?AFLATOXINS DETOXIFICATION IN SUNFLOWER MEAL BY AMMONIATION

Abstract

Ammonia has been found to reduce efficiently naturally occurring aflatoxins present in sunflower meal on pilot
plant scale. One percent of ammonia detoxified 96.53 ± 2.52% of aflatoxins in 30 min at 100 ± 1°C under IO ± 0.5
psi of steam pressure. The levels of naturally occurring aflatoxins in sunflower meal ranged from 113 ug/kg to 3322
ug/kg, Not much variation was observed in the detoxification process with the increase in aflatoxins content. Result-
ant detoxified product was found to be free of ammoniacal smell with an average ammoniacal nitrogen of 0.1 % and
average moisture content of 9.37%. The aflatoxins detoxified sunflower meal showed no toxic effect towards egg
production in layer when incorporated in the rations at an inclusion rate from 8.5 to 15%, as a vegetable source of
protein. The pilot-plant process demonstrated the effective way of destroying aflatoxins in sunflower meal.