Aflatoxin Decontamination of Artificially Contaminated Feeds by Sunlight, γ-Radiation, and Microwave Heating

The efficiency of decontamination of aflatoxin residues in poultry feeds through exposure to sunlight (solar radiation), gamma-radiation (Co-60), and microwave heating were investigated in artificially contaminated feed samples. Photodegradation of aflatoxin by sunlight has been found to cause a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in both B1 and the total aflatoxins. Moreover, the degrees of aflatoxins were dependent on exposure time. Both aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins were decreased when feed samples exposed to sunlight by 42.3, 39.9, 75.5, and 65.9% for 3 and 30 h of direct sunlight of the treatment T1, whereas feed samples subjected to gamma-irradiation and microwave heating caused a significant ( P < 0.05) decrease in aflatoxin B1 contents by 42.7 and 32.3% for gamma-irradiation and microwave heating (T3 of 25 kGy and 10 min of microwave heating), respectively. Therefore, the solar radiation was more effective in aflatoxin B1 reduction when compared with gamma-irradiation and microwave heating.