SPECIAL STORY 50 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2023 and induces changes in hepatopancreas histopathology and biotransformation enzyme activities (Deng et al., 2020). Due to international trade and globalization, however, shrimp are potentially exposed to other mycotoxin groups than aflatoxins, as shown in Table 1. Deoxynivalenol (DON) levels at 0.5 mg/kg or higher impaired survival and growth performance, anti-oxidative defense systems, immune response, and intestinal and hepatopancreas histopathological damage (Xie et al., 2018). Similarly, T-2 toxin at 0.5 mg/kg and above affects growth, survival, digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant defenses and capacity, intestinal mucosal structures, and hepatopancreas histology of shrimp, mainly due to oxidative stress (Deng et al., 2017; Huang et al., 2019). Fumonisin B1 at 0.6–2 mg/kg reduces growth, muscle protein concentration, and immune response, induces histopathological changes in the hepatopancreas and may deteriorate shrimp muscle texture and decrease ice-storage life of shrimp, which could affect the shrimp’s acceptability to consumers (Mexía-Salazar et al., 2008; García-Morales et al., 2015). Shrimp may be exposed to a mixture of mycotoxins and not to a single toxin, as the co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in plant-based ingredients revealed. To date, there is no available information on in vivo studies in shrimp testing the potential combined effects of mycotoxin mixtures that could be synergistic, additive or antagonistic. Only an in vitro study showed that the alkaline phosphatase in the hepatopancreas of farmed shrimp was more sensitive to a mixture of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 than to individual exposure (Pérez-Acosta et al., 2016). Finally, emerging mycotoxins and fusaric acid were among the most frequent mycotoxin groups in the feed ingredients, although they are not detectable in routine controls in feed mills, no regulatory/recommendation limits exist, and no research information is available (yet) about their effects on shrimp. These insights highlight the necessity for a holistic mycotoxin management approach to protect the animals’ health and the industry from unexpected losses. *References and data on individual mycotoxins are available upon request. About Vivi Koletsi Dr. Vivi Koletsi is part of the Mycotoxin Management team at Alltech, where she provides technical support related to Alltech’s nutritional technologies for aquatic animal species. Dr. Koletsi first became interested in aquaculture while completing her undergraduate studies in biology. She began focusing on fish nutrition in earnest while pursuing her master’s degree, which led her to complete an internship with Alltech Coppens. During her internship there, she established a protocol to help prevent mycotoxin contamination in aquafeeds. Upon earning her master’s degree, Dr. Koletsi continued her mycotoxin research at the doctoral level with support from Alltech in collaboration with the Aquaculture and Fisheries Group at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. While completing her doctoral studies, Dr. Koletsi conducted trials at Alltech Coppens’ facilities and laboratory work at Wageningen University. A native of Ioannina, Greece, Dr. Koletsi holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as a master’s degree in aquaculture and marine resource management and a doctoral degree from Wageningen University & Research.
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