Detection and detoxification of aflatoxins: prevention of aflatoxicosis and aflatoxin residues with hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate.

Our recent findings demonstrate that HSCAS can prevent aflatoxicosis in chickens and swine and significantly decreases the level of aflatoxin M1 residues in the milk of lactating dairy cattle. The basic mechanism for this action appears to involve sequestration of aflatoxin in the gastrointestinal tract and chemisorption (i.e., tight binding) to HSCAS which results in a reduction in aflatoxin bioavailability. Research is in progress to elucidate the specificity of HSCAS action and to construct a series of selective chemisorbents for mycotoxin control in livestock and poultry.