Serum vitamin A (retinol) reduction in broiler chicks on feed amended with Fusarium proliferatum culture material or fumonisin B1 and moniliformin.

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme, a common fungal contaminant of corn worldwide, 10 and F. proliferatum, a closely related species.l.Io.'9 The true incidence of F. moniliforme is difficult to determine because F. proliferatum has often been misidentified as F. moniliforme. lO,'3 Certain strains of F. proliferatum also produce moniliformin, but isolates of F. moniliforme generally do not. 1O In many feeding studies, samples/diets were analyzed for fumonisin, but not moniliformin. It is possible that moniliformin and other toxic metabolites were present but not identified. Contamination of corn by fumonisin at low levels (< 1 J.Lg/ g) is common, but the actual concentration of fumonisin varies greatly with climatic conditions and geographic 10cation. 17 Fungi capable of producing fumonisins can frequently be found in normal-appearing kernels, but corn screenings generally contain much higher concentrations of fumonisins and have been associated with episodes ofanimal toxicoses. 16