[Production of cyclopiazonic acid, its effect on the chick embryo and on 1-day-old cockerels].

In 1979 to 1983, 148 strains of Penicillium cyclopium were isolated from wheat and from poultry feed mixtures; 11.5% of these strains produced cyclopiazonic acid at the rate of up to 500 mg per kg of wheat. Forty-seven percent of the 96 isolates of Aspergillus flavus and 56% of the nine isolates of Penicillium griseofulvum produced cyclopiazonic acid at the maximum rate of 80 and 10 mg per kg. The ED50 of cyclopiazonic acid for two, three and four days old chicken embryo was found to be 2.40, 4.70 and 2.70 micrograms, respectively. Teratogenic effects were observed only in the two days old embryos in which the caudal end of trunk was shortened at the frequency of 0.36 and microophthalmia occurred at the frequency of 0.33. The LD50 of cyclopiazonic acid in day-old cockerels was found to be 21.71 mg per kg of weight.