Determination of fungal microbiota and mycotoxins in brewers grain used in dairy cattle feeding in the State of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the mycoflora and evaluate the presence of aflatoxins and ochratoxins in brewers grain used to feed dairy cattle in the State of Bahia. Twenty samples of brewers grain were collected each trimester, during a whole year, in five properties located in cities of the “reconcavo baiano” (Bahia, Brazil) for a total of 80 samples. Samples were analyzed for aflatoxins and ochratoxins by fluorimetry with immunoaffinity columns. Aspergillus was the most frequently isolated genus (42.5%), followed by Penicillium , Mucor , Rhizopus and Fusarium . Mycotoxicological analyses did not show the presence of ochratoxins, but the presence of aflatoxins was observed in 33.75% (27/80) of the samples, with contamination levels between 1 and 3 μg/kg.