الفهرس 
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Abstract
Mycotoxin is a general term used to describe compounds
and/or metabolites, which are toxic and produced by molds.
It may have other biological effects on living organisms.
The term is derived from Greek Words ” mykes ” meaning
fungus and ” toxicum ”meaning poison or toxin. Attention
are directed to those toxins which may be considered to
cause the greatest potential hazards to human health as
food contaminants. These toxins include aflatoxins.
Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by
certain species of AsE~Eg~!lu~ flavus and ~.rarasticus
strains that produce aflatoxin are widely distributed in
nature and are capable to grow on a wide variety of natuml
substances including different food, feedstuff and kernels
causing serious economic losses. The presence of aflatoxin
in animal feeds is recognised as one of the most serious
health hazards. from the available literature on the
effecl of aflatoxins in animal, it appeared that they are
potent hepatoxins and carcinogens. It l1as been observed
in experiJnental animals that chronic exposure to aflatoxin
(sublethal dose for long time ) results initial decrease
in appetite, slow growth, kidney hernorra~e. bile
duct proliferation, fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver.Acute aflatoxicosis (Large dose) results in hemorrhage,
fatty accunulaUon in the liver and death.
The accumulated information on contamination of feedstuffs
of pregnant animals with mycotoxin show that such
contamination causes fetal death and hemorrhage at the
utero-placental junction.
AFB1 in particular is now considered to cause fetal
death and/or retardation of fetal growth, hemorrhage at
uteroplacental junction, fertility decrease, embryo reso~ption
and embryo malformation. The rabbit appears to be even
more sensitive to the acute effects of aflatoxin than other
mammalian species.