Animal nutrition firm Biomin is opening a new chapter in the field of mycotoxin risk management with the introduction of FUMzyme sol, the first-ever water-soluble purified enzyme that can be easily sprayed on extruded feed and effectively degrades fumonisins into non-toxic metabolites.
“FUMzyme sol offers feed and livestock producers a targeted method to counteract fumonisins in extruded feed using proven and reliable proprietary technology,” stated Ursula Hofstetter, head of global product management mycotoxins at Biomin. “With this development, Biomin becomes the only company to bring robust mycotoxin risk management to the post-extrusion stage of feed processing.”
The danger of fumonisins in feedstuffs
“Fumonisins and mycotoxins in general are becoming a concern for the animal protein industry due to the higher inclusion of plant protein sources in diet formulations,” Hofstetter said.
Fumonisins (FUM), which are produced by Fusarium proliferatum and F. verticilloides, predominantly contaminate corn and corn byproducts. The fungal toxins are known to have harmful effects on food-producing animals, such as impairing growth, predisposing them to disease and contributing to a disruption of gut integrity.
According to the latest Biomin Mycotoxin Survey, fumonisins occur in 80 percent of all corn samples analyzed worldwide, and their occurrence is spreading due to global warming and extreme weather phenomena.
Innovative solution against fumonisins
“Conventional mycotoxin binders are not sufficient to protect animals against fumonisin-contaminated feed. The FUMzyme technology specifically targets fumonisins and quickly renders them non-toxic,” Hofstetter said.
In vitro and in vivo experiments show that FUMzyme converts 60 parts per million (ppm) of fumonisin B1 into the non-toxic metabolite after just 15 minutes.
FUMzyme sol uses enzymatic biotransformation to counteract fumonisins in the gastrointestinal tract of animals — an approach pioneered by Biomin that was first commercialized under the name FUMzyme in 2013. FUMzyme was registered in the European Union in 2014 as a technological feed additive for the degradation of fumonisins (No 1115/2014).
Post-extrusion application
In response to customer requests, the Biomin Research Center developed a novel post-extrusion spray application. This required a concentrated formulation that is 200 times more powerful than the original. Just 5 grams of FUMzyme sol has the same efficacy as 1 kilogram of Mycofix Focus.
“The new spray application, which is the first of its kind in the field of mycotoxin deactivation, is the latest tool within the innovative Mycofix range of mycotoxin risk management solutions,” Hofstetter said.
