxins. Mycotoxins are unevenly distributed throughout the feed in hotspots and can also be acutely toxic in very low concentrations. This means that analysis of feed samples to detect mycotoxins can cause ‘false negative’ results due to the fact that mycotoxins grow in isolated pockets within large quantities of feed, only becoming evident when feed is moved, mixed or processed into pellets. Consequently detection and quantification methods for mycotoxins in feed should combine a proven methodology with a highly effective sampling technique. However, feed contaminated with mycotoxins has been shown to be more harmful than the addition of purified mycotoxins in the diet which could be either because of synergistic toxicological effects or the presence of currently undiscovered mycotoxins. The modern feed distribution network needs to incorporate commercial methodologies to guarantee that feed contains minimum quantities of mycotoxins which can be detrimental to animal health and production. FUSION, the most recently launched product from Meriden Animal Health is the next generation of toxin binder which defines new limits to prevent the threat of in-feed mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins in aquaculture
The major aquaculture species have been shown to be sensitive to both the most common mycotoxins from Fusarium fungi in temperate climates, but also from tropical and subtropical fungi species such as Aspergillus. The experimental application of Aflotoxin B1 produced by Aspergillus which grows on plant based feed ingredients is negatively correlated with weight gain and survival in Penaeus monodon shrimp (Boonyaratpalin M, 2001). Histopathological changes in liver were noticed in Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) when fed varying concentrations of the Fusarium mycotoxin fumonisin B1. It was concluded that minimum concentrations of 20mg fumonisin B1/kg induced toxic effects (Yildrim et al. (2000). In a commercial context the presence of mycotoxins are mainly manifested by stunted growth, reduced FCR’s and reduced productivity. Histological analysis shows degeneration and atrophy of the liver in fish and hepatopancreas in shrimp.
The individual components contained in Fusion® have specific characteristics and modes of actions that work synergistically to benefit fish and shrimp feed ingredients and feed formulations. 
F Fixes Mycotoxins
U Utilises the Feed
S Synergistic Effect
I Immune Booster
O Orego-Stim added
N Nutritional Benefits
Biotic and Abiotic factors of Gut Health Management (Conway 1994)
It has been clearly demonstrated that chronic stress measured by prolonged elevated blood plasma cortisol concentration in trout results in dose dependent increased mortality from common aquatic bacterial and fungal diseases (Pickering 1989). This finding is not just confined to salmonid species but is a normal physiological response in all fish species. The hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis in fish which can be stimulated by both environmental and stress events affects the production of lymphocytes and antibody response as well as the reproductive capacity (Barton 1991). Although not included in the above diagram, the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) is the interface between the diet, host physiology and gut microflora. GALT activity can be modified through the diet by three principles – competitive bacterial exclusion, bacterial antagonism and immune modulation which in turn affect the health and productive status of fish and aquaculture populations respectively. The development of FUSION from Meriden Animal Health Limited has been exclusively designed to optimize these complex biological associations that take place in the gut of species of monogastric animals including fish and shrimp by optimisation of the nutritional benefits of the feed.
FUSION adsorbs mycotoxins into highly stable neutral bio-complexes without compromising nutrient adsorption whilst at the same time de-activating and eliminating the causative mycotoxin producing fungi organisms. As well as being the pioneer in a new generation of mycotoxin binders, FUSION incorporates the best components of natural growth promoters which collectively include:
Acidifiers
Feed Enzymes
Immune Stimulants
Phytogenics
Prebiotics
Probiotics
Synbiotics
These added ingredients supplement the mycotoxin binding properties and will actually kill the fungal precursors to mycotoxins as well as preventing zoonotic infections. For optimal pathogenic protection results, FUSION should be used in conjunction with Orego-Stim Powder or Liquid. FUSION can be mixed homogeneously with other feed ingredients prior to pelleting and is compatible with all forms of application of medicinal prophylactic and therapeutic treatments.
Conclusion
The combination of adsorption and biotransformation technologies used in FUSION has given rise to a product which has the ability to deactivate the major groups of mycotoxins found in aquaculture including Aflotoxins, Fumonisins, Trichothecenes, Ochratoxins, Vomitoins and Zearalenon. FUSION is a forward thinking and innovative product which has raised the threshold standard to equivalent mycotoxin binders on the marketplace. FUSION provides the best possible range of benefits to maximise animal health, without compromise.
References
Conway P (1994) Function and regulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota of the pig. Proceedings of the VIth Int’l Symposium on Digestive Physiology in Pigs. (Eds. Souffrant, W.B. and H. Hagemeister. EAAP Publication, Ban Doberan, Germany, pp 231-240.
Barton B and Iwama G (1991). Physiological changes in fish from stress in aquaculture with emphasis on the response and effects of corticosteroids. Review of Fish Diseases Vol 1, Pages 3-26
Boonyaratpalin M, Supamattaya K, Verakunpiriya V & Suprasert D (2001). Effects of aflatoxin B1 on growth performance, blood components, immune function and histopathological changes in black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). Aquaculture Research, 32 (1), 388-398.
Pickering A and Pottinger T (1989) Stress responses and disease resistance in salmonid fish. Effects of chronic elevation of plasma cortisol. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry vol. 7 no. 1-4 pp 253-258.
Yildrim M, Manning B, Lovell R, Grizzle J, Rottinghaus G (2000). Toxicity of moniliformin and fumonisin B1 fed singly and in combination in diets for young catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 31, 599-608.