Igor Jajić, et. al. Contemporary Agriculture, 64 (1-2)95-99, 2015. 95 CONTEMPORARY AGRICULTURE SAVREMENA POLJOPRIVREDA UNIVERSITY of NOVI SAD, SERBIA FACULTY of AGRICULTURE The Serbian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Srpski časopis za poljoprivredne nauke Vol. 64, No. 1 - 2, Pp. 1 - 119, 2015. www:Contemporary Agriculture ISSN: 0350-1205 UDC: 63(497.1)(051)-“540.2” University of Novi Sad, Serbia Published by Faculty of Agriculture, Novi Sad Original scientific paper UDC: 572.023:636.5 AFLATOXIN PRESENCE IN SERBIAN POULTRY FEED DURING 2013-2014 PERIOD * Igor JAJIĆ ♦ , Vojislava BURSIĆ, Sandra JAKŠIĆ, Gorica VUKOVIĆ, Saša KRSTOVIĆ 1 Summary: The aim of this study was to compare the presence and the content of aflatoxin in poultry feed samples from two years (2013-2014). A total of 349 samples of complete feeding mixtures for turkeys, broiler chicks and laying hens were investigated. In 203 samples from 2013 year (10 samples of feed for turkeys, 145 samples of feed for broilers and 48 samples of feed for laying hens), overall aflatoxin content was ranged from 2 to 87 μg/kg, with the average value of 19 μg/kg. On the other hand, in 146 samples from 2014 year (14 samples of feed for turkeys, 78 samples of feed for broilers and 54 samples of feed for laying hens), overall aflatoxin content was notably lower (12 μg/kg) and ranged from 5 to 35 μg/kg. The obtained aflatoxin occurrence may lead to a conclusion that the high aflatoxin content during 2013 was an exception in comparison with 2014 and the studies from previous years. However, these results were not surprising taking into account a high degree of corn infestation by A. flavus molds during 2012, which came as a result of favorable agricultural conditions for the development of these molds. Key words: aflatoxin, poultry feed, ELISA, Serbia. INTRODUCTION Secondary fungal metabolites, as a natural food and feed contaminants, became an important factor in terms of food safety and public health. Mycotoxin production can occur during plant growth, maturity, harvesting, storage, processing of grains and is influenced by various factors (temperature, relative humidity, oxygen availability, damaged or broken grain kernels) (Bernardo, 2004; Lanyasunya et al., 2005). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that 25% of the world's crops are affected by mycotoxins, of which the most notorious are aflatoxins (WHO, 1999). Aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, AFM1, AFM2) are secondary metabolic products of some Aspergillus spp.: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus nomius, and belong to 1 Igor Jajić PhD, Associate professor, Vojislava Bursić PhD, Assistant professor, Saša Krstović, DVM, research associate, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia. Sandra Jakšić, MSc, research associate, Scientific Veterinary Institute “Novi Sad”, Rumenački put 20, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia. Gorica Vuković, PhD, scientific associate, Institute of Public Health of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 154a, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia ♦ Corresponding author: Igor Jajić, e-mail: igor.jajic@stocarstvo.edu.rs , Tel.: +381 21 485 3494. * This paper is a part of projects No 31081 and No 172042, supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, R. Serbia.