Enzyme Technology for Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Animal Feed

Mycotoxins are products of the secondary metabolism of filamentous fungi including Fusarium and Aspergillus species. These fungi colonize crop plants and grains, such as maize, as plant pathogens or saprotrophes. Therefore, grain for use as animal feed is frequently contaminated with deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin, fumonisin, zearalenone, or other mycotoxins. Mycotoxin contamination compromises the natural vigor, productivity, and disease resistance of farmed animals. Despite good agricultural practice and plant resistance breeding, mycotoxin contamination of animal feed remains an extant problem that presents an opportunity for industrial enzyme technology. BIOMIN has pioneered the development of animal feed enzymes for gastrointestinal degradation and detoxification of mycotoxins. One such recombinant enzyme, the fumonisin esterase FUMzyme ®, has been approved by regulatory authorities and is commercially available. This chapter sums up the research and development behind FUMzyme, including enzyme discovery and characterization, development of activity assays, feeding trials and biomarker analysis, enzyme engineering, production, and registration. The state of research and development of recombinant enzyme technology for detoxification of other mycotoxins is also described.