FUMZYME , HERE TO FIGHT FUMONISIN IN LIVESTOCK

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a positive Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of a mycotoxin biotransforming enzyme from Biomin for the application in poultry feed.

EFSA acknowledged the efficacy of the enzyme (FUMzyme®) in safely degrading fumonisins to non-toxic compounds in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry, as demonstrated in numerous feeding trials, stating that the product has the capacity to degrade fumonisins in feed, at concentrations below the Guidance limits operating in the EU in chickens and turkeys for fattening and laying hens at the minimum recommended dose of 15 U/kg complete feed.

Protecting flocks

Recent Biomin Mycotoxin Survey results of 3065 samples taken in the first half of 2016 indicate that fumonisins were detected in 80% of maize, 27% of wheat, 66% of finished feed and 40% of soybean meal samples. “We know that fumonisins impair the health and performance of poultry,” explains Ursula Hofstetter, Director Competence Center Mycotoxins at Biomin. Recent research revealed that the ingestion of fumonisins at levels below the EU recommended value (20 parts per million) can affect the expression of proteins related to pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in the intestinal tract of broilers. Levels of 20 ppm of fumonisins induce a higher excretion of Eimeria, the parasites responsible for coccidiosis. “In large-scale farms, this may promote parasite transmission between birds due to the high density of the animals,” she explained.

Biotransformation

The enzyme was originally isolated from the fumonisin degrading soil bacterium Sphingopyxis sp. MTA 144 and identified as fumonisin esterase by the Biomin Research Center. The purified-enzyme biotransforms fumonisins specifically and irreversibly into non-toxic metabolites. “Biotransformation is the most cutting-edge strategy to detoxify mycotoxins,” said Ms Hofstetter. Biotransformation works by transforming non-adsorbable mycotoxins into harmless substances without any side effects for livestock. “It’s the future of mycotoxin risk management,” she added.

Biomarkers

Demonstrating the effectiveness of the enzyme involved evidence using the serum sphinganine/sphingosine ratio, a key biomarker that indicates fumonisin exposure in animals. “This ratio was significantly reduced by the addition of the enzyme at the minimum proposed dose when added to diets contaminated with fumonisins,” according to the EFSA opinion.

Source=http://www.allaboutfeed.net/Mycotoxins/Articles/2016/11/Positive-EFSA-opinion-for-Fumzyme-2921861W/

Sept 2017

MOSANTO HAS JOB FOR YOU AT ABUJA

Technology Development Representative-Nigeria
MONSANTO 1,157 reviewsAbuja
Monsanto’s Technology Development and Agronomy Team in sub-Saharan Africa is hiring for a Technology Development Representative to be part of a team that lead the development and testing of agronomic system concepts for our products. This role will gain firsthand knowledge of Monsanto’s products and associated agronomic systems research to provide technical leadership and conduct field research within Nigeria. This includes, understanding local and regional cropping systems and the development of existing and newer pipeline products. Successful candidates must have strong communication and people skills to enable cross-functional interactions with R&D and commercial teams.

Key Responsibilities: Coordinate and execute systems field testing program that supports maize and/or cotton germplasm and trait evaluations across different agroecological zones. Responsible for all aspects of coordination and execution of field trials in alignment with commercial team; trial seed forecasting, location identification, cooperator contracts, trial design, planting, in-season trial maintenance, data recording, harvesting and relinquish data. Active contribution and advancement team’s work, proposals for variety advancements. Maintain country regulatory compliance, ensure trials are conducted within regulatory and stewardship policy and paperwork is accurately completed in a timely manner.

Develop and maintain relationships with Technology Development colleagues to help steward current products and introduce new products. Regularly integrate emerging technology tools to improve work efficiency and execution of assigned responsibilities. Provide technical leadership for local sales organization through agronomic trainings, product and technology scientific knowledge transfer and stewardship initiatives. Technical contribution in demand generating activities like customer visits, demonstration plots, farmer field days and events, marketing tools, etc.

Investigation of product performance inquiries that require specific agronomic and product knowledge. Maintain and build relationship with researchers from academic and research institutions. Ensures equipment is properly maintained, operating and ready for use. Actively participate in the site safety program.

 

 

Source=https://ng.indeed.com/job-description? 24 Sept 2017

Aflatoxin in Nigeria=Commodities Certification Points coming

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has been reported to have the intention of setting up Commodities Certification Centres in each of the 6 geopolitical zones of the country.

This is response to incessant complaints on the unacceptable levels of aflatoxin and pesticides in export agricultural commodities. For some years now The European Union has been frowning at unfair trade coming from Nigeria due to these contaminants. With the putting in place of these standard certification laboratories, it is hoped that compliance with global standards will be attained.

Melon, beans, and a few others have been implicated as notorious candidates for high levels of contaminants from Nigeria to the EU Nigeria

NEW WHO LIST OF RESISTANT BACTERIA THAT NEED URGENT INTERVENTION

WHO Publishes List of Bacteria That Need New Antibiotics

WHO priority pathogens list for R&D of new antibiotics

Priority 1: CRITICAL

  • Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbapenem-resistant
  • Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant, ESBL-producing

Priority 2: HIGH

  • Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin-resistant
  • Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant, vancomycin-intermediate and resistant
  • Helicobacter pylori, clarithromycin-resistant
  • Campylobacter spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant
  • Salmonellae, fluoroquinolone-resistant
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae, cephalosporin-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant

Priority 3: MEDIUM

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae, penicillin-non-susceptible
  • Haemophilus influenzae, ampicillin-resistant
  • Shigella spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first ever list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health and which urgently need new types of antibiotics. These bacteria are resistant to some last-resort antibiotics.

Petri Dish

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic-resistant bacteria kill 23,000 Americans every year. And antibiotic resistant bacteria are present in every country on earth.

The list highlights gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. These pathogens are constantly evolving to resist new drugs, and they can pass genetic material to other bacteria so they can become drug resistant too.

Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation said in a statement, “This list is a new tool to ensure R&D responds to urgent public health needs. Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment options. If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time.”

The list is divided into three categories according to the urgency of need to new drugs: Critical, high, and medium priority. The most critical group includes Enterobacteriaceae, which includes Klebsiella and E. coli. Those pathogens can cause severe and often deadly bloodstream infections. Those bacteria have developed resistance to third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems, which are the best available antibiotics for treating multi-drug resistant bacteria.

The second category tier includes Staphylococcus aureus, Helicobacter pylori, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter, and fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella. The third tier includes fluoroquinolone-resistant Shigella bacteria. All of those bacteria are familiar to those in the food safety industry.

WHO hopes that this list will spur governments to advance policies that incentive basic science and advanced R&D by publicly funded agencies such as the FDA and CDC, and by the private sector. Professor Evalina Tacconelli, head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Tübingen said, “new antibiotics targeting this priority list of pathogens will help to reduce deaths due to resistant infections around the world. Waiting any longer will cause further public health problems and dramatically impact patient care.”

WHO ended its news release by stating that while more research and development is vital, it can’t solve the problem alone. We must prevent infections by these pathogenic bacteria, and use antibiotics in both humans and animals appropriately. And when new antibiotics are developed, they must be used rationally and not overprescribed

Source=https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2017/who-publishes-list-of-bacteria-that-need-new-antibiotics/

ELECTRICITY FROM HUMAN WASTES

Dutch designers use human waste to make electricity

By Bongani Shwen

 

The Compost Kliko Toilet could lead to people getting away from flushing potential down the toilet…

etabolism and cut crop productivity, ultimately putting pressure on arable land…

26 Jun 2017

Dutch designers use human waste to make electricity

For more, visit http://www.bizcommunity.com/196/642.html

SEEDS and FERTILIZERS FOR NE FARMERS

FAO distributes seeds and fertilisers to a million people in north-east Nigeria

“Investing in agricultural assistance today will provide food for tomorrow; and can ensure people have a source of food even when they are cut off from other forms of humanitarian aid.”

For more

please visit  http://www.bizcommunity.com/Articles.aspx?l=196&c=643&key1=20170703115900

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Nigeria Mycotoxin Conference holds in November

The Mycotoxin Conference in Nigeria will hold in November, 2017. A reliable source revealed that it will be hosted by the Federal Industrial Research Institute Oshodi FIIRO, Lagos.

Meanwhile the LOC is working on the success, while the  theme for the conference  will soon be released.

Recall that the last conference was held at Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger state where a new EXCo was elected

 

More information shortly

Isolation, screening and identification of Bacillus spp. as direct-fed microbial candidates for aflatoxin B1 biodegradation

Isolation, screening and identification of Bacillus spp. as direct-fed microbial candidates for aflatoxin B1 biodegradation

Original article doi: ©2015 by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. All rights reserved.
Rosario Galarza-Seeber1, Juan David Latorre1, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco2, Amanda Drake Wolfenden1, Lisa Renee Bielke1, Anita
Menconi1, Billy Marshall Hargis1, Guillermo Tellez1*

Isolation, screening and identification of Bacillus spp. As direct-fed microbial candidates for aflatoxin B1 biodegradation (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282500849_Isolation_screening_and_identification_of_Bacillus_spp_As_direct-fed_microbial_candidates_for_aflatoxin_B1_biodegradation [accessed Aug 9, 2017].

Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the ability of Bacillus spp. as direct-fed microbials (DFM) to biodegrade aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by using an in vitro digestive model simulating in vivo conditions. Methods: Sixty-nine Bacillus isolates were obtained from intestines, and soil samples were screened by using a selective media method against 0.25 and 1.00 μg/mL of AFB1 in modified Czapek-Dox medium. Plates were incubated at 37 °C and observed every two days for two weeks. Physiological properties of the three Bacillus spp. candidates were characterized biochemically and by 16S rRNA sequence analyzes for identification. Tolerance to acidic pH, osmotic concentrations of NaCl, bile salts were tested, and antimicrobial sensitivity profiles were also determined. Bacillus candidates were individually sporulated by using a solid fermentation method and combined. Spores were incorporated into 1 of 3 experimental feed groups: 1) Negative control group, with unmedicated starter broiler feed without AFB1; 2) Positive control group, with negative control feed contaminated with 0.01% AFB1; 3) DFM treated group, with positive control feed supplemented with 109 spores/g. After digestion time (3:15 h), supernatants and digesta were collected for high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection analysis by triplicate. Results: Three out of those sixty-nine DFM candidates showed ability to biodegrade AFB1 in vitro based on growth as well as reduction of fluorescence and area of clearance around each colony in modified Czapek-Dox medium which was clearly visible under day light after 48 h of evaluation. Analysis of 16S-DNA identified the strains as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis. The three Bacillus strains were tolerant to acidic conditions (pH 2.0), tolerant to a high osmotic pressure (NaCl at 6.5%), and were able to tolerate 0.037% bile salts after 24 h of incubation. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the concentrations of AFB1 in neither the supernatants nor digesta samples evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection between positive control or DFM treated groups. Conclusions: In vitro digestion time was not enough to confirm biodegradation of AFB1. Further studies to evaluate the possible biodegradation effects of the Bacillus-DFM when continuously administered in experimentally contaminated feed with AFB1, are in progress.
For more please visit
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282500849_Isolation_screening_and_identification_of_Bacillus_spp_As_direct-fed_microbial_candidates_for_aflatoxin_B1_biodegradation
SFFF Comment=The relevance of biological control in the search for the reduction of mycotoxins informed the republication of this excellent article
Aug 09 2017

Mycotoxin Control during Grain Processing

 Authors=M. E. Tumbleson, Vijay Singh, Kent D. Rausch, David B. Johnston, David F. Kendra, Gavin L. Meerdink, Wanda M. Haschek.

To deal with mycotoxin problems, there must first be an understanding of the fungi which produce them, their growth parameters and interactions with crops. Mycotoxin control is both fungus specific and crop specific. Control of mycotoxins during growing seasons is a crop management problem. Control during storage is…

For more please visit